A series of presentations will take place on 30th April 2025 at The Towers Hotel & Spa for the much-anticipated Options Appraisal Report on the Neath and Tennant Canals.
Neath Port Talbot Council has secured £113,850 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Places initiative for the development phase of the Canal Connections/ Cysylltiadau Camlesi project.
This project aims to regenerate the canal system into an accessible community asset for active recreation and travel. Another of the project’s goals is to establish the canal system as a must-visit heritage destination which connects local communities.
While the council does not own the canals, it is looking to foster the working partnerships needed to facilitate the regeneration of these key heritage and environmental assets for the benefit of our communities, our wildlife ecosystems and the area’s economy.
Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, Cllr Cen Phillips, said: “The canals enable residents to reconnect with nature and the communities along its length, linking the town centre to valley areas.
“There is wide recognition of the importance of these spaces for people’s health and wellbeing as these waterways can be improved to provide clean, green spaces for local leisure activity and to provide a place where rich biodiversity thrives.”
Following a recent community consultation exercise, civil engineering consultants AtkinsRéalis developed a comprehensive feasibility study examining future sustainable uses for the Neath and Tennant Canals, recognising their significance and unique heritage and what they can offer to the people and communities lining their routes.
The study forms part of the Canal Connections/ Cysylltiadau Camlesi project.
Communities and residents can see at first hand the study’s options and recommendations – set out in the Options Appraisal Report – during one of two presentation sessions running at 2.00pm and 4.00pm at the Towers Hotel and Spa.
Everyone is welcome to attend and play their part in collectively taking forward a phased sustainable future for these cherished waterways.
