Lanarkshire residents have just a few days remaining to give their views on future plans and priorities for Scottish waterways including the Monkland Canal.
Scottish Canals is seeking public input as the organisation develops its new corporate vision, and is asking for feedback on what projects should be its focus over the next five years.
An online survey is open until Sunday and asks how how people interact with canals; which areas they are most interested in such as leisure, nature, health and heritage; and about the importance of various priorities ranging from local regeneration and active travel to economic development and tackling climate change.
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Monkland Canal is one of five across the country to be managed by Scottish Canals; and benefited from a £429,000 upgrade earlier this year with the improvement of its two-kilometre pathway from Coatbridge town centre to Blair Road.
It has an active Friends group formed after the beauty spot experienced a huge surge in interest and visitor numbers during lockdown, with volunteers taking part in regular litter picks and securing the installation of facilities including benches and bins along the route.
Lanarkshire’s canal is part of a 250-year-old waterway network across the country which has “been reimagined from former industrial transport arteries to corridors of opportunity, tourism, and transformation”.
The online survey – representing the first time Scottish Canals’ corporate plan has been “guided directly by the people of Scotland” – is open to all including canal users, visitors and volunteers, and runs until December 4.
Chief operating officer Richard Millar said the vision must “reflect what’s important to our everyday users of our network,” saying: “People are at the heart of our canals and that’s why we are keen to listen and take on those views.
“We are under no illusion the next few years will be tough with increased pressure on public sector finances – we want to ensure that when we are investing our limited resources, we are doing so to deliver what the people of Scotland want.”
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