WORK is due to start to improve a busy section of canal towpath in Skipton between Gawflat Bridge, near Aireville Park, to the swing bridge at Niffany, on the outskirts of town.

The stretch, which runs parallel to Broughton Road, will be closed from Friday for more than a month until March 25 and is part of a £2 million project to improve the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal from Gargrave to Kildwick.

Once completed, the Skipton stretch will be wider than other parts of the towpath to enable pedestrians a traffic free route to and from the railway station, to schools and to the town centre and the newly refurbished Canal Basin.

Luke Edwards, project manager at the Canal and River Trust, said: “We know a lot of residents and walkers use this stretch of towpath, so while we apologise for the inconvenience during the work, it will vastly improve the surface and access to the canal for all users.

“One of our key goals as a charity is to encourage more people to enjoy our towpaths – they are great places to relax and take time out – so it’s a project that will be of huge benefit to the community.

“We are making every effort to reduce inconvenience and disruption, but this short closure is necessary.”

Funding has been secured by Craven District Council from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership, with additional money coming from the Canal and River Trust, and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

Councillor Simon Myers, Craven District Council’s lead member for Enterprising Craven, said: “I’m delighted to see the work start on this stretch of the canal towpath along Broughton Road. I know residents have been very keen to see these improvements and will be eager to see this work completed. When the whole project is finished, residents and visitors will all benefit from a fantastic new towpath which will run all the way from Kildwick to Gargrave, making the canal and the countryside more accessible to everybody.”

The scheme received £140,000 secured by the Local Enterprise Partnership as part of the Government’s Local Growth Fund.

David Dickson, chairman of the Infrastructure Board at York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are delighted to be working with Craven District Council, the Canal and River Trust and their partners, as this scheme is a real example of the Local Enterprise Partnership’s commitment to our ‘places’.

“Improving our towns and developing their infrastructure provides tangible benefits for residents, communities, visitors and businesses as in this case, which will improve connectivity between the station and business sites across the town.”

In total, the project will see more than 11km of the towpath in Craven improved, including the resurfacing with natural limestone and signage.

The towpath between Bradley swing bridge to the Warehouse swing bridge is due to re-open on April 9; and the stretch from Eshton Road bridge to Ray Bridge, east of Gargrave, where asbestos was discovered is due to re-open on February 28. Holme Bridge to Thorlby swing bridge is due to re-open on April 7.

Visit the website: canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices

Spoken to the project lead - the asbestos has now been removed from the site, but construction on the section is still ongoing.

We’re hoping to open it around the 28th Feb.

Bradley Swing Bridge (War Memorial) to Bridge 187 Warehouse Swing bridge Kildwick – 9th April

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/16830-craven-towpath-improvements-bridge-182a-bradley-swing-bridge-to-bridge-187-warehouse-swing-bridge-kildwick

Eshton Road Bridge to Ray Bridge (east of Gargrave) – 28th Feb

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/16717-craven-towpath-improvements-eshton-road-bridge-to-ray-bridge

Holme Bridge to Thorlby Swing Bridge – April 7th

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/16580-craven-towpath-phase-2-improvement-holme-bridge-to-thorlby-swing-bridge

Right, the towpath is open throughout Gargrave to Ray Bridge.

Then closed up to Thorlby Cross.

It’s open from Thorlby to Niffany Bridge, and then closed to Gawflatt (Aireville Park).

Rest of it is open until the war memorial past Bradley, but then closed from the war memorial into Kildwick.