A waterbus will be making a welcome return to a stretch of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in the district this summer.

The service will again ply its trade between Bingley’s Three Rise Locks and Shipley Wharf as part of a £300,000 project to turn the canal into a major heritage attraction.

The timing could not have been better, with more people expected to take their holidays in the UK this year as a combination of the weak pound and economic climate rules out foreign travel and forces collective belt-tightening.

For if the area is to get a share of this dividend, it is vital that we make the most of our tourist attractions in an increasingly-competitive market.

The canal and its locks are justifiably famous throughout the world, and when you add in some of the other nearby sites, such as Saltaire, its potential quickly becomes apparent.

The secret, however, is to realise that potential, and that is something this area has not always excelled at.

So the Bingley-Saltaire-Shipley Destination Delivery Plan, of which the waterbus and creation of a heritage centre are a part, is a massive step forward both in terms of what it will achieve and also in the positive message it sends out.

Imagine, too, how impressive a journey on the waterbus would be if Bradford finally delivers on the vision to bring the canal into the heart of the city.