New canal access at Kingsdown Avenue
The Canal & River Trust is celebrating the completion of a brand-new access point onto the Tame Valley canal from Kingsdown Avenue in Birmingham, made possible through the dedication and support of Midland Metro Alliance and RW Services.
For many years, Canal & River Trust aspired to create access at this location but were unable to progress due to a small section of land outside of our ownership, combined with the wider demands of maintaining over 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales.
Midland Metro Alliance is designing and delivering extensions to the West Midlands Metro on behalf of Transport for West Midlands. Through collaboration, and the significant work already taking place across Birmingham, Midland Metro Alliance has helped turn this long-standing ambition into reality while RW Services joined the collaboration to kindly drop the kerbs. Both their commitment to delivering social value has enabled the completion of this much-needed access, creating a lasting legacy for boaters and local people.
This new, fully accessible access connects directly to a recently refurbished towpath, providing a high-quality tar and chip surface for walking, wheelchairs and cycling etc. It links communities towards Perry Barr and Birmingham in one direction, and Great Barr, Walsall and Great Bridge in the other, creating an important active travel route.
Serving up to 25,000 people living within a one-kilometre radius, and with the nearest train station just 500 metres away, the scheme significantly improves local connectivity while strengthening links to public transport and supporting more sustainable journeys.
The project opens access to a valuable green and blue space, giving people greater opportunities to improve their health and wellbeing, spend time with family, and travel more sustainably.
This is a powerful example of what can be achieved when organisations work together with a shared vision — delivering meaningful, long-term impact for the communities we serve.
