I WAS disappointed to read last week about the setback in the restoration of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal after a source of a considerable quantity of funding was lost.

The good news was the start of the Middlewood locks development in Salford where the canal leaves the Irwell.

Many years ago, as pupils at Smithills Secondary School, many of us were involved in the restoration schemes of a number of North-west canals, including the Peak Forest and the Rochdale Canals.

These are now open again and the areas they run through have clearly benefited from this in many ways.You only have to look around the Castlefield and Dale Street areas of Manchester to see this.

I am confident that Bolton's canal will eventually be restored, but I was wondering whether the council has considered the possibility of an extension of the canal through Bolton town centre?

St Peter's Way now covers the line of the original canal, which ended at Church Wharf below the Parish Church. If the canal was restored to Burnden Viaduct, it could then join the course of the River Croal and be made navigable along the Middlebrook Valley up to the Reebok stadium, skirting Red Moss.

It could then follow the valley of the River Douglas to join with the Leeds-Liverpool Canal at Adlington.

What would be created could be called the South Lancashire Canal Ring, a linear park through some of the most deprived areas of Bolton, and opportunities for creating several leisure/tourist areas along the way.

An area similar to Manchesters's urban splash in the town centre; a boat yard in the Lostock junction area, a marina and hotel at the Middlebrook complex.

This may all sound like "pie in the sky", and there is the question as to where the funding would come from, but at a similar scheme in Preston, the Savick Brook now connects the Lancaster Canal with the rest of the network after 200 years of being isolated.

A start could be to create a walking/cycle way along a proposed route and ensure that any future building developments incorporate the potential for a canal in the plans.

Phil Monk

Bromwich Street

Bolton