THE outcome of a final cash bid to turn Droitwich Barge Canal into a leisure facility will not now be known until March, but campaigners say they are very optimistic.

The Droitwich Canal Trust plans to link Droitwich Barge Canal with the Worcester and Birmingham canal and the River Severn, to create a 21-mile cruising ring.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has already agreed to a grant of £4,658,000 and a bid is now going in to Advantage West Midlands for a possible £3m contribution.

"There has been some delay in submitting the bid to Advantage West Midlands," said James Thompson, Droitwich project manager for British Waterways.

"We only get one bite at the cherry so we wanted to make sure that we had got all our costings right. I am meeting with Advantage West Midlands tomorrow and then it depends how long it takes them to make a decision but we expect it to be in the next financial year.

"We are very optimistic about it though," Mr Thompson added.

If it approves its share of the £11.2m needed to restore the waterways, work could then begin straight away. It is expected it will take four years to complete.

Worcestershire County Council and Wychavon District Council have each pledged £1m towards the redevelopment.

Restoration

The restoration project, which has been in the pipeline for the past 30 years, will involve creating more than six hectares of new reed beds and habitat improvements, along with the restoration and conservation of more than 40 buildings of heritage importance.

It is estimated that within five years, the restored canal could attract up to 330,000 new visits a year with people spending £2.75m in the local area each year.