Today, I was pleased to meet Canal and River Trust Chief Executive Richard Parry and Regional Director Ros Daniels on the canal path in Banbury.
We walked from Castle Quay, along the Banbury Canal towpath down to Bankside Park and back. Towpaths provide great walking opportunities and we are very fortunate to have one running through the heart of Banbury. I think we were all able to appreciate the importance of walking during the pandemic for both our physical and mental health.
I discussed with Richard and Ros the effects that increased use during the pandemic has had on the canal path, with some areas suffering from accelerated erosion. I was pleased to hear more about improvements the Trust have made to the towpath, such as repairing the pathway and making enhancements to the bridges. We also discussed further opportunities for improving the path alongside the canal.
This was also a great chance to take a closer look at the exciting Castle Quay Waterfront development. Work on the second phase is really coming along now, with the cinema and restaurant set to open this Spring. When completed, this should be a fantastic leisure venue in the heart of our town.
