The Bradford Canal has been closed since 1922. The route has been infilled and in some places built over.
There are currently proposals to re-open the canal.
These proposals would involve restoring the first mile of the original route of the canal from Shipley to near Poplar Road. From there, instead of rebuilding Crag End Locks, it is proposed to construct a new channel parallel with Poplar Crescent but lower down the hillside. Before reaching Stanley Road, the new channel would cross the Bradford Beck and Canal Road, to run alongside the railway on the west side of the valley to a new terminus to the north of Forster Square.
The land around the new channel would be developed to include housing, retail and commercial premises, community facilities and even a drive-in cinema.
The proposals to re-open the canal were given a boost in Summer 2006 when Bradford was chosen as one of four areas to take part in a pilot project aimed at attracting private-sector investment onto deprived neighbourhoods.The scheme aims to attract investment to support the reopening of the Bradford Canal and encourage regeneration along the route. The canal could attract up to £470 million of investment, creating nearly 6,000 jobs and 5,000 homes.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott visited Bradford to see the plans himself. He commented: "This won't just bring water to Bradford - it will bring investment, housing, jobs and a new prosperity."
Information about the original proposals can be found on the Bradford Waterways website (sorry - this site no longer working), while some more recent proposals can be seen on the Bradford Urban Regeneration Company website.
