The direct cost of the restoration, will be just over £78.3 million. This is being funded by a partnership consisting of the Millennium Commission, Scottish Enterprise National and 5 of the Local Enterprise Companies, the European Regional Development Fund, British Waterways and the 7 local councils through whose area the canals pass.
The Plan
The plan is to bring the 69 miles (110 km) of canal and towpath from Glasgow to Edinburgh and the Forth to the Clyde back to life by the middle of 2001. This will involve the removal of 33 obstructions, dredging, renovation of old locks, reconnecting the link between the 2 canals at Falkirk, repairing the banks and improving the towpath. The most exciting element of this will be the creation of a 25m high wheel at Falkirk for transporting the boats from the level of one canal to the other.
The works will start around August 1998 at sites to the north and west of Glasgow on the Forth and Clyde Canal, and between the M8 and A801 between Edinburgh and Falkirk on the Union Canal. The last project to be complete is likely to be the new Wheel at Falkirk.
The works are being carefully planned in terms of their environmental impact on the canals, not least the dredging which has already started on the Union Canal. The Forth and Clyde canal only requires spot dredging because it was originally much deeper than the Union Canal.
Economic studies have shown that the Millennium Link project should ultimately create 4110 new additional full time equivalent jobs, net of all displacement and £24 million a year from visitors spending money in the local economy. Tourism studies have forecast that in the first 5 years the Millennium Link will attract 600 craft moored permanently on it, 500 craft passing through the Forth and Clyde canal to get from one side of the country to the other, six new trip boats, two new restaurant boats and 40 to 60 boats available for hire weekly. Walking and cycling visitors to the canals are forecast to increase by 3.5 million over 5 years.
The project has many other benefits not least the increased opportunities that will be created through the project for local people to enjoy the amenity of the canals, schools to use them for educational projects and the overall improvements in the environment of the canal which will benefit people and wildlife alike.
