A MASSIVE £110,000 dredging project has helped restore a section of the canal in Stroud to its former glory.

The 300 metre stretch of the Cotswold Canals between Lodgemore Bridge and Wallbridge Lower Lock has been dredged with 4,500 tonnes of material removed.

Land & Water Services carried out the £110,000 project which also included the r-opening of the towpath.

To avoid the need to dispose of the material, as well as the environmental impact of several hundred lorry journeys, the waste was deposited on the banks of the canal.

The dredging, together with ongoing construction of a bypass channel around Wallbridge Lower Lock, was made possible thanks to a £100,000 grant from The Veolia Environmental Trust.

This grant has helped the Cotswold Canals Partnership get one step closer to its £20 million vision of linking the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal to the River Thames at Inglesham just east of Lechlade.

The overall canal restoration project is mainly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Stroud District Council.

Simon Pickering, chairman of Stroud District Council’s environment committee, said: “This work was completed on time and on budget.

“It has created another length of open navigable canal and has transformed the area behind Homebase in Cainscross Road.

“I regularly cycle along there and it’s already noticeable that species of wildlife preferring open water are colonising the new area.

“Our thanks go to the Veolia Environmental Trust, whose generous grant enabled us to go ahead with this work.”

Paul Taylor, executive director of the Veolia Environmental Trust, said: “It is good to hear that this work is now complete and that the canal can now be used and enjoyed by walkers, cyclists and boaters.

“The fact that it is becoming home to a wide range of species is an added bonus, and I look forward to hearing about the stretch developing and thriving in the future.”

The next step in the restoration project is for the canal edge to be seeded and for reed edging to be planted at the right time of year.

Cllr Pickering has warned users of the towpath to be cautious for the meantime.

“The area where the materials were deposited is still very wet and contains deep mud,” he said.

“Although it’s a very inaccessible area, parents do need to make sure their children don’t go exploring and getting stuck, or worse.”

Go to www.stroud.gov.uk/canalcams for live updates.