THE final obstacle preventing the completion of the town’s £12million canal redevelopment project has now been overcome.

Wychavon District Council has now secured an area of land in the St George’s Square area of town that was responsible for holding up work to reconnect the Barge and Junction Canals, a navigation that has been abandoned since 1939.

Land owners Sunbury Engineering and Droitwich Garage have now donated part of the site to the council so that the project can go ahead.

British Waterways hope to start work during the week commencing October 18 to convert the stretch of the River Salwarpe along Hanbury Road into the final link of the canal.

The Droitwich Canals Restoration project is restoring 12 km of waterway linking the Droitwich Canals to the River Severn at Hawford and the Worcester and Birmingham Canal at Droitwich to create a new cruising ring.

The £12million scheme could bring with it the potential for a windfall of visitors and a massive boost for the town’s economy.

Councillor Paul Middleborough, leader of Wychavon District Council, said: "This is fabulous news for the Droitwich Canals Partnership and for the people and businesses of Droitwich. Securing this land means that the canals can be fully opened in 2011 and will enable the 21 mile cruising ring to become a reality."

Jason Leach, senior regeneration manager for British Waterways, said: "It is great to finally get works underway on the missing link. Thanks must go to the land owners, Sunbury Engineering and Droitwich Garage, who are allowing our Contractor to utilise their land as a works compound at nil cost and have donated parts of their land to the Wychavon District Council to ensure the project can go ahead. This is significant to the project and we are very grateful to them for their support."