Hope for Lapal Canal

IT SEEMS all is not lost over the Lapal Canal as Sainsbury's agreed a meeting with members of the Lapal Canal Trust.

Readers may remember Brian Holmes' piece about the omission of the canal from a completed development plan, with the waterway shown as pedestrian greenway, with no water in sight! Yet at the first application for its development Sainsbury's had promised help towards the canal's regeneration.

Progress

However, we have learned that at a second, more amicable meeting  between directors of the Lapal Canal Trust, its consultant from Atkins and four members of the Sainsbury's/Land Securities partnership, progress has been made.

It is now accepted that there will be a restored  Lapal Canal, and its possible route through the development was discussed, and various issues such as its junction with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, its width and the position of bridges brought up.

Site meeting

Things are moving forward, with a site meeting arranged for today (Thursday 27th) and a further meeting on Monday 7th November at which the partnership will present the trust with its evaluation of details of the waterway for the trust to consider.

Peter Best, Chairman of the Lapal Canal Trust reflects:

"It would be fair to report that the partnership is promising to consider the above issues towards delivering a restored navigation across their site, albeit with several details still to be resolved."