Chesterfield Canal Trust have today begun the latest stage in the restoration of the Chesterfield Canal. In a ceremony attended by Lee Rowley MP, Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire, Peter Hardy, Chair of the Chesterfield Canal Trust, and others, ground was broken on the next 18 month long project to extend the canal a further half a mile.
This latest stage of restoration to the Chesterfield Canal also includes a new lock system, 2 new bridges, one being a footpath and the other being the crucial Trans Pennine Trail Bridge, and a footpath that extends all the way to Renishaw with wildlife friendly vegetation also being installed.
The canal extension is one of 10 projects being funded by the £25 Staveley Town Deal, which Lee Rowley MP fought hard in Westminster to secure for the town. As part of the Town Deal, there will also be a new waterside development as the Chesterfield canal finally reaches Kiveton and connects up to the national canal network. The total cost of the canal restoration is around £6 million, most of which will come from the Town Deal.
Commenting, Lee Rowley stated:
"It was brilliant to attend the ground breaking of the next stage of the Chesterfield Canal today. This canal has been at the heart of North Derbyshire life since its restoration started in the 1980s, and its brilliant that it is going to see another half mile restored along with 2 bridges, a lock and a footpath which goes all the way to Renishaw - all part of the Government’s £25 million support for Staveley."
"The Canal Trust have been amazing at ensuring that over time progress is made and the Canal now extends all the way into Staveley.
"It’s all only possible thanks to the amazing volunteers at the Chesterfield Canal Trust and all of the work they have done over many decades - we would not be here if it wasn’t for them and all their hard work and endeavour over so long."
"It’s just amazing to see that this has got going, it’s taken a number of years to do but we’re now seeing another example of Levelling Up in action. This is Government support for our area making a a real difference which will result in another benefit for North East Derbyshire for many generations to come."
