With the recent news of a big lump of cash for canals, Stroud and Stonehouse are one step closer to being connected to the UK’s waterway network.

Earlier this month the Heritage Lottery Fund announced it was awarding £842,000 to Stroudwater Navigation Connection, the project for restoring the stretch of water between Stroud and Stonehouse and linking it to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

But though the cash award is certainly a vote of confidence, it’s by no means enough by itself to see the restoration go ahead.

The total cost of the project - which aims to take the canal under the M5, reinstate the ‘missing mile’ near Eastington and forge a new stretch under the railway line at Stonehouse - comes in at £23.4 million.

Instead, the cash handed over by HLF will allow Stroudwater Navigation Connection to show the project is feasible in the hopes of unlocking further money.

In other words, the project is now entering the ‘development stage’ - it's not got a green light just yet.

Wheels are already in motion however - last week Stroud District Council, which is leading the project, voted to accept the HLF offer.

Next surveys will assess the impact of the project, and detailed planning and investigation into major constructions will take place.

Hopefully the necessary approvals from Natural England and the Environment Agency will also be given.

If the HLF is convinced the project can meet its budget, then the rest of the money should be granted at the beginning of 2020, allowing restoration work to begin in earnest.