PLANS for a £2million upgrade for Kennet and Avon Canal went on show after the trust was awarded a grant.

The £2m programme of winter improvements to the Kennet and Avon Canal was on the agenda this month at the annual meeting of the Trust’s Waterway Partnership.

The improvements to the Kennet and Avon Canal will be happening in addition to the repairs to the Caen Hill stretch of the towpath in Devizes, which was recently damaged when part of a lock gate was left open, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. As well as the Devizes towpath, there will also be a £680,000 project to repair the bridge at Seend Wharf and a project to repair the embankment at Pewsey Wharf.

As well as discussing the maintenance programme for the 200-year-old canal, which includes replacing and repairing lock gates, bridges and embankments, the meeting set out the future plans for the waterway including boosting jobs and tourism, promoting healthy lifestyles, improving accessibility and increasing education opportunities around the waterway.

Tamsin Phipps, chairman of the Canal and River Trust’s Kennet and Avon Waterway Partnership, said: “Originally built to transport goods and raw materials, the Kennet & Avon Canal today delivers different benefits through tourism, jobs, green spaces, havens for wildlife and opportunities to get away from it all. The work going on this winter is absolutely essential to keeping the canal running, but it’s equally important for us to think about how we can make the most of our waterway, and how it can best enrich the lives of the people around it.”