CROSSCUT

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Since the Industrial Revolution, while some canals and navigable rivers were enlarged to meet the needs of freight transport, many lost their transport function and were closed to navigation. CROSSCUT builds on the findings of the INTERREG IIC NWMA project 13 entitled, Sustainable Canal Restoration, to tie in with a range of initiatives aimed at restoring the small waterways of North-West Europe. Spearheaded by British Waterways, and demanding the close cooperation of 8 partners from the UK, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, the ultimate objectives of the project are threefold: i) to develop and promote guidelines for the classification of transnational recreational waterways in the NWE, identifying gaps and bottlenecks to be tackled; ii) to conceptualise a model ‘toolkit’ for the sustainable development of recreational and heritage waterways and their relationship with the wider network of waterway corridors (reconciling the promotion of boating recreation with respect for ecology and biodiversity; integrating restored waterways within the urban and rural fabric; promoting the sustainable management of the waterway network among local stakeholders); and iii) to carry out 8 lots of construction work on a number of canals in England, Wales, Germany and the Netherlands. A transfer of knowledge will also contribute to the long-term restoration activities in Belgium and Ireland.

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