The Council is a partner in an exciting and visionary project aimed at regenerating Scotland's Lowland Canals (Forth & Clyde and Union Canals). The initial stage of the project, known as the Millennium Link, has involved the restoration of navigation along the canals at a cost of £85m, allowing boats to travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh, and from the Forth to the Clyde. The engineering centrepiece of this massive undertaking is the Falkirk Wheel, a huge circular boat lift providing a link between the two canals, was opened in May 2002.
Falkirk Council is at the heart of the Lowland Canals and has worked closely with British Waterways as a funder and facilitator of the core infrastructure works.
Now the Council is working on the next phase of the project which aims to deliver economic development, social benefits, and environmental improvement within the corridor of the canals. The Council has produced a Canal Corridor Development Framework to promote appropriate canalside development within its area, and leads a local partnership group which is co-ordinating actions aimed at unlocking the canals' potential locally.
The Canal Corridor Development Framework was approved by the Council in June 2000. It is intended to guide and promote sustainable development of the corridor of the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals within the Council area, taking advantage of the economic and environmental opportunities presented by the Millennium Link. It sets out policy principles for canal related development and highlights the key sites where development and regeneration will be focused.
A revision of the Development Framework is currently underway.