There are proposals to restore the canal, to once again provide a navigable link between Belfast and Lough Neagh.
Initially, a steering group was formed, with representatives from local councils, user groups and central government.
The Lagan Canal Restoration Trust was a logical development of this group, and was formed as a company limited by guarantee in 2008 with representatives from the four councils which administer the areas through which the canal runs, and six other key partners, including the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure, and the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland.
There are also representatives from other groups with an interest in the area.
If 2016, the Trust was renamed to become the Lagan Navigation Trust.

As part of the assessment process, a feasibility study was carried out by Fergus and McIlveen of Belfast.
It concluded that even though parts of the route have been destroyed by the building of the M1 motorway, there were no insurmountable barriers to restoring the canal, which "has the potential to become one of the most significant recreational waterways in these islands."
A small section of the canal near Lisburn Civic Centre, which includes lock 12, has been restored to navigable condition, and there are three major sections of towpath which can now be accessed by the public.
All of the locks and many of the other structures associated with the canal are scheduled monuments, which gives them some protection.

A proposal for a £2.5 million scheme to build a new lock, weir and footbridge at Stranmillis Gateway, at the site of the original first lock, was first suggested in 2005, and an economic appraisal of the scheme was undertaken.
The scope was increased, to include restoration of the first 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) of the navigation, as far as Edenberrry, but despite the Ulster Garden Villages Trust offering £1 million to kick-start the project, little progress was made.
The project was to include restoration of the second lock at Corby Wood.
Lock 3 at Newforge has been restored, together with the lock keeper's cottage, with funding provided by the Heritage Fund, the Lottery Partnership Scheme and the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure.
An 1.5-kilometre (0.9 mi) stretch of the towpath has been reopened at Aghagallon, following work by Craigavon Borough Council to obtain access rights.
Since the closure of the canal, the section between Aghalee and Lough Neagh has been privately owned, and this is the first part of that section where public access has been restored.

The project to build a new lock at Stranmillis and to restore lock 2 was restarted in late 2017.
The site of the lock is occupied by a pen weir, which maintains the river levels between Stranmillis and Newforge, but it is inefficient, causes erosion of the river bed, and prevents navigation.
The cost has risen to £4 million, which has been provided by Belfast City Council, Ulster Garden Villages, and the Department for Intrastructure.
Lock 2 is at Mooreland Meadow, which is in the Lagan Valley Regional Park.
There are proposals to restore the canal, to once again provide a navigable link between Belfast and Lough Neagh. Initially, a steering group was formed, with representatives from local councils, user groups and central government. The Lagan Canal Restoration Trust was a logical development of this group, and was formed as a company limited by guarantee in 2008 with representatives from the four councils which administer the areas through which the canal runs, and six other key partners, including the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure, and the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland. There are also representatives from other groups with an interest in the area. If 2016, the Trust was renamed to become the Lagan Navigation Trust.
As part of the assessment process, a feasibility study was carried out by Fergus and McIlveen of Belfast. It concluded that even though parts of the route have been destroyed by the building of the M1 motorway, there were no insurmountable barriers to restoring the canal, which "has the potential to become one of the most significant recreational waterways in these islands." A small section of the canal near Lisburn Civic Centre, which includes lock 12, has been restored to navigable condition, and there are three major sections of towpath which can now be accessed by the public. All of the locks and many of the other structures associated with the canal are scheduled monuments, which gives them some protection.
A proposal for a £2.5 million scheme to build a new lock, weir and footbridge at Stranmillis Gateway, at the site of the original first lock, was first suggested in 2005, and an economic appraisal of the scheme was undertaken. The scope was increased, to include restoration of the first 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) of the navigation, as far as Edenberrry, but despite the Ulster Garden Villages Trust offering £1 million to kick-start the project, little progress was made. The project was to include restoration of the second lock at Corby Wood. Lock 3 at Newforge has been restored, together with the lock keeper's cottage, with funding provided by the Heritage Fund, the Lottery Partnership Scheme and the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure. An 1.5-kilometre (0.9 mi) stretch of the towpath has been reopened at Aghagallon, following work by Craigavon Borough Council to obtain access rights. Since the closure of the canal, the section between Aghalee and Lough Neagh has been privately owned, and this is the first part of that section where public access has been restored.
The project to build a new lock at Stranmillis and to restore lock 2 was restarted in late 2017. The site of the lock is occupied by a pen weir, which maintains the river levels between Stranmillis and Newforge, but it is inefficient, causes erosion of the river bed, and prevents navigation. The cost has risen to £4 million, which has been provided by Belfast City Council, Ulster Garden Villages, and the Department for Intrastructure. Lock 2 is at Mooreland Meadow, which is in the Lagan Valley Regional Park.
Lagan Canal