GOVERNMENT funding has enabled towpath improvements in Loughborough, Leicestershire to make it better for walkers, cyclists and visiting boaters.
Working in partnership with Loughborough Town Deal, the Canal & River Trust received an £885,000 grant towards the project to improve a popular 2km stretch of the River Soar towpath running between Moor Lane Bridge and Belton Lane.
Describing its completion as another important milestone, LTD chairman Dr Nik Kotecha said: “The improvements to the historic canal in Loughborough will be enjoyed by local communities and visitors to the area for many years to come and will form part of the Town Deal’s legacy.”
The revamped puddle-free path provides a green, traffic-free route through the town, enabling people to spend relaxing time by water on the popular route to work, university and the shops. To mark the official reopening of the path members of the Town Deal Board and representatives of the trust gathered on December 1 to walk a section.
The towpath has been widened and resurfaced, making it suitable for year-round use by walkers, cyclists and those with buggies. Access points on to the path have also been improved, making the route more welcoming and connecting with other local walkways. As well as widening and resurfacing the towpath, the project has installed 24 additional moorings for visiting boats and strengthened a 100m stretch of canal bank between Moor Lane and Little Moor Lane.
The scheme is one of 11 projects Loughborough Town Deal is supporting after securing £16.9 million from the Government’s Towns Fund. In total, the projects are worth more than £40 million of investment for the town.
