Villagers celebrate green light for river walkway (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Villagers celebrate green light for river walkway

5:24pm Thursday 8th October 2009 in Brinscall

Residents in Brinscall will soon be able to enjoy leafy walks along a hidden length of the Goit River, thanks to a £65,000 footpath scheme.

The new footpath will run alongside a section of the Goit which is covered by a culvert, a concrete tunnel built back in 1907 to protect the river against pollution from nearby industries.

The 600 metre culverted river section, which runs from the Gatehouse Bridge to the local children's playground behind Brinscall Baths, had become overgrown and inaccessible to ramblers.

Local villagers, including an action group called GREAT (Goit River Environment Action Team) have been campaigning since 2005 for improvements to the site.

The new path, contructed from recycled stone, will improve access, lift the appearance of the area, and link directly to new bridleways being constructed by Lancashire County Council along other sections of the river.

It will be accessible to those with physical disabilities.

Funding for the pathway has come from United Utilities, who own and maintain the culvert, through its United Futures regeneration programme, which it runs with environmental charity Groundwork. Substantial funds have also come from Lancashire County Council.

Work to clear the site is set to begin in the next fortnight, and the pathway is expected to take around five weeks to complete.

Joe Jazmik from United Utilities said: "We are very pleased that this scheme is going ahead. It will provide a pleasant pathway linking up with the new bridleways being built by the council. As a result, walkers and cyclists will be able to enjoy an extended route from Anglezarke Reservoir to Abbey village."

United Utilities and Groundwork also plan to involve local children in a series of workshops, to design stone artwork inspired by the area's wildlife. These will be displayed at the entrance to the footpath.