The Inland Waterways Association

Tag: Lobbying

  • Parliamentary Group on Waterways Discusses Access, Water Quality and Active Travel

    Parliamentary Group on Waterways Discusses Access, Water Quality and Active Travel

    Under the secretariat of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Waterways convened last week to hear evidence from Paddle UK and the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust on the growing importance of waterways for recreation, active travel, public health, and environmental stewardship. This was alongside concerns about water quality, access restrictions and the need for investment in infrastructure.

    Ben Seal, Head of Access and Environment at Paddle UK, outlined the recent growth in paddle sport participation: an estimated 7.5 million people paddle annually across the UK, this means water sports participation now exceeds that of popular sports such as football or rugby.

    Parliamentarians heard how waterways contribute significantly to both public wellbeing and the economy. Paddle UK referenced the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s “Reconomics 3.0” report, which found that water sports support around one million jobs, contribute billions to the economy as well as preventative health savings to the NHS.

    However, concerns were raised about threats facing waterways and those who use them with water quality a major issue. Representatives warned that pollution and the corresponding negative publicity are discouraging participation.

    The APPG also heard evidence about the positive environmental contribution volunteers and community groups make. Paddle UK gave the example of the removal of 11 tonnes of invasive floating pennywort by paddlers. This helped save navigation authorities significant costs, as well as citizen science schemes supporting water quality monitoring and public accountability.

    Paul Twocock, Executive Director of Strategy and Engagement at the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, outlined the charity’s work to improve walking, wheeling, and cycling access across the UK. Around 500 miles of these routes run alongside canals, with a further 600 miles along rivers.

    He also described partnership projects delivered with CRT (Canal & River Trust), Scottish Canals, and local authorities, including towpath improvements along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and lighting upgrades on Edinburgh’s Union Canal. He also discussed challenges associated with balancing shared towpath use in busy urban areas such as London’s Regent’s Canal.

    Paul Twocock said:

    “There’s nothing better than being alongside a canal or river for improving wellbeing, health and connecting with other people. We could open up those benefits to many more people across the UK, but as ever it’ll take some focused investment to make it happen and improvements in the way we deal with biodiversity net gain targets – that’s what we were urging parliamentarians to take action on this week.”

    Accessibility was also a major theme throughout the session. Polly Maton from Disability Rights UK emphasised why it is important that waterways and water sports are accessible to disabled people, noting that access to the water’s edge can be just as important as access onto the water itself.

    There was discussion of future policy opportunities, including the proposed Clean Water Bill, the Government’s forthcoming Access to Nature Green Paper, and proposals for new river walks announced in Labour’s manifesto.

    The roundtable concluded with parliamentarians acknowledging both the social and environmental value of waterways, and the importance of improving access, water quality, and infrastructure to support growing participation across a wide range of activities.

    Concluding, Lord German, also Honorary President of the Monmouthshire, Brecon and Abergavenny Canals Trust, said:

    “Our waterways are unique and precious, delivering social, environmental and economic benefits, including regeneration, tourism, biodiversity and public wellbeing – as seen from this APPG meeting and the evidence given. I look forward to helping further this agenda”.

    Photo L-R: (not all members were present at the end of the meeting) Joanna Richardson (British Marine), Baroness Jenny Jones, Charlie Norman (IWA), Ben Seal (Paddle UK), Paul Twocock (Walk Wheel Cycle Trust), Polly Maton (Disability Rights UK), Alice Gibb (Defra)

  • IWA Navigation Committee News

    IWA Navigation Committee News

    In order to make IWA’s navigation-related campaigning work more visible, a Navigation section will be included in future editions of the Bulletin email alongside the Restoration and Environment sections.

    1. Water resources

    The Sustainability & Environment Group now leads in the area of water resources for IWA, but there are many aspects relevant to navigation.

    • Water Abstraction

    Navigation Committee has been aware for some time of the view expressed by CRT Chief Executive Campbell Robb that the forthcoming renewal of CRT’s abstraction licences issued by the Environment Agency (EA) represents the single biggest threat to the canal network. The reason for this is partly the effort and cost required to renew them, but primarily the potential risk to water supplies from onerous conditions being imposed such as reduced abstraction or the requirement for fish screening. The latter has emerged as a live issue, firstly on the Monmouthshire, Brecon & Abergavenny Canals where feeds from rivers and streams have been taken out of use in preference to the installation and maintenance of very fine screens. More recently, restricted opening hours have been imposed at Diglis Locks at the junction of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal with the River Severn, because of restrictions on the use of back-pumping without fish screening being implemented. CRT’s Head of Boating and Customer Service described this in Navigation Committee’s recent meeting as a very concerning situation which will be replicated elsewhere across the network and will impose millions of pounds of extra cost on CRT – costs which were of course not foreseen when CRT was established as a charity.

    It has become apparent through these events and through consultation documents that EA appears to be protecting river environments over other aquatic environments such as canals in water abstraction, despite canals being long-standing legitimate and necessary abstractors of water which provide environmental benefits in their own right. This point was raised in Navigation Committee’s recent liaison meeting with Defra’s inland waterways team, who were sympathetic to the view and said they had been in discussion with CRT for several years. It appears that there may be an important role for IWA in pressing CRT’s case that canal water supplies need to be protected. The point was explicitly included in IWA’s response to the latest EA consultation, the Consultation on Significant Water Management Issues, which was submitted on 18th May.

    • Water Retention

    A draft document setting out IWA’s proposals for improving the security of water supply for navigation on CRT’s canal system had been discussed at the last Navigation Committee meeting and the content agreed. The format was subsequently developed and the document sent to the CRT National Boating Manager with a formal response for feedback from the National Hydrology Manager and the Operations Performance Director.

    • Water Transfer

    Navigation Committee noted that IWA’s response to the Grand Union Canal Transfer Phase Two Public Consultation had been led by Graham Heald and submitted on 30th March and a news item had been published. IWA called for a more comprehensive and transparent demonstration of the engineering of the canal section of the scheme to show how the water flows would be managed and controlled, both to ensure navigation within the transfer length and to maintain or preferably enhance water supplies to the wider canal network to London, Oxford, Northampton, Warwick, Leicester and Shardlow. IWA Northampton Branch also submitted a response focusing particularly on local points.

