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The Millennium Ribble Link will be officially opened on Friday 20th September 2002 by the Rt Hon Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The project, which was supported by a Millennium Commission Lottery grant of £2.7 million, is England's first new canal to be built for more than a century. The idea for the Millennium Ribble Link dates back over 200 years and was part of an ambitious scheme to build a canal - the Lancaster Canal - starting at Wigan in the south and continuing 75 miles north to Kendal. However, this original scheme was never completed and now two centuries later the idea of connecting the Lancaster Canal to the rest of the UK's inland waterway network has finally been realised. The Ribble Link comprises 4 miles of new navigation, 9 locks, new footpaths and cycleways, environmental initiatives and an arts trail. The new canal will provide increased leisure and tourism opportunities and has greatly enhanced the local area. Millennium Commissioner Judith Donovan CBE, said, "The Millennium Ribble Link project is an excellent example of the work the Millennium Commission is supporting throughout the UK. Not only is it the first new canal to be built in England in the last century but it is also is providing new social, economic educational opportunities for local people. Britain's inland waterways have always been an important part of the UK's heritage, having had an influence over the years in the shaping of landscapes, communities and our economic life. After decades of dereliction and decline the waterways of the UK are entering a new era where thanks to Lottery funding their full potential is being realised and once again they are becoming an important national asset." The Millennium Commission is distributing over £1.3 billion of lottery money to nearly 200 projects around the UK. The Millennium Ribble Link is one of a number of canal restoration projects the Millennium Commission is supporting with over £61 million. Other projects include the Millennium Link in Scotland which features the spectacular Falkirk Wheel, Huddersfield Narrow Canal, which includes the remarkable Standedge Tunne,l and the Rochdale Canal Restoration. -ends- Notes to Editors 1 The Millennium Commission is one of the good causes funded by the National Lottery. 2 The Millennium Commission has supported: - Around 200 new buildings, environmental projects and visitor attractions on over 3000 sites across the UK.;
- A UK-wide programme of community festivals which began on New Year's Eve 1999 and culminated on New Year's Eve 2000 with celebrations in 32 towns and cities across the UK.;
- The Millennium Experience at Greenwich and the National Programme.
3 The Millennium Commission also works with over 100 Awards Partner organisations to distribute Millennium Awards to individuals for community based projects. Over 20,000 people have already received a Millennium Award and there are still thousands of Awards available. Further information is available on 0800 06801 2000. For further information contact the Millennium Commission Press Office on 020 7880 2007, out of hours 07771 565606. back to top Copyright © 2002 The Millennium Commission
Millennium Commission 19th-September-2002
Categories: News Archive
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