A PLAN for improving canals across Lancashire over the next decade has been launched.

And now the Canal and River Trust North West Partnership is inviting community groups, councils, schools, and local businesses to share their opinions on the proposals.

The prospectus focuses on how, in the next ten years, waterways can contribute to all areas of day-to-day life throughout the north west.

It covers everything from attracting jobs and tourism to promoting healthy lifestyles and improving accessibility to increasing education opportunities.

Some of the ideas outlined which can be seen in detail at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/north-westboard, would increase the involvement of local people to help maintain their canal, set up youth and community projects and improve towpath routes to enable the promotion of the canal as a ‘free gym’.

The trust is a charity established by Parliament in 2012, that looks after more than 2,000 miles of historic waterways across England and Wales.

In the past year, the organisation has been involved in a number of improvements in the region, including the renovation of Weaver’s Triangle district in Burnley.

It now wants to hear what people, groups and businesses think about the proposals.

Steve Rumblelow, acting chair of the trust’s North West Partnership, said: “We have many wonderful miles of canals in the north west on the Lancaster and Leeds and Liverpool canals to explore, some of which pass alongside and through our most popular towns and beautiful countryside.

“In the next ten years we want them to be right at the heart of the communities they run through.”

The full prospectus can be found online and people can give their views by emailing andrea.barrett@canalrivertrust.org.uk by November 30.