    • CRT work on Water Resources

    The CRT Council Boater Representatives group had a special meeting on water resources on 20th April, attended by Sue O’Hare as IWA nominee on Council and Graham Heald by invitation.

    A report was provided on CRT’s incident review of the 2025 drought. It had been found that knowledge transfer and collaboration across the organisation had worked well, together with strong leadership roles. Areas for improvement included asset reliability, data and water level and flow measuring (SCADA) limitations, and communications (where it had proved challenging to achieve the right balance between certainty and comprehensiveness). A positive outcome had been the addition of new roles in the National Hydrology team. A webpage of drought FAQs has been produced.

    In terms of the outlook for 2026, the wet winter had helped to replenish reservoirs but it had been followed by a dry spring. The position of reservoir work had improved over last year with some works being finished, meaning that Toddbrook Reservoir could be refilled and brought back into use and capacity restrictions on some other reservoirs lifted.

    A revised Water Resources Strategy was already overdue and still in preparation, with CRT seeking clarity from EA over the Water Resources National Framework which imposes new and unique expectations on CRT.

    • Condition of the waterways

    The two major breaches (the Llangollen Canal at Whitchurch and the Bridgewater Canal at Little Bollington) continue to cause disruption for both businesses and individual boaters. CRT appears to be making rapid progress at Whitchurch, but despite repeated assurances that the Bridgewater Canal Company still intends to reopen its canal by the end of 2026 there is still no visible work being carried out yet. More positive news was the reopening of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal ahead of schedule after the repair of the collapsed bywash at Penkridge.

    Other issues discussed around the network included the lack of announcements about repairs to the Anderton Boat Lift, the water level problems at New Islington Marina in Manchester, the ongoing closure of the Tame Valley Canal at Spouthouse Embankment, the problems at Keadby Lock and the Vazon sliding rail bridge on the Stainforth & Keadby Canal, the deteriorating condition of locks on the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal, the closure of the Avon Navigation for the rebuilding of Nafford Lock, the reopening of Baits Bite Lock on the River Cam and Salter’s Lode Lock on the Middle Level Navigations following work on the guillotine gates.

    It is very noticeable that CRT is now talking of difficult conversations about less well-used waterways, such as the Dee Branch which it has said is effectively permanently closed. Developments elsewhere are equally concerning. The Great Ouse Boating Association views the decline in the condition of EA assets on the Great Ouse as having reached a critical point and will be highlighting this to politicians in its joint campaign cruise with Fund Britain’s Waterways in July. The Basingstoke Canal has recently lost its manager and the position will not be filled.

    • Closure of CRT Customer Service Facilities (CSFs)

    Following a consultation with boaters in 2022 on the minimum standard for CSFs, CRT announced that showers, toilets and laundry facilities would be closed across the network from November 2025 and invited expressions of interest from other organisations in running them. Navigation Committee was concerned at the time that the closures appeared rushed and it was unclear that the published process had been followed, and requested that CRT answer a set of questions. Since then, there has been widespread dissatisfaction and discussion on social media, and Navigation Committee received a specific enquiry highlighting the impact in areas where many boaters have small cruisers in which it is impossible to install usable facilities. A response from CRT was still awaited but a specific commitment was made in the recent Navigation Committee meeting with the National Boating Team.

    OTHER POINTS

    • CRT’s Independent Commission on the Future of Boat Licensing

    As previously reported, a small subgroup of Navigation Committee is taking thoughts forward so that IWA is ready to respond to further consultations at the appropriate time. CRT has recently appointed a Boating Transformation Programme Manager, Alice Hamilton. Alice will lead the work on communications and engagement. The plan is for a pre-consultation with national boating organisations followed by a 3-month consultation over summer, during which CRT is hoping for face-to-face contact with boaters as well as online.

    • Residential boating/mooring

    The All Party Parliamentary Group for the Waterways meeting on 14th April explored residential boating, with presentations by the Residential Boat Owners Association and the National Bargee Travellers Association. The complexity of the subject has since been highlighted in mainstream media after it became known that the Leader of the Green Party, Zack Polanski, may not have paid Council Tax that was due.

    • Fishing matches and visitor moorings

    A CRT stoppage notice recently stated that a fishing match was to be held right across the visitor moorings on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Rugeley, which are intensively used by boaters to visit the town centre shops. The issue was resolved following contact by Helen Whitehouse with the CRT West Midlands Regional Director, but the general principle was raised by Navigation Committee in its meeting with the National Boating Team. CRT confirmed that the principle agreed by British Waterways of not allowing fishing matches to be held over designated visitor moorings still stands, and that the stoppage notice in question had used the wrong template and given an unintended message.

    • Boat Safety Scheme consultation on Smoke Alarms

    IWA’s response to the BSS’s consultation was submitted on 22nd April, in support of introducing a new mandatory safety standard for the correct number of suitable working smoke alarm(s) in good condition.

    • Skippers Guide to Trent Falls

    The Skippers Guide to the Passage Planning and Transit of Trent Falls produced by Brian Sharples and endorsed by Navigation Committee has been published here.

    • Decarbonisation of the Inland Waterways

    Navigation Committee noted the adoption of the Sustainable Boating Group Policy for the Decarbonisation of the UK Inland Waterways Leisure Fleet  by trustees as an IWA policy. It has been submitted to the Department for Transport as part of their Call for Evidence on the Decarbonisation of Smaller Vessels.

    • Environment Agency National Waterways Forum and National Waterways Advisory Group meeting 25th March (attended by Sue O’Hare as IWA nominee)

    The increased focus, importance and funding being given to navigation by EA is good to see, though there is still much to be done. EA’s CEO Philip Duffy has directly committed to improving the navigation service, which has resulted in new posts and transformation programmes as well as increased funding.

    • Resource funding £21m for 2026/27 (up from £16m last year and £13m the year before)
    • Capital funding £33m for 2026/27 (up from £25m in 2025/26)
    • This is the first year of a 3-year settlement, so in principle the same amount of Grant In Aid should be received for each of the next three years, albeit subject to change because of external pressures.

    Asset management is the first of the transformation programmes (Project Aurora) including harmonisation of the treatment of assets across EA and development of condition assessments harnessing data and digitisation. EA will be moving to Reliability Centred Maintenance, i.e. inspecting each asset as dictated by its reliability rather than at fixed intervals.

