This exciting two-year project will see the construction and watering of the canal channel between London Road and the existing old Lock 24 in Borrowcop Locks Canal Park.
The work will also include a new lock to the west of Cricket Lane and a lift bridge linking Longbridge Road with Tamworth Road. We will also carry out additional planting, including semi-mature trees, to increase biodiversity.
Background | Timeline | Plans | Ecological management | Resourcing
Background
Planning approval was received in summer 2024 subject to discharge of planning conditions, which will be fulfilled in the summer of 2025.
The planning approval includes:
- the construction of a 650 metre water-tight canal channel from London Road to the existing old Lock 24 in Borrowcop Locks Canal Park
- a new lock to the west of Cricket Lane
- a lift bridge linking Longbridge Road with Tamworth Road
- new pedestrian steps from Gallows Wharf to London Road.
Our aim is to get as much of the canal in water as soon as possible, so we will incorporate stop planks or dams along the route to enable this to happen. We will also carry out additional planting, including more trees, to increase biodiversity.
It will link up the completed section at Borrowcop Locks Canal Park and the partly-prepared channel at St John’s Grange, which has two culverts, and was developed by Amey and Persimmon. They will also install an additional culvert installed beneath Cricket Lane, as part of the new housing development at that location.
Timeline
Updated February 2026
| Work | Target dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Enabling works | Winter 2024 | Complete ✔ |
| Production of the lift bridge | July 2025 | Complete ✔ |
| Lift bridge foundation works | Aug 2025 | Complete ✔ |
| WRG camp (Gallows Wharf) | Aug 2025 | Complete ✔ |
| Lift bridge testing | Aug 25-Jan 26 | Complete ✔ |
| Piling and base construction (Gallows Reach) | Jan-Mar 26 | Active 🚧 |
| Construction of Narrows (E. of Cricket Ln) | 2025-May 26 | Active 🚧 |
| Lift bridge installation | May 2026 | Due 🔜 |
| Gallows Wharf to lift bridge in water | May 2026 | |
| Lift bridge to new lock 24 | May-Dec 26 | |
| Cricket Lane culvert (by SCC) | Oct-Dec 26 | |
| Lock 24 tie into Cricket Lane culvert | Jan 2027 | |
| Tamworth Road Narrows tie into culvert | Jan 2027 | |
| Final watering | Feb 2027 |
NB. Some tree removal or coppicing will be carried out in some sections outside the nesting season.
These dates are estimated due to availability of volunteers, funding and weather conditions.
Plans
Borrowcop Locks Canal Park and Cricket Lane
The work at Tamworth Road Narrows is underway and reached a milestone with the removal of the big pipe in April 2025. The culvert under Cricket Lane will be built and paid for by Persimmon Homes as part of the Cricket Lane housing development.
Tamworth Road and new lock 24
Lock 24 will be a brand new lock. The original lock was on the other side of Cricket Lane in the area we now call Tamworth Road Narrows. We can no longer use the old lock as the canal needs to be kept at a lower level to get underneath Cricket Lane, without the need for a hump back bridge as it was originally. The new lock will therefore lower the canal level before it travels under Cricket Lane.
The majority of the cost of the lock has been funded through our Big Give Green Match Fund appeal in April 2025, when we raised £157,154. Although this wasn’t the full target, it is an amazing amount and will go a long way towards funding the design and construction of the lock chamber and gates.
The Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Tree Survey Report identified that some trees must be removed along this section to allow the canal to be restored. Several of the trees to be removed had self‑seeded in the canal bed, others have roots growing into the line of the new channel and would become unsafe if those roots were cut, and a few are already dead or dying. This work will be carried out before the nesting season. Looking to the future, our Landscape and Environmental Management Plan, confirms how we will undertake landscaping and new tree planting as part of the canal restoration.
The liftbridge
The restored canal will cut across a right of way, between Longbridge Road and Tamworth Road. The liftbridge is required so that once the canal is restored, residents will not need to take a lengthy diverted route from their homes to the shops and main road. We raised £29,312 towards the cost of the lift bridge in our Big Give Christmas Challenge appeal in 2022.
Work will take place in May 2026.
Gallows Reach and Gallows Wharf
We have already built the towpath along Gallows Reach as well as a nature trail on the opposite side, and it is well used by local people. Gallows Wharf and the Garden of Reflection was completed in 2019 and was part of the winning entry for the Heart of England in Bloom.
Work started again at Gallows Wharf in February 2025 when our volunteers started enabling works and then to construct the offside canal wall. We also installed a new set of steps from the wharf to London road, which will enable walkers and resident to access the road from the non-towpath side of the canal.
Landscape and ecological management
The Landscape & Ecological Management Plan (LEMP) sets out how the canal restoration will protect wildlife, enhance habitats, and manage the landscape over the long term. It is required under the planning permission for the project and follows national and local biodiversity policies.
The ecological walkover and previous surveys identified a mix of existing habitats, some of which we have previously created. In addition the restoration will boost biodiversity through three main measures:
- Wildflower meadows: New wildflower areas on mounds and embankments, managed to keep strong wildflower cover and support pollinators, bats, reptiles and invertebrates.
- Hedgerows: Existing hedges strengthened, gaps filled with native species, and new hedgerows planted along boundaries. Managed on a rotation to stay dense and berry‑rich for wildlife.
- Trees: New native trees planted throughout the site, with a commitment to replace any that are removed or fail, so the landscape continues to mature over time.
Latest work
See the latest photos of the work on our social media channels:
Resourcing
We are a charity with no central funding and no paid staff, so the work will be carried out by our own volunteers and visiting groups. We will use contractors if necessary, such as for the construction of the lift bridge.
This work will be funded by our own restoration resources; raised through members’ subscriptions, donations and our fundraising.
Some sections of the project have had specific funding, such as the Liftbridge and lock 24, which we have detailed above.
If you can help by volunteering or donating or becoming a member of the trust, we’d be very grateful.