Chesterfield Canal prepares to host National Trailboat Festival
Work to restore Chesterfield Canal has reached another milestone with the installation of new gates at Staveley Town Lock ahead of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) National Trailboat Festival later this month.
The new lock gates were installed on Thursday 5 May 2016 as part of a long-term project led by Derbyshire County Council and Chesterfield Canal Trust to restore the canal and boost tourism.
Up to 30 volunteers from the trust have been working to prepare the area where the new lock gates have been installed in time for the National Trailboat Festival.
Around 8,000 visitors from across the country are expected to flock to the IWA festival which is being held jointly with the trust’s annual festival at Staveley Town Basin on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May 2016.
Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, Councillor Dean Collins said:
“We’re committed to helping to improve Derbyshire’s economy and tourism has very important role to play.
“By restoring the canal, we can bring more fantastic events like the IWA National Trailboat Festival to Derbyshire bringing more visitors to the area.
“A lot of hard work has gone into restoring 37 miles of the canal so far and we’re very grateful to the many volunteers who have given up their time to help make the project a success.
“We look forward to welcoming the boating community to Derbyshire to enjoy our beautiful county and all it has to offer.”
The lock gates were manufactured and installed by Hargreaves Foundry Ltd in Halifax using £50,000 from Derbyshire County Council and £37,500 from The Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund.
The Landfill Community Fund is a national scheme which uses money from landfill tax for community and environmental projects.
Malcolm Marshall, a trustee of The Veolia Environmental Trust, said:
“It was great to see the closing stages of this ambitious project.
“We hope that the new gates mark the start of an exciting new era for the canal and Staveley.”
The admission for the festival will be £3 and free for under 12-year-olds. For more information see www.chesterfield.co.uk/events/iwa-national-trailboat-festival-and-chesterfield-canal-festival/