    Long-standing work on removing sunken and abandoned boats and on compliance is now coming to fruition. A mooring strategy and a commercial strategy are in development.

    A 20-year vision statement has been formally approved: “thriving, valued navigable waterways”. Next will be a 5-year strategy for the management of navigable waterways and associated assets, with four “ambitions”:

    • Open, reliable waterways
    • More financially sustainable
    • Modern, streamlined service
    • Adapt and innovate for the future

    The next step is the first dedicated director, Simon Hawkins, who will lead the navigation teams, and who started on 1st April (previously, navigation was split across directorates). However this positive news was subsequently tempered by the discovery that the Deputy Director Asset Operations Service, Lindsey Sayner, who has been chairing NWF meetings, has now been seconded to another organisation and the role has been taken over by Mark Ross, who is currently unknown to IWA.

    • Navigation Committee six-monthly meeting with Defra inland waterways team – 1st May

    As previously noted, the IWA Waterways Directory and the GIS files behind the map had been provided to a new member of the Defra team who is working to understand which waterways are managed by a navigation authority and which are unregulated. The data is being used for exploring access policy and ways of increasing access to unregulated waterways.

    The Defra team is still in discussion with CRT about the delivery mechanism for future grant funding and hopes to sign the grant agreement for 2027-2037 before the end of 2026. The additional £6.5m funding which was announced in February was said to have become available internally and was decided to be about the right amount to cover the additional costs because of climate change, hence it was provided as capital investment for dealing with the additional high cost of asset failures.

    • Navigation Committee liaison meeting with the CRT National Boating team – 13th May

    No further details have yet become available of CRT’s management restructuring beyond the announcements about the CRT top team by Campbell Robb in a video message to volunteers on 23rd April.

    Following a request by Navigation Committee, CRT is working on reinstating the total duration of unplanned stoppages as a KPI as well as the number.

    The Boater App is in development phase with MySociety and FixMyStreet, and is to be launched this year.

    CRT has temporarily taken over control and management of the wharf, facilities and moorings at Sherborne Wharf in Birmingham to ensure that boaters can continue to use them after the bankruptcy of Sherborne Wharf Ltd.

    Navigation Committee raised a complaint made about the substantial increase fees for events held on its property, but CRT reiterated that the policy is to cover costs and not to make a profit. Subsidy was no longer affordable.

    Forthcoming meetings

    • CRT National Boating Organisations meeting – Hatton, 10th June (Roger Stocker to represent IWA)
    • EA National Waterways Forum & National Waterways Advisory Group extraordinary meeting on national navigation strategy – 10th June (Sue O’Hare to represent IWA)
    • Navigation Committee online meeting – 8th July

    Sue O’Hare
    Chair of Navigation Committee
    25th May 2026

    [The photo shows the boaters facilities at Marsworth – by Alison Smedley]

    The report from the March 2026 Navigation Committee meeting is available here.

    The report from the January 2026 Navigation Committee meeting is available here.

    Reports from pre-2026 Navigation Committee meetings are available here.

  • IWA says CRT ‘must take more proactive approach’ for the Wendover Arm

    IWA says CRT ‘must take more proactive approach’ for the Wendover Arm

    As well as IWA’s previously stated concerns about Canal & River Trust’s proposed implementation of its Restoration Development Plan, which so far has led to uncertainty and restoration schemes being delayed or even halted, along with reported inconsistencies between CRT regions, IWA has particular concerns for the situation on the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal.  Here, not only has CRT stopped all restoration work, and seemingly maintenance thereof, but it has closed, drained and fenced off the section of canal reopened amid much fanfare by Sir David Suchet in 2005.  CRT also forbade any boats over 40 foot in length from navigating the section of canal from Bulbourne Junction to the Stop Lock, which had previously never been closed to navigation, a restriction which was only lifted when IWA complained about it.

    The Wendover Arm was initially constructed as a feeder channel for the Grand Union Canal but was soon made fully navigable.  It then closed from the Stop Lock just above Tringford Pumping Station in 1904 owing to leakage through the canal bed.  In the 1980s, the South Bucks Section of IWA’s Hertfordshire Branch (later to become IWA Chiltern Branch) began to campaign for full restoration of the Wendover Arm, and some initial clearance work parties were held.  An early campaigning success was a navigable culvert under the then-planned A41 Aston Clinton bypass where IWA appeared at the public inquiry.  In 1989, Wendover Arm Trust was formed to campaign for full restoration of the Arm.  An early aim was to restore the lowered Little Tring road-bridge, and in 2005 this was achieved with the first section of the canal re-opened from the Stop Lock through to a new basin for winding craft beyond the restored Little Tring Bridge.  This work was enabled in part through fundraising by Wendover Arm Trust, and in part through a large donation by IWA utilising the proceeds of a substantial bequest by Tim Wilkinson, author of the post-war canal carrying book ‘Hold on a Minute’.  The author’s bequest to IWA included copyright of the book.

    Wendover Arm Trust then set about restoring the dry section of canal from Little Tring Bridge to Drayton Beauchamp, to specifications agreed by then British Waterways, and in recent years CRT, with a fabric liner and brick blocks, including rebuilding of wooden footbridges and other structures in brick, with various sections being tested for leaks, etc, as works progressed.  A section of canal that had been infilled with household rubbish in the 1920s was excavated and most of the material, now deemed hazardous, was removed by contractors, funded by a substantial grant from Hertfordshire County Council.  All this work was nearing completion, sections of canal rewatered and Wendover Arm Trust had expected to complete restoration and reopening of this section to the A41 bypass by about now.

    About two years ago, local Canal & River Trust management cited some Health & Safety and environmental concerns and asked Wendover Arm Trust to cease work.  Since then, there has been a dialogue between the Trust and CRT, with long delays by CRT to respond to matters, apparently because of ‘lack of resources’.  All the restored sections have been drained down and now have a layer of vegetation growing across the restored lining.  CRT has insisted that Wendover Arm Trust (now trading as Wendover Canal Trust), sign an onerous detailed licence agreement before restoration works can commence.  The Canal Trust eventually signed this agreement in September 2025, but CRT has yet to agree to Wendover Canal Trust recommencing work.  Meantime, a leak in the section of canal restored and reopened in 2005 was identified following notification by an adjacent landowner.  CRT commissioned a report and concluded the leak would cost £300k to fix, although the report has not been made available.  CRT’s response has been that fixing the leak is low priority, and so it has installed a rather permanent looking earth dam at the stop lock, drained the canal and erected what looks to be permanent wooden and mesh fencing around both sides of the drained canal for its entire section.  CRT says it has no intention of even reviewing the matter until at least 2027.

