Iconic canal routes transformed into urban nature havens
Neglected areas of the region's iconic canal network are being transformed into urban nature sites to boost wildlife and create attractive places for local people to walk, run and cycle.
More than seven miles of canals running out of Birmingham and into the Black Country are being enhanced thanks to £100,000 from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
These once busy trade corridors are being improved as part of the Canal & River Trust’s Wild Waterways project.
Locations for the improvement work include:
- One-and-a-half mile stretch of James Brindley’s 21 locks through Wolverhampton, built in 1771 to connect the Birmingham Canal with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
- The 200-year-old Walsall Lock Flight on the Walsall Canal, between Walsall basin and the Birchills Junction
- Four miles of Brindley’s Birmingham Old Canal Mainline out of the city centre, up to the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital
The project will see new tree, shrub, wildflower and wildlife habitat areas planted and existing ones significantly improved. Regular litter picking patrols will also be introduced.
The initial work will be carried out by local volunteers but community groups are also being urged to get involved to help maintain the historic routes in the years to come.
West Midlands mayor Richard Parker said: “This funding will see key sections of our historic canals transformed into safe, nature-rich spaces for our communities and tourists to enjoy.
“They were originally built to bring trade and prosperity to the West Midlands but three hundred years later we are repurposing them for our 21st century lifestyles.
“By working with the Trust we are providing new opportunities for people to get outdoors and enjoy nature, boosting personal health and wellbeing.”
Julianne Joyce, community coordinator for the Canal & River Trust, added: “Our canals are such fantastic, biodiverse places to be, and funding like this is so important in making sure they remain accessible and attractive for local people and boaters.
“These are wonderful green and blue spaces – not what you’d expect from one of the most urbanised areas of the country. We want to encourage people to come here and get away from the traffic to enjoy the wildlife, get active and improve their wellbeing.”
The WMCA has supported 55 charities and community groups with more than £1.6 million of environment funding. The money has improved the lives of more than 500,000 people, enhancing and creating new nature sites and bolstering the region’s resilience to climate change.
Funding for the Canal & River Trust’s Wild Waterways project has come from the WMCA’s Community Environment Fund, set up as part of the Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund.
Find out how to volunteer with the Wild Waterways project.
