LAST month we urged you to back a bid to fund improvements in the Sale and Stretford areas of the Bridgewater Way. The fantastic news is that the Sustrans’ connect2 project has won the Peoples £50 Million Lottery Givaway with a massive 42% of all votes cast.

The scheme to transform walking and cycling in Trafford and 78 other areas across the country came out on top in the national vote against three other projects, after they were all highlighted on ITV this month.
Thanks to everyone who heeded the call to vote for Sustrans’ Connect2 in the People’s £50 Million Lottery Giveaway, and for your help in winning £50 million of funding from the Big Lottery Fund for Sustrans to invest in walking and cycling UK-wide.
The win means Connect2 has been given the go-ahead to build bridges, foot and cycle paths to give people easier and healthier access to schools, workplaces, shops, parks and countryside. Work will start in January 2008 on delivering Connect2 across the 79 areas in the UK.
In Sale and Stretford, the Bridgewater Way will receive funding to improve the quality and number of access points to the canal route as well upgrading the surface of the towpath itself.

The Peoples Millions Vote is same vote that brought funding to Stretford's Meadows estate via Groundwork UK's winning bid last year and helped to create Trafford's first alleygating scheme - Willow Garden.  Just over 58,000 people live within half a mile of the Sale and Stretford area of the Bridgewater Way, with almost a quarter of a million people living within two miles. One of the Trust's five priority regeneration estates, the Meadows Estate in Stretford, has the Bridgewater canal running along one side of the estate.