What are River Walks and what has been announced?
National River Walks are designated walking routes that run alongside rivers and are generally designed to support better access to the outdoors. The Government pledged in its 2024 manifesto to create nine new walks – one for each region of the UK – and it has now announced the first walk in the North West of England.
The first new River Walk to be announced is the ‘Mersey Valley Way’, which will run from Stockport for 21 kilometres through Manchester and finishing in Trafford. According to the Mersey Rivers Trust, over 3 million people live within a 1-hour journey of the Mersey Valley Way, and the route’s official designation as a National River Walk will encourage more people to access nature and spend time by the river.
What do River Walks achieve and what are the expected impacts?
Routes which are given National River Walk status are expected to bring a variety benefits to local communities, while there are also likely to be enhancements to the natural environment. For the Mersey Valley Way, there is particular focus being given to community engagement, such as opportunities for local people to volunteer on nature recovery work. There are currently plans for tree planting, pond restoration and the installation of bird, bat and insect boxes on the announced route. The River Walk is expected to be developed in consultation with local businesses, local authorities, and community groups to support local benefits, while a competition has been announced for schools and youth groups to design a logo for the walk. The route, which will follow the existing river path, is expected to see accessibility upgrades along some stretches while there will also be new signage along the route.
Research has shown a variety of benefits of spending time in nature for residents and local communities. A study by Kings College London found that visiting canals and rivers was associated with a greater improvement in mental wellbeing than when just visiting green spaces. Additionally, the Canal and River Trust’s Waterways and Wellbeing Report found there to be £4.6 billion per annum total social value generated by the waterways and activities supported by the Trust including community engagement, and this figure includes £1.1bn per year in NHS cost savings from active use of the waterways. The Government has identified that people on lower incomes spend on average less time in nature, and the new National River Walk is designed to help change this, with around 30,000 low-income households located in Stockport.
Where else has seen regeneration projects by water?
River Walks offer local benefits through enhancing access to nature and similar paths and trails exist elsewhere. As new routes are developed, ideas may be able to be taken from a variety of other schemes that have made progress in advancing regeneration around waterways.
For example, in London, the Thames Path offers a national trail of over 185 miles following the River Thames, providing an attraction itself, active travel routes for local communities, and links to parks and cultural sites along the route.
In Paris, the Seine riverbanks have been converted into a promenade covering 10-heactres, with roads replaced by accessible paths, plants, gardens and sports facilities. Parts of the Seine River have also been opened for public swimming after significant restoration and investment to develop a shared civic space around the river.
Waterfronts are often used as a catalyst for regeneration, with schemes often bringing significant benefits to businesses through increased footfall and improved infrastructure. For example, Liverpool has seen significant investment and regeneration around its waterfront with enhanced commercial and cultural facilities, as well as around the new Everton Stadium. Meanwhile, Leeds has achieved regenerations on its Waterfront through developments at Leeds Dock which have also supported the local economy including through business clusters.
Regeneration by water also often has a joint focus on the cultural sector. In East Lancashire, Super Slow Way is an arts programme offering free family friendly activities along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal from Blackburn to Pendle, supporting access to both nature and culture. Other schemes have also been announced for future development such as CyanLines, which is a plan to link Manchester’s green and blue spaces through a network of over 100 miles of parks, green corridors and active travels routes.
Are there other river walks being planned?
The Mersey Valley Way is the first new National River Walk to have been announced by the Government, though more walks are expected to be announced in due course. The Government has indicated that the next group of the walks will be identified through competition bids in 2026. Other improvements to nature access have been pledged, including enhancements to the inclusivity of forests and two new National Forests to be announced this year.
At GC Insight our team are experienced in planning, securing investment, and evaluating the impact of a variety of local regeneration schemes, including schemes by water. For example, we have been involved in the development of the Cumbria Coastal Route to provide a multi-user, sustainable active-travel route, we supported case-making for investment for the Super Slow Way, and advised on socio-economic impacts of regeneration projects around Liverpool Waterfront, while we also regularly work with local teams to plan for nature enhancements as a key element of economic strategies. Interested to learn more about our work supporting regeneration in local communities? Get in touch with our Destination team.
