Post by les on Mar 10, 2011 13:58:54 GMT
A NEW master plan which could see £53m worth of investment being poured into the transformation of the Bridgewater Canal over a 15-year period will be put forwards for approval by Salford City Council members next week.
The master plan, which has been prepared by URBED and Landscape Projects, would involve a spend of £8.6m of public funds in a bid to lever in a further £44.8m of private sector investment to transform facilities around the canal and improve links to local communities.
The report suggests that the canal, which has an important place in history as the world's first man-made industrial canal, can be developed as a tourist attraction in its own right with associated visitor information points, cafes and a potential museum at Barton Bridge, close to the Trafford Centre.
It adds that features like the Barton Aqueduct and the Worsley Delph can be turned into key tourist attractions, with the latter's tunnels used as a potential finale to boat leisure tours.
Salford City Council's sustainable regeneration arm has proposed that the council submits a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £3.5m of the public funding element of the cash and to provide the initial match funding prior to seeking funding from other bodies including Viridor Landfill Trust.
The funds will be used to improve the environment around the canal, make more of a feature of its history and make improvements aimed at attracting more narrowboat visitors and canal boat tours.
The document suggests that this would fit with other work to create a marina at Monton and improvements to the Duke Drive Country Park. It is also aimed at making improvements that will lead to increased use of the canal by narrowboat users.
The report suggests that the canal could eventually attract more than 113,000 visitors a year, potentially generating an annual economic benefit to the city of £2.1m and 86 new jobs.
The master plan envisages work being completed over several phases - the first of which will be public area and signage improvements as well as improving links with five villages adjoining it.
It will then seek to increase its appeal among visitors from other parts of the city-region before marketing it as a national attraction.
"This will prepare the way for major investment by putting the canal on the map and dealing with its many failings before it is being asked to step up to be a major attraction," the report states.
It also sets out broader principles for others looking to complete canal side developments, such as all development facing canal side to increase surveillance, improve access to the canal from nearby areas and include new basins and moorings to encourage more use from boat owners.