Nominees for Waterways Renaissance Awards 2009

The finalists for the 2009 Waterways Renaissance Awards have been announced.

There are 28 nominees in ten categories. Among them is the £40m Irwell City Park project, providing waterside spaces along an 8km stretch of the Manchester Ship Canal and River Irwell.

Other nominees include Clydebank’s Animating the Canal venture, Lincolnshire’s water railway and the Bude Canal regeneration project.

A Lancashire initiative to create heritage walks for visually impaired people has also been nominated.

John Ferry, manager of last year’s winning project at Hemlington Lake in Middlesborough, said: “We attracted a much wider audience after winning, and it has put us in good stead for the future.

"The award helped us to gain more funding and we have now extended the lake.”

This year’s nominees were chosen by an independent assessment panel comprising waterway, conservation and regeneration experts.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 31 March.

By Jamie Stuttard