IMPROVEMENTS are being made to canal towpaths across Dudley in a bid to get more people walking and cycling.

Dudley Council has been given a £125,000 boost to make improvements to the canal paths from Seven Dwellings Bridge, near Quarry Bank, to Black Delph Bridge in Brierley Hill, which links to the National Cycle Network.

It is hoped the work, which is part of a Black Country wide ‘managing short trips’ project, will help to boost the number of people using active travel in Dudley and the wider region.

Financed from the ‘Local Growth Fund’, the project has been led by Transport for West Midlands – delivered in partnership with The Canal and Rivers Trust – and includes specific provision to benefit pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable users.

Councillor Hilary Bills, Dudley Council’s cabinet member for environmental services, said: “The benefits of active travel are significant as they help people to be more active whilst reducing congestion on the roads and pollutants from vehicles.

“We are delighted to be involved these additional improvements to local canal towpaths, which will help people to walk and cycle more often.”

The work follows £460,000 of improvements which were carried out in 2016 to a series of canal towpaths between Kinver Street Basin in Wordsley, Buckpool Nature Reserve, and The Dell Stadium.