A major milestone has been reached in the restoration of the Lichfield Canal, as investment from Lichfield District Council helps turn decades of ambition and volunteer effort into visible progress.
Volunteers from Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust (LHCRT) have completed 85 metres of new canal at Gallows Reach, allowing the restored section to hold water for the first time.
The milestone follows Lichfield District Council's award of £200,000 in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding to support Phase 2 of the Gallows Reach restoration project.
CIL is funding collected from new developments and invested by the council into infrastructure projects which support communities across Lichfield District.
The council's £200,000 contribution is supporting essential materials needed to restore a 225-metre section of canal, including sheet piling for the canal sides and a watertight lining for the canal bed.
The completed 85-metre section has now been bunded to retain water, marking an important step towards bringing the wider stretch of canal back into use.
As well as contributing towards the Trust's long-term ambition of reconnecting the Lichfield Canal to Huddlesford Junction, the Gallows Reach project will create a traffic-free pedestrian route linking the new communities at Cricket Lane and St John’s Grange.
The restoration will also create new habitats for wildlife, enhance biodiversity and provide an improved green corridor for residents and visitors.
Councillor Alex Farrell, Lichfield District Council's Cabinet Member for Housing and the Local Plan, said:
“It's fantastic to come back to Gallows Reach and see just how much progress has been made since we announced our £200,000 investment.
“This is exactly what Community Infrastructure Levy funding should be about – taking money generated through development and investing it back into infrastructure that benefits our communities.
“What's particularly special about this project is the huge amount of time, skill and dedication being given by the Trust's volunteers. Our funding is helping them turn an incredibly ambitious vision into reality, and seeing water in this section of the canal is a brilliant milestone.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved and I'm looking forward to seeing the restoration continue to progress."
Derek Lord, LHCRT Planning and Technical Trustee, said:
“This funding has been a fantastic boost for the project, and we are extremely grateful to Lichfield District Council for their support. Completing and watering the initial section shows exactly how this investment is delivering real, visible progress, bringing us another step closer to reconnecting the Lichfield Canal to Huddlesford Junction. With this first milestone now reached, we’ve already begun the next stages of restoration at Gallows Reach.”
The restoration of Gallows Reach forms part of the Trust's wider ambition to restore the Lichfield Canal and create a navigable route alongside a green and blue corridor for the community and wildlife.
Work will continue at Gallows Reach as volunteers progress the next stages of the restoration.