News that Derbyshire County Council have voted to appoint a canals officer for the County was welcomed by The Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust. Chris Madge, Director of the Trust and Chairman of the Members Society said “Derbyshire County Council have provided support for the Chesterfield and Cromford canals for many years and it looks as if they will now be reorganising their support on a county wide basis. We are still waiting to understand the full details for this role, but we see this as extra resource for us and recognition of our arguments for moving forward with the Derby canal restoration. We have long argued that the economic and social benefits would be massive for the greater Derby area and it seems the County Council has been listening. The provision of even a share of a full time officer will greatly assist and speed the delivery of the project, which until now has been driven by a passionate band of volunteers. All of the local Councils, including Derbyshire, have supported the Trust by appointing directors to its Board, but in times of hardship we see this as a significant step forward for our project.”