    Having closed and drained the previously restored section of canal, CRT sought to stop any boats longer than 40 foot from using any part of the Wendover Arm Canal – as stated in a notice that was erected at Bulbourne Junction.  Whilst accepting that there had been some shortcomings by Wendover Canal Trust, which the Trust was keen to rectify, IWA believes that CRT has badly mismanaged the situation and failed to take the necessary leadership to ensure full and timely repairs and restoration.  Rather, CRT has just put barriers in place, both physically and psychologically, thus demotivating local volunteers and supporters.  CRT’s response is that it has insufficient resources to do all that it wants, and the Wendover Arm is not a priority.  There is much damage to repair of CRT’s own making.  Frustrated and disappointed by the situation, IWA has raised the matter with CRT’s senior management in hopes that the situation will be addressed in a more positive and productive manner.

  • IWA Navigation Committee News

    IWA Navigation Committee News

    In all 25 narrowboats including two former working pairs made the journey along the Walsall Canal to the basin, where they were welcomed by the Mayor of Walsall. The campaign cruise attracted a good deal of interest and was covered by ITV Central News and the Express & Star local paper. A press release was subsequently issued and is available here.

    Hazel Owen (National Chair of the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs and Chair of FBW) gave an update on the Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign to Navigation Committee. Following this first FBW campaign cruise of 2026, other cruises were planned in London and on the Great Ouse alongside the main focus on north west waterways.

    Major discussion points included:

    1. Political lobbying

    The arrangements for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Waterways under the new Chair Bill Esterson MP were clarified and it was explained that representatives of organisations relevant to the matter in hand would be invited. It was agreed that all political parties should be approached for campaigning and lobbying purposes. The need for IWA to maintain a visible leadership role in the waterways sector through its campaigning was stressed.

    • Condition of the waterways

    Repairs of the two major breaches (the Llangollen Canal at Whitchurch and the Bridgewater Canal at Little Bollington) are expected to take most of 2026, although the Canal & River Trust (CRT) is making much faster and much more visible progress on the former than Peel L&P is on the latter. Both are having a substantial effect on hire boat companies, since the Llangollen Canal and the Cheshire Ring are very popular cruising routes. This is exacerbated by the collapsed bywash at Penkridge on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal which severs the Four Counties Ring as well, though is scheduled to be reopened on 1st May.

    The Anderton Boat Lift between the River Weaver and the Trent & Mersey Canal is also scheduled to be closed all year. Fortunately CRT has managed to reopen Marsh Lock for booked passages, so the Weaver is no longer completely cut off from the rest of the network.

    In this light it is particularly pleasing to see major change starting in both CRT and the Environment Agency (EA) with the arrival of new senior management.

    The CRT Chair David Orr and CEO Campbell Robb have said that this needs to be a reset point, for both the way things are done and the way they are communicated. The Better Boating Plan has been expanded into a three-year Transforming the Boater Experience Programme, with a dedicated Programme Manager and a total budget allocation of £10m. CRT secured an additional one-off payment of £6.5m from Defra, reportedly as a result of starting to engage with government in a different way. The financial challenges are substantial though, and considerable work remains to be done to create a long-term sustainable plan with enough room for the substantial investment in the network that is needed.

    The EA CEO Philip Duffy has directly committed to improving the navigation service. The recent focus on navigation had already led to new roles including Deputy Directors for both Navigation Strategy and Navigation Operations. The National Waterways Forum meeting on 25th March heard that the first-ever dedicated director for navigation is shortly to be appointed, to bring together the navigation teams from different directorates. Several transformation programmes are under way, starting with asset management. A three-year settlement with increased resource and capital funding will start in 2026/27. A long period of work on compliance and enforcement is now coming to fruition, with well-publicised success in removing sunken and abandoned boats. Regular liaison meetings with CRT are being held at all levels, from quarterly meetings of Executive Directors to operational level. A statement from the River Thames Society on social media reported “a buoyant spirit in the [EA navigation] team… lots being done and many problems still to be tackled, but a positive mood running through the system”.

    • CRT’s Independent Commission on the Future of Boat Licensing

    As previously reported, a small subgroup of Navigation Committee is taking thoughts forward so that IWA is ready to respond to further consultations at the appropriate time. CRT is expecting to publish both its response to each of the 36 Commission recommendations and a timetable for engagement and consultation in May or June.

    • Residential boating and mooring

    The next meeting of the APPG is scheduled to be on Residential Boating, exploring issues affecting residential boating and moorings provision. Organisations with an interest in this area will be invited.

    • Water resources

    Water resources management continues to be a very significant topic, and although the Sustainability & Environment Group now leads in this area there are many aspects relevant to navigation.

    • IWA’s response to the Environment Agency consultation on Reserving Water Abstraction Rights was submitted in January and shared with CRT and the Wilts & Berks and Cotswolds Canals Trusts. It was also shared with Defra, with a cover note pointing out that IWA emphasises the need to protect long-established waterways infrastructure in its response, and is well aware of CRT’s concerns over the resource and cost implications of applying for its abstraction licences to be renewed, in addition to the possibility of onerous restrictions being imposed or even licences not being renewed. A summary article and link to the full response are available here.
    • IWA’s response to the consultation on proposed new Broad Oak Water reservoir in Kent was submitted in March, making the argument for protecting navigation on the Stour which has been hindered by eutrophication and siltation. A summary article and link to the full response are available here.
    • Navigation Committee agreed to pass the Environment Agency consultation on Significant Water Management Issues in River Basin Management Planning to the Sustainability & Environment Group, since the consultation is almost entirely related to environment, chemical and pollution issues.
    • Phil Sharpe had developed a draft document setting out IWA proposals for improving the security of water supply for navigation on CRT’s canal system. The document was agreed by Navigation Committee to be excellent and to be suitable for sending to CRT at CEO level in order to trigger discussions and action.
    • Graham Heald (IWA Water Lead) and Phil Sharpe have been progressing the IWA response to the Grand Union Canal Transfer Project Phase Two Public Consultation. Phil reported on the meeting with CRT and Affinity Water representatives the previous day. It had become apparent that much of the necessary technical work had already been done but was not documented in the consultation documents. This will be the main thrust of IWA’s response.

    OTHER POINTS

    • Navigation Committee agreed to recommend the reappointment of Sue O’Hare as a Member on the expiry of her term of office to Trustees.
    • Navigation Committee noted the resignation of Jessal Murarji as Honorary Consultant Engineer and Corresponding Member of Navigation Committee. Jessal had been representing the Honorary Consultant Engineers on Navigation Committee since July 2022. The Committee recorded its thanks to him, and expressed the hope that another way can be found to maintain a link with the Honorary Consultant Engineers.
    • Navigation Committee noted the submission of IWA’s response to the National Planning Policy Framework by the Planning Advisory Panel. The response highlighted that inland waterways are not being given the recognition as essential national infrastructure that they merit. A summary article and link to the full response are available here.
    • Navigation Committee will lead on IWA’s response to the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) public consultation on the introduction of a new mandatory Boat Safety Standard with related BSS Requirements for suitable smoke alarms in good condition and in suitable locations on all classes of boat with accommodation spaces.
    • Navigation Committee agreed that IWA’s Policy on Unauthorised Renting of Boats should be renamed and updated into the new format for policies.
    • In view of the unreliability of the Vazon sliding railway bridge over the Stainforth & Keadby Canal in warmer weather, and now the likely closure of Keadby Lock for some time, it is becoming increasingly necessary for inland waterways boats to make the tidal passage around Trent Falls in order to transit between the northern and Midland waterways via the Trent. Brian Sharples had prepared a Skippers Guide to Trent Falls which Navigation Committee was delighted to endorse for publication on the IWA website.
    • Following a significant period without a manager for IWA’s Certificate of Boat Management scheme, Trustees have appointed Andrew Phasey as manager. Andrew will continue with his previous role of Chief Trainer in parallel, but with a wish to relinquish the Chief Trainer role before the end of 2026. The scheme reports to Navigation Committee at present, but since the customer base is mainly restoration-related groups, Trustees may decide to change this line of reporting in due course.
    • The link to the IWA Waterways Directory and the GIS files behind the map were provided to Defra, in response to a request from a new member of the Defra inland waterways team for help to improve the team’s data and knowledge on inland waterways.
    • Updates were received from IWA West Country Branch on its current projects: the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, the regeneration of Bridgwater Docks, and the replacement of the bridges carrying the A379 over the Exeter Ship Canal. Much excellent campaigning work continues to be done.
    • A new standing agenda item has been introduced for a report from Navigation Committee’s representative on the Sustainability & Environment Group, to ensure close working between the two groups.

    Forthcoming meetings

    • Navigation Committee six-monthly meeting with Defra inland waterways team – 14th April
    • CRT Council Boater Representatives special meeting on water resources – 20th April (Sue O’Hare to represent IWA)
    • Navigation Committee regular liaison meeting with the Canal & River Trust National Boating team – 13th May
    • Navigation Committee online meeting – 13th May

    Sue O’Hare
    Chair of Navigation Committee
    31st March 2026

    [The photo shows moored boats in Walsall Basin on 21st March – by Peter Fisher]

    The previous report from Navigation Committee is available here.

    Earlier reports from Navigation Committee are available here.

  • IWA Campaigns to Protect the River Stour in Kent

    IWA Campaigns to Protect the River Stour in Kent

    IWA has responded to South East Water’s proposals for the Broad Oak Water scheme in Kent. The response emphasises the importance of protecting navigation rights on the tidal River Stour, noting that this stretch has been affected by two significant problems, eutrophication (over enrichment with nutrients leading to excessive plant growth and damage to wildlife) and siltation. IWA argues that studies for the scheme must demonstrate that it will not worsen these issues and should ideally contribute to improvements.

    The document highlights how over-abstraction led to saline intrusion as far as Stodmarsh Nature reserve, which was then mitigated by pumping sewage discharge into the river, causing eutrophication. The nutrient‑rich sewage effluent caused abnormal weed growth that raised the riverbed, hindering navigation. IWA stresses that mitigation for these issues, particularly improved sewage treatment, should be integral to the scheme.

    On siltation, IWA warns that the unmanaged tidal Stour is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate and encourages South East Water to support future river management arrangements. It also calls for careful design of inlet and outlet structures to avoid harmful transverse flows, referencing established engineering guidance.

    The response further requests clarity on emergency discharge procedures and their implications for river users. Finally, IWA expresses support for the proposed recreational facilities at the reservoir. The full response is available here.

    [Photo: The Kentish Stour at Grove Ferry – by Neil Edwards]

  • IWA Expresses Concern about Future Water Abstraction Regime

    IWA Expresses Concern about Future Water Abstraction Regime

    IWA agrees that abstraction planning must look decades ahead, but stresses that reservations should only extend a few years into the future due to the inherent uncertainty of long‑term water resource planning. IWA points out that Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs) change significantly between five‑year cycles, making them an unreliable basis for long‑term licence reservations. Examples from Thames Water’s 2019 and 2024 WRMPs show major shifts in preferred schemes, timings, and priorities. IWA warns that allowing long‑term reservations could lock water companies and regulators into outdated schemes, block higher‑priority uses, and create a backlog similar to the former National Grid connection regime.

    IWA rejects the idea that inclusion in a WRMP or sectoral strategic plan automatically justifies a “need for water,” arguing that such plans identify options rather than proving necessity for specific schemes. IWA also questions the relevance and practicality of requiring strategic plans to account for all sectors’ national critical infrastructure needs, noting that this is a government‑level responsibility and that the terminology used in the consultation is unclear and inconsistent with established definitions of Critical National Infrastructure.

    Environmental safeguards in the proposed framework are considered potentially adequate, but IWA raises concerns about timing. Developers cannot reasonably proceed to construction if licences might be withdrawn before operation. IWA proposes that reserved licences should expire before construction begins, forcing full environmental assessment at the appropriate stage. Clarification is also needed on how licence timing interacts with delays or accelerations in project delivery.

    IWA supports catchment reviews but argues they should apply to all abstractions, not just strategic schemes. Reviews every six years may be too frequent and misaligned with WRMP cycles. IWA advocates for dynamic, real‑time catchment management, as proposed by the Environment Agency in 2025, supported by comprehensive modelling of flows, storage, rainfall, and operational infrastructure. Such tools, ideally developed by the Agency, would enable more efficient and adaptive allocation of water resources.

    The proposed hierarchy for allocating water rights is criticised as confusing, overly dependent on shifting government policies, and potentially counterproductive to collaboration. IWA suggests reducing it to just two tiers – Critical National Infrastructure and all other uses – to avoid perverse incentives and reduce the risk of the Agency being perceived as either a tick‑box regulator or an obstacle to government priorities.

    IWA also emphasises the need to protect long‑established waterways infrastructure, ensure adequate transition periods for existing abstractors, and create an independent appeal mechanism for licence withdrawals. IWA argues for better recognition of return flows, phased implementation of new licensing requirements, and improved cross‑border coordination for shared catchments.

    Overall, IWA calls for a more flexible, collaborative, and technically sophisticated approach centred on real‑time water management rather than rigid licensing hierarchies and long‑term reservations.

    The Environment Agency’s consultation document is available here, and IWA’s full response is available here.

  • IWA Navigation Committee News

    IWA Navigation Committee News

    1. Canal & River Trust’s Independent Commission on the Future of Boat Licensing

    As reported in November, a small subgroup of Navigation Committee was formed to take thoughts forward so that IWA is ready to respond to the Commission report and any further consultations at the appropriate time.

    Although the review was about more than residential boating, it is the residential boating and continuous cruising aspects which are attracting most attention. On 31st January, the Residential Boat Owners Association will be hosting a hybrid open meeting to “Review the Review of CRT Licensing”, which representatives from Navigation Committee will be attending.

    2. Residential boating and mooring

    A group comprising representatives of IWA, The National Association of Boat Owners, National Bargees Travellers Association and the Residential Boat Owners Association has met twice to try to agree a common approach to residential boating.

    3. Water Resources

    IWA’s national Water Lead Graham Heald joined the meeting and guided the discussions on the many aspects of water resources management which are currently in focus.

    • Grand Union Canal Transfer Project

    The Phase Two Public Consultation will run from 11th February to 2nd April 2026. Graham Heald is leading for IWA and is organising a meeting with the promoters during the consultation period. There will be an opportunity for Q&A on the consultation at the next online meeting of the Canal User Working Group on 19th February.

    • Environment Agency consultation on reserving water abstraction rights

    Submissions to this consultation are due by 16th February and Graham Heald is leading IWA’s response. The current view is that the approach is concerning, because it does not appear to recognise canals as legitimate and necessary abstractors of water which provide environmental benefits in their own right. IWA will liaise with CRT over its response and will share the final version with the Defra inland waterways team.

    • Environment Agency consultation on Significant Water Management Issues in River Basin Management Planning

    This consultation is almost entirely related to environment, chemical and pollution issues, although there are areas where IWA could usefully comment. The deadline is not until 20th May.

    • IWA guidelines on water transfer and water supply and retention are in development.

    OTHER POINTS

    • Navigation Committee welcomed Brian Sharples as IWA’s North East Region representative.
    • Jonathan Mosse will represent IWA on a Boat Safety Scheme committee reviewing the future frequency of BSS examinations.
    • Paul Thomas will represent Navigation Committee on IWA’s Sustainability & Environment Group.
    • The updated IWA Towpaths Policy is now available here.
    • As part of the Risk Index campaign, relevant navigation authorities were formally asked for their plans about their indefinite stoppages. So far, only the Environment Agency has responded.
    • Since the previous Navigation Committee meeting, CRT has suffered two major issues, the breach of the embankment at Whitchurch on the Llangollen Canal and the collapsed bywash culvert at Penkridge on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal. CRT has been praised for its rapid response at Whitchurch, especially compared with the ongoing Bridgewater Canal breach where not only has little visible progress been made but there are now reports on social media of deterioration. CRT launched an appeal to help fund the repairs and has already raised £166,000.
    • Keadby Lock has just had to be closed for a currently unknown period. The lock (and the nearby Vazon sliding railway bridge) are key to the North/South route using the Trent and avoiding Trent Falls.
    • The Bridgewater Canal Company has appointed a principal consultant to lead on the design and project management of the reinstatement after the breach in January 2025. Subject to the outcomes of ecological surveys and engineering design, construction work is expected to begin in summer 2026 with completion by the end of 2026.
    • IWA Kent & East Sussex Branch provided a report on abandoned boats on the River Adur, demonstrating the extent of the problem. It was noted that both CRT and the Environment Agency have been making efforts to remove more abandoned boats and to publicise their activities.
    • IWA’s concerns over the closure of ‘non-essential’ Customer Service Facilities have been formally communicated to CRT and a response requested.
    • CRT held an introductory meeting for national boating organisations with the new Chief Executive Campbell Robb on 4th December. There were three main themes (communication, long-term funding and boater experience). Campbell Robb set out his desire to move away from reacting to emergencies to a new approach of investing to save and innovating where appropriate. He stated that the biggest immediate threat to CRT waterways is the need to reapply for 157 water abstraction licences with potentially onerous licence conditions. The overall tenor of the meeting was encouragingly positive and collaborative.
    • The Environment Agency’s new focus on navigation has been reflected in recent communications. A blog described EA, CRT and the Broads Authority sharing their learning from managing navigation in this year’s drought, and Campbell Robb later confirmed that CRT and EA are committed to working together on navigation from the Chairs down. The report “Drought prospects for spring 2026” included a chapter dedicated to navigation, spelling out in quite some detail the likely impact on different waterways in three scenarios. While the details of the forecasts could be argued with, it is notable that the press release accompanying the report explicitly mentions the impact on navigation and is signed by the Water Minister Emma Hardy.
    • Scottish Canals has done well in the Scottish budget. It is encouraging to see the statements that Scotland’s transport network “includes rail, bus, trunk roads, ferries, regional aviation and canals” and “we are investing in Scottish Canals to ensure they remain a valuable resource for biodiversity, active living and tourism”.
    • The Broads Authority has appointed a new Chief Executive, Sarah Cowley, who will start in August and take over from John Packham.
    • Baits Bite Lock on the River Cam was reopened after temporary stabilisation work on schedule on 19th December, but the need for funding for permanent works on both Baits Bite and Jesus Green locks remains.
    • Uncertainty over the impact of high-speed rail projects on some waterways continues and has increased after the announcement of the Government’s long-term plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
    • There have been some changes at the Fund Britain’s Waterways (FBW) campaign. IWA has reduced its staff involvement in order to focus efforts on IWA’s own campaigns, and Mike Wills stepped down as Chair of FBW but continues as IWA representative on the steering group. Hazel Owen of the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs has taken over as Chair and several new volunteers have been recruited, including a representative of Leicester Civic Society to add a non-boating voice on the steering group. The first event of 2026 will be the jointly-branded FBW/Birmingham Canal Navigations Society Icicle Cruise on 21st March on the Walsall Canal to celebrate its reopening after the chemical spill and sample the new CRT arrangements in Walsall Basin. A Canalway Cavalcade dispersal cruise will be in company with a flotilla of historic narrowboats, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Harland & Wolff fleet built in 1936 at Woolwich. The Great Ouse Boating Association is hoping to organise a campaign cruise on the Great Ouse to coincide with the Bedford River Festival. The plans for the main campaign cruise to the North West are still awaiting a response from Peel Ports about use of the Manchester Ship Canal.
    • An article from the Sunday Times of 18th January expressed concerns about the impact of the removal of the Landfill Tax exemption for dredging. These were discussed at the Navigation Committee regular liaison meeting with CRT on 26th January, where it was explained that the article was incorrect and it is the specific exemption for the use of stabilisers for treating contaminated wet dredgings which will be removed from April 2027. CRT is still working through the implications, but the change will increase the cost of dredging though only in cases of treated contaminated waste.

