AN ongoing multi-million pound project to connect Stroud’s restored canal to the national network has been given another huge funding boost.

Gloucestershire County Council has awarded investment worth £700,000 to progress work to connect the Stroudwater Navigation to the Thames & Severn Canal.

The money will be spread over four years from 2019/20 and is part of a proposed £19m Heritage Lottery Fund bid towards the project.

This has been led by Stroud District Council, which has already announced funding worth £3m over the next four years.

The county council investment will help unlock further funding to reinstate the canal between the A38 and Meadow Hill.

This includes a new public right of way, five new bridges, eight new or restored locks and the rerouting of an oil pipeline.

The total cost of restoring the four mile length of canal is estimated at around £19m. Lottery money is needed to pave the way for major engineering work to start.

When completed, the project would join the six miles of canal already restored to the national waterway network.

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A previous bid by the Cotswold Canals Trust (CCT) in 2015 was unsuccessful, partly due to a lack of funding from partners in the project.

The Stroudwater Navigation as we see it today was built between 1775 and 1779, from Framilode, on the banks of the River Severn, to Wallbridge in Stroud.

Completed restoration work includes six miles of canal, upgraded towpaths for walker and cyclists, construction of eleven bridges and reinstatement of ten locks.

Councillor Nigel Moor, Conservative cabinet member for fire, planning and infrastructure said: “Our canals have huge potential to be used and enjoyed by our communities.

“Not only does the council have a responsibility as a local landowner, but also has a long and well established stewardship role in protecting the interests of the canal, its users and environment.”

Cabinet will be asked to agree the investment on Wednesday March 29.

Work on the revised bid is already well underway and volunteers have already started on the section between Stonehouse and Saul.

Since Christmas, they have already cleared around 200m of channel west of Fromebridge roundabout.

With the permission of Ecotricity, other volunteers have carried out an assessment of Westfield Lock, which was filled in during the 1970s.

Plans are now being put in place to clear out the lock and begin restoration this year.

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Photos by Mike Gallagher, CCT