Bradford Canal
Until recently the Bradford Canal seemed a most unlikely prospect for restoration and reopening. Much of the three-mile route and its ten locks have disappeared under roads and housing as the city has spread northwards, and traces of the canal are difficult to find unless you are a seasoned canal-spotter.
But with the benefits – both environmental and financial – of incorporating waterways into urban developments increasingly recognised, the city council has begun to look at whether a reinstated canal could feature in its plans to regenerate the northern side of the city centre. It will require diversions and completely new locks where the original route has been obstructed, and a price tag possibly as high as £50m for just three miles of canal doesn’t look good value for money. But when seen in the context of a £1bn city regeneration over the next twenty years, this figure could well be justified in increasing the value of investment by adding a waterside, and in improving the city for the benefit of everyone.
www.bradfordwaterways.co.uk