    Forthcoming meetings

    • RBOA hybrid open meeting to “Review the Review of CRT Licensing” – 31st January (Ivor Caplan and Roger Stocker to represent IWA)
    • Grand Union Canal Transfer Canal User Working Group meeting – 19th February (Sue O’Hare, Phil Sharpe and Helen Westlake to represent IWA)
    • CRT Council Boater Representatives meeting – 25th February (Sue O’Hare to represent IWA)
    • CRT Council meeting – 18th March (Sue O’Hare to represent IWA)
    • CRT meeting with national boating organisations – 24th March (Sue O’Hare and Mike Wills to represent IWA)
    • Environment Agency National Waterways Forum / National Waterways Advisory Group meeting – 25th March (Sue O’Hare to represent IWA)

    Sue O’Hare
    Chair of Navigation Committee
    26th January 2026

    Previous reports from Navigation Committee are available here.

  • Controversial Fees on the River Clyde Abandoned

    Controversial Fees on the River Clyde Abandoned

    Peel Ports Clydeport has halted plans to charge small boat owners a £100 annual “leisure vehicle conservancy fee” following widespread opposition from IWA, other waterways interest groups, politicians and individual boat owners. See IWA’s story on the proposal in January 2025.

    The proposed fee would have applied to all boats between 6 and 24 metres in length operating over a range of 450 square miles of the Firth of Clyde, including Loch Fyne and Gare Loch, the southern entrance to the Crinan Canal and the river Clyde up to Albert Bridge in Glasgow. IWA has been promoting greater use of the Clyde for recreational boating by its inclusions in the Silver Propeller Challenge, with destinations at Rutherglen and Bowling Basin at the entrance to the Forth & Clyde Canal.

    Boat owners branded Peel Ports’ proposal a “cash grab” and “extortion,” arguing it would harm tourism and make boating unaffordable for many retirees. Member of the Scottish Parliament Stuart McMillan led a petition and parliamentary debate against the plan.

    Peel Ports stated the fee was intended to cover costs of managing leisure activity and dealing with accidents, and warned that a comprehensive review was still underway to assess waterway usage and reserved the right to revisit the issue in future.

    The decision represents a victory for recreational boating communities who successfully campaigned against what they saw as an unfair charge on a natural resource, though boat owners remain cautious that the fees could be reintroduced later.

    [The photo shows a boat below Erskine Bridge on the Clyde – by Jonathan Mosse]

  • Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil Update – May 2024

    Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil Update – May 2024

    The Group’s objective is to make ‘subsidised’ HVO readily available, at an affordable price to ALL recreational boaters and not just limited to the inland waterways (Category A, B and non-tidal Category C waters, as designated by Marine Shipping Notice No 137) – as is currently the case. At present craft operating in tidal waters cannot benefit from Road Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs) two of which are applied to every litre of HVO sold to qualifying craft. Their value varies but they are currently worth £0.17 each, so a litre of HVO effectively attracts ‘subsidy’ of £0.34.

    Volatility in pricing is a real concern and does nothing to encourage boatyards and marinas to stock the fuel. In early April 2024, the wholesale price of HVO was only £0.12 (12%) greater than gas oil (red diesel) per litre, but by early May that differential was more like 50%. This is believed to be largely down to fluctuations in commodity markets as fuel prices themselves vary, alongside the raw materials (or feedstock) which are quite separately governed by the agricultural commodity market.

    Manipulating the value of an RTFC would, in theory, represent a government ‘device’ for controlling this volatility but with their current low value there is limited room for (pricing) manoeuvre. Two years ago an RTFC was worth £0.42 so, with an effective subsidy of £0.84 attached to each litre of HVO sold, there was ample room to make an external impact. Those in the fuel industry are therefore suggesting that the time has come to revisit Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979 – the Act that laid down our current fuel duty mechanisms: https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/oils-technical-manual/hcoteg31000.

    The HVO Joint Working Group is currently building a case for RTFC application to all recreational boating around demonstrating that the consumption of diesel fuel (and potentially, HVO should it be made affordable) is extremely small and will therefore have little effect on revenue for HMRC. In addition, we are pointing out that this sector has few other alternatives to decarbonising as the biofuels allocated to both the Coastal and Deep Sea Maritime sectors are inappropriate for recreational boat users.

    Furthermore, the sea-going recreational sector depends upon reliable fuelling of their diesel engines, which may well still have a long life ahead of them, making scrapping an environmentally undesirable, unrealistic and an extremely expensive option. The emphasis on ‘reliable’ being a reference to problems with ‘diesel bug’ (and associated mechanical issues) exacerbated by the FAME content of mineral diesel on sale in marinas and boatyards.

    HVO sold in the UK is currently supplied by Neste and manufactured in Rotterdam. It is shipped to Stanlow (supplying Crown Oil and it’s agents and subsidiaries) and to Dagenham from where it is distributed by Certas. It has been mooted that with the refinery element of Grangemouth closing down, Neste (or one of its competitors) should be encouraged to establish an UK HVO manufacturing plant on the site.

    Finally, taking the bigger picture, the limiting of RTFC-eligibility to vessels plying Category A, B and non-tidal Category C waters is having a negative environmental impact on commercial carrying on the inland waterways, where many craft are transporting bulk cargoes, on tidal rivers into UK towns and cities, where air quality is at a premium. The Rivers Thames and Medway being good examples as, indeed, could be the Rivers Clyde and Tay.

    Not only is HVO 90% carbon neutral, it’s polluting nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions are substantially reduced, so there are consequently significant health benefits (apart from the obvious carbon reduction) to be gained where water-borne traffic interfaces with dense populations.

    The Department for Transport has told IWA that it intends to put out a Call for Evidence around maritime biofuel use, but as yet the Department has offered no time scales. To this end, the Group’s energies are predominantly focused on establishing usage data and general fact gathering in the belief that further, individual approaches to the Department, will only be referred to this upcoming consultation process.

    For more information about Biofuels and HVO, see our Sustainable Boating pages

    [The title photo shows historic working boat ‘Spey’ using HVO – by Jonathan Mosse]

  • Stand Off Between Navigation Authorities Leaves Boaters Stuck

    Stand Off Between Navigation Authorities Leaves Boaters Stuck

    Denver Sluice and Lock on the Great Ouse are owned and managed by the Environment Agency (EA). Salter’s Lode Sluice and Lock are owned and managed by the Middle Level Commissioners. Transit between Denver Sluice and Salter’s Lode allows access to the Great Ouse, the river Cam, and the rivers Lark, Little Ouse, and Wissey. The Denver crossing is now effectively closed and the only navigable connection between the Great Ouse and the rest of the ‘system’ is by the difficult and hazardous Wash crossing (until the Bedford / Milton Keynes link progresses).

    After Christmas 2023, the Middle Level Commissioners (MLC) dredged Salter’s Lode lock. This necessitated removing over 250 tons of silt from inside the lock. There is a considerable build up of silt outside the lock, on the tidal Great Ouse managed by the EA. MLC are concerned that as soon as they open the tidal doors of Salter’s Lode it will immediately be filled with silt from the tidal Great Ouse, and so they have closed the lock until the EA dredge outside it.

    At a recent meeting of its Anglian Water Group (AWG), EA reported this to stakeholders, but currently the EA has no plans to dredge! The link between the Great Ouse and the Middle Level now appears indefinitely closed until one or other of the navigation authorities gives in. This closes off approximately 130 miles of navigation, affects hundreds of leisure boats and prevents access from the connected navigable system to places such as Bedford and Cambridge.

    During April 2023, contractors for EA dredged outside Denver (photo 1 below). Rather than removing arisings, they threw it back out into river (in the hope it would wash out to sea), and there was subsequently heavy siltation experienced downstream at the first bend in the river (photos 2 and 3 below). This blocked the outfall of the Old Bedford River and caused several hire boat groundings on the tidal side of Salter’s Lode. It appears that MLC feel that EA caused this sudden and dramatic increase in rate of siltation affecting Salter’s Lode, and are waiting for EA to do something about it on ‘their side’.

    Sue O’Hare, IWA deputy national chair, said “We are appalled that boaters are left stranded through no fault of their own, and that businesses are left to count their losses because of the Environment Agency’s inaction.  We sympathise with the Middle Level Commissioners’ wish to keep their lock clear of silt and functioning correctly for its dual purposes of navigation and flood protection for local communities, and we sympathise with the Environment Agency at having to deal with over double the usual monthly rainfall in this area so far this year, but the Agency has a legal duty to keep the waterway open for navigation.”

    A Spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We have been and will continue to progress plans for the clearance of the blockages caused by the build-up of silt in the tidal river at Denver Lock and Salters Lode within the scope of our available budget.”

    “There have been delays across all our navigation works programme as a direct result of the weather and subsequent river conditions. We will continue to work with our delivery partners to resolve the situation as soon as we can. Updates will be provided on our navigation notices which can be found at our Visit Anglian Waterways webpages.”

    [The title photo shows silting at Salters Lode in early March 2024 – by Paul Burrows of the Middle Level Commissioners]

  • River Idle campaign for navigation

    River Idle campaign for navigation

    The River Idle joins the Trent at West Stockwith. Despite having a statutory right of navigation there is no navigation authority for the river. The river is accessible only by paying a fee to the Environment Agency to open up a pair of sluices.

    IWA has written to the Environment Agency to raise IWA’s concerns. We are calling for action to restore the river to its former capacity as a navigation and drainage channel. This would be through a programme of maintenance and channel reprofiling.

    In its current state, the River Idle is virtually un-navigable. Through a lack of management and maintenance over many years, the river is now heavily silted and overgrown with trees and shrubs. Owing to this, cruises previously undertaken by the Retford & Worksop Boat Club have ended. However, we have members keen to recommence navigation, beginning with small boats to assess the river for the safety of larger boats.

    The Association of Drainage Authorities have highlighted the problem faced by their Internal Drainage Board members. Namely, that heavy silting and vegetation growth have caused a severe reduction in the river’s capacity to convey water. With more flooding and drought likely in the future because of climate change, it is crucial to maintain waterways such as this to improve their capacity for water transfer.

    Dredging this waterway will have wider benefits for the local population and economy, recreation, wildlife and fishing.

  • Hammersmith Bridge reopens but waterways heritage at risk

    Hammersmith Bridge reopens but waterways heritage at risk

    The closure of Hammersmith Bridge – and the delay to repairs – raises concerns for other historic bridges and waterways heritage structures.

    In May, IWA joined the Company of Watermen & Lightermen of the River Thames to call for unrestricted navigation under Hammersmith Bridge to be allowed at the earliest possible date, in a letter to the transport minister, Baroness Vere.

    Following on from Baroness Vere’