Minister visits to see canal extension potential
The Secretary of State for Wales has been seeing first hand how a project to extend a canal could boost tourism both sides of the Shropshire and Powys border.
Simon Hart MP visited Mid Wales where he met Montgomeryshire MP Craig Williams, and North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, to look at potential expansion of the Montgomery Canal.
The continuation of the restoration of the canal – with the ambition of linking Mid Wales to Shropshire, is the focus of a Powys County Council bid to the UK Government's multi-million pound levelling up fund.
Mr Williams said he had used the visit to demonstrate to his Conservative colleagues how the project could boost the region's tourist economy.
Mr Hart also met volunteers at the Montgomery Canal Partnership and Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust, who have campaigned for decades, and dedicated much of their personal time to restoring sections of the canal.
The group took time to sample a canal boat ride from the wharf in Welshpool.
Mr Williams said: "The main bid from Powys County Council to the levelling up fund is a significant funding package to deliver the last couple of miles we need for the Montgomery Canal.
"We obviously jumped on a boat in Welshpool and talked about the amount of work that has gone on over the years to get it where it is now and if we get the last stretch done over the border then Mid Wales will be rife with new tourist opportunities we do not currently have.
"It could be transformative for the Mid Wales economy, it is not just the canal boats coming down, it is the knock-on developments that could come from it. I see the levelling up bid as absolutely key for the future proofing of Mid Wales tourism."
Mr Hart said: “Having previously been a resident of Montgomery, it was fantastic to return to Montgomeryshire and to see the very exiting plans to restore the Montgomery Canal to its former glory years.
“It is truly one of the UK’s most beautiful areas, and I was thrilled to be able to visit some of the constituency including some of Wales and the UK’s biggest success stories.
“Montgomeryshire is central to the UK Government’s plans for a more visible and active role in Wales, not least through the Mid Wales Growth Deal and the Levelling Up Fund.
“These are the opportunities that will bring real investment, real growth and real jobs to these fantastic communities for years to come.”
John Dodwell, Chair of the Montgomery Canal Partnership, added: “We were very pleased to welcome Simon Hart MP, Secretary of State for Wales, to see for himself the great potential which the completion of the restoration of the Montgomery Canal will bring to the people of Powys.
“We hope for a favourable outcome to the recent application to the UK Government for funding. Restoration will not only bring economic benefits through increased visitors but also improve the well-being opportunities for people living in and near the Canal corridor, including enhancing the natural and built heritage."
Mr Hart also visited a number of Mid Wales businesses during the day, stopping at Greg & Dawn Pickstock’s farm in Llanfechain, Montgomery Waters in Churchstoke, and Monty’s Brewery in Montgomery.
