20/12/2007

Denbighshire has backed a move to make the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal a World Heritage Site.

Denbighshire Council cabinet has approved the submission of nomination documents to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in support of the bid.

It was announced in October 2006 that the aqueduct and canal
would be the UK nomination for World Heritage Status in 2008.

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct has been on the UK's tentative list of World Heritage Sites since the 1990s as an exemplar of Outstanding Engineering Achievement. In 2005, Wrexham County Borough Council commissioned work to take the proposal forward, with the aim of becoming the formal UK
nomination.

Denbighshire County Council, together with Shropshire and Oswestry Councils were invited in 2006 to become members of the steering group to develop and progress the case.

The Llangollen Canal was first proposed in 1791 at a public meeting in Ellesmere on the Wrexham/.Shropshire border. The plan was a canal linking the Mersey, Dee and Severn rivers - helping industry and linking into the Denbighshire coalfields.

Original plans to link through to Chester did not come to fruition, but in 1805, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was opened. The section of canal between the aqueduct and Llangollen was constructed as the feeder canal for the system, taking water from the Dee at Horseshoe Falls near Llantysilio.

Councillor Gwyneth Kensler, Cabinet Lead Member for Promoting Denbighshire, said: "There would be tremendous benefits to the Aqueduct and Canal being honoured with the World Heritage status, including the value of the site to the local economy as a tourist attraction, a potentially significant increase in visits from UK and overseas visitors and an enhanced sense of pride in the local community, the county and beyond.

"This is a major opportunity for the County and for Wales and the benefits could be far-reaching.�

Other organisations involved in the bid are the Welsh Assembly Government, British Waterways, Cadw, Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments Wales, Countryside Council for Wales, Visit Wales, English Heritage and the Institute of Civil Engineers.