£80k canal ramp backed by developer
DEVELOPERS have opened up access to the canal towpath in Mirfield by building a special ramp.
Darren Smith Homes is the company behind a £30 million apartments complex for the over55s overlooking the Calder and Hebble Canal.
The development is off Station Road near the site of the old Lidl store.
Now the developers have paid for a new £80,000 ramp from Bull Bridge onto the canalside.
The new ramp was opened by youngsters from Crowlees C of E School, who are part of the walkto-school group Crowlees Hoppa, described as a cross between a walking bus and a “park and stride.”
The ramp has linked the new St Paul’s Lock development with the Calder & Hebble Canal and has given Mirfield a major boost, according to the Canal and River Trust’s Regional Advisory Board for Yorkshire. Speaking at the official opening, trust member Hilary Brooke said: “Making this towpath and a variety of other paths accessible to everyone, including those using wheelchairs and buggies, has long been an aspiration for local people.
“By partnering Darren Smith Homes, the Canal and River Trust and Mirfield Community Partnership, we have matched skills, expertise, people and goodwill and we achieved a great deal for Mirfield. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.”
Last December, Darren Smith Homes sponsored the Crowlees Hoppa’s high-visibility vests to help ensure they can walk to school in safety.
The firm’s managing director Darren Smith said: “We are delighted to have built and funded this great new ramp as part of our ongoing commitment to improve and enhance the area and give something back to our residents and the wider community.
“This is a lovely part of the world and the new ramp will open up the canal side to everybody.”