Plans for £2.1 million of improvements to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath have been approved, with work set to provide safer and more accessible routes between Whitebirk, Rishton and Accrington.
Lancashire County Council approved the plans on October 1, paving the way for improvements to sections of the canal towpath aimed at making it easier for pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users to travel between communities.
The investment will help create a continuous off-road route linking Whitebirk, Rishton and Accrington, improving access for people making everyday journeys.
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The council’s Cabinet approved arrangements to add ringfenced Active Travel funding to its capital programme and enter into agreements with the Canal & River Trust to deliver the schemes.
The work will also be coordinated with related improvements being carried out by Blackburn with Darwen Council.
The project forms part of Lancashire County Council’s wider Active Travel programme, which aims to improve connections between communities and encourage walking, wheeling and cycling for shorter journeys.
Funding has been allocated to the county council by the Lancashire Combined County Authority.
Speaking at the Cabinet meeting, Councillor Warren Goldsworthy, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said the programme would improve connectivity and transport choice, as well as the accessibility and appearance of routes linking communities, towns and local destinations.
He added that investment in walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure would improve access to jobs and services, support economic growth and help create safer and healthier communities.
Lancashire County Council has secured £4.5 million in capital funding for active travel improvements during 2026/27, alongside £1.3 million in revenue funding to support walking, wheeling and cycling initiatives.
The funding includes the first annual active travel allocation from the Lancashire Combined County Authority’s 2026–2030 Integrated Transport Fund.
No construction start date or completion timetable was specified in the council’s announcement.
