Funding extension approved for Montgomery Canal restoration 

A £14 million project to restore the Montgomery Canal has been granted an 11-month extension by the UK Government, Powys County Council said.

It was due to be finished by the end of March this year, but the Council and Glandŵr Cymru (the Canal and River Trust in Wales), who are delivering the scheme in partnership, now have until the end of February 2026 to complete it.

The finished work:

• Refurbishment of the canalside cottages, next to Y Lanfa, in Welshpool, which are currently being used as a temporary home for the town’s library,
• Restoration of the Grade II listed Aberbechan Aqueduct, near Newtown, which plays an important role in maintaining water levels and had previously been ‘at risk’ of collapse,
• Dredging and bank works between Llanymynech and Arddleen which featured on the BBC’s Countryfile program.

“Restoring the canal, and creating new wildlife areas alongside it, will bring an economic and ecological boost to the area. It will also help to improve the wellbeing of Powys residents by providing them with more suitable and inspiring places to walk, canoe and cycle,” said Councillor David Selby, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys.

Richard Harrison of Glandŵr Cymru added: “The extension being granted to the project provides us with important additional time to undertake the work that forms a major part of the restoration of this section of the canal, which is set to bring an important boost to the local area.”

The work that still needs to be completed:

• The extension and improvements to Y Lanfa in Welshpool, which is the permanent home of the town’s library and the Powysland Museum. (Work started in January),
• A lifting replacement for Williams Bridge, near Llanymynech,
• A new biodiversity area with ponds at Wern, near Pool Quay,
• A new biodiversity area with ponds next to the River Vyrnwy, near Llanymynech,
• Further dredging and bank works at Llanymynech.