Kate Kniveton, Member of Parliament for Burton and Uttoxeter, recently (10/05/2024) visited a section of the Trent Canal, to see the completion of the new towpath scheme in Burton.
The local MP met with Henriette Breukelaar – Director West Midlands and James Dennison – Enterprise Manager, West Midlands of the Canal & River Trust; the organisation that looks after the waterways and oversaw the enhancement project. The towpath scheme, worth £2million, was part of the £22.8million Towns Fund award Ms Kniveton helped secure for Burton back in 2022.
The funding for the towpath has gone towards improving a five-and-a-half-mile stretch to lay a new ‘all year-round surfacing’ and install LED/solar lighting to improve accessibility and safety, making it more attractive for residents to use.
Henriette and James highlighted to the Burton MP that these enhancements had been well received by the local community already and use of the towpath has noticeably increased with more people enjoying the canal.
Ms Kniveton lauded the completion of the towpath project and highlighted it, as one of the first projects to be completed under the Towns Fund, as a sign of things to come with more improvements and significant investment projects on the way to make Burton an even more attractive place to live and visit.
Commenting, Kate Kniveton MP said:
“I was pleased to join the team from the Canal and River Trust today to see the completed enhancement works to the towpath for the Trent Canal through Burton.
“One of Burton’s most loved but underutilised features is our canal which is why I am so delighted, that as part of the £22.5million Town Deal I helped to secure for Burton, this investment is being made to increase its accessibility, safety and attractiveness for residents.
“It is great that these improvements have already lead to an increase in the towpaths usage and I would encourage all residents to pop down and see what a difference this funding from Government has made to our town, the first of many new projects.”
