A £300,000 appeal to help unlock the next stage in the Montgomery Canal restoration is getting closer to its target.

The Bridge The Gap appeal has so far raised £200,000 – including a £70,000 legacy donation.

It will go towards rebuilding the School House Bridge, the last road blockage in Shropshire faced by those behind the lengthy project.

John Dodwell, chairman of the Montgomery Canal Partnership, told members at the meeting of the Shropshire Great Outdoors Strategy Board the group would continue to drive forward the restoration of the 200-year-old waterway.

He said: “We are not a group of people who feel something should be done by ‘them’ or by someone else; we are not going to leave it to ‘them’ to do it, we want to get on and do it ourselves by raising the money and welcoming volunteers.”

Mr Dodwell said work was also taking place to apply for funding, adding any support Shropshire Council could give would be gratefully accepted, but in the knowledge there may not be any funds available.

Councillor Lezley Picton, portfolio holder for culture and leisure, said: “We will give any support we can but we have to be sensible about money being available.

“We are trying to get a cohort together to go to the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to look at funding and I would hope the canals project would be part of that.”

The long-running project to restore the canal began in the 1960s – almost 30 years after the canal closed – and has so far reached Crickheath. It is hoped it will eventually be opened up through to its end point in Welshpool.

Mr Dodwell told the meeting that to complete the work with contractors would cost around £15 million, but with volunteers this would reduce to between £4m and £5m.

But he added it would bring a huge tourism boost to the county with visitors from across the UK and even internationally, as well as increasing jobs and developing skills with apprentice opportunities.

Claire Fildes, Shropshire Council’s outdoor partnerships enterprise manager, commented: “The work the volunteers are doing is incredible and should be congratulated.

“You have our support in terms of any funding that can be made available.”