Montgomery Canal Forum
The forum is organised by Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust, that was formed in 1980 to bring together the public and voluntary organisations interested in the future of the Montgomery Canal.
Shrewsbury
The forum will be held at The Guildhall, Welsh Bridge, Shrewsbury at 2.30pm on Tuesday 12th July 2011, and will be addressed by Simon Papprill, Principal Regeneration Officer, Oldham Council, and Alex Ball, British Waterways newly-appointed Montgomery Canal Development Manager.
Trust Chairman Michael Limbrey explains:
"The Forum will be an opportunity to review the wide range of benefits of the restoration, based on the experience of other restorations.
"Simon Papprill from Oldham Council will tell us of the benefits of the restoration of the Rochdale and Huddersfield Narrow canals. Like the Montgomery, these canals lost their commercial boating traffic in the years before the Second World War; restoration involved tackling many road crossings and other obstructions, and in the case of the Rochdale Canal, special care had to be taken of Floating Water Plantain, a protected species also found in the Montgomery Canal. Though the restored canals have limited boating use, they bring many benefits to their area."
The second speaker, Alex Ball, has worked on a number of waterway projects, and since coming to the Montgomery Canal earlier this year has been developing bids for funding the next steps in the restoration. She will tell of the opportunities to develop restoration on both sides of the border.
The final part of the meeting will be an open discussion of general matters relating to the canal and its restoration.
The forum is a public meeting open to anyone interested in the Montgomery Canal.