The main initiatives of the programme have been a Canal Heritage Trail and an
Industrial Enhancement Grant Scheme. There have also been a number of Green Space projects
allowing community groups to improve their local areas along the canal corridor.
The council believes that the programme will increase the number of visitors to the
city centre, as it is expected that when the programme ends in 2001 over 40,000 people
would have visited as a result of it.
It is predicted that over the lifetime of the programme over 50 jobs will have been
created and a further 60 safeguarded. The scheme will also have involved 30,000 local
children in environmental projects.
Finance for the project has been secured through grants from the Single Regeneration
Budget and the European Regional Development Funds, as well as the National Lottery and
English Partnerships.
The council has also agreed to continue a unique canal clean-up scheme, which has
dramatically reduced the number of complaints about litter on the water.
Environmental programme officer Andy Duncan believes the initiative has been a great
success. He said:
"Everyone wins all round on this project because the boat which patrols for litter
was supplied by British Waterways, the outboard by Courtaulds and it was all painted by
local children.
"Therefore all we have to pay for is the petrol for the boat and the labour time
for the people that are operating it."
The clean-up is operated by Club Line Cruisers, a Coventry company who build and hire
boats, and since its introduction last year has made a significant impact on the state of
the canal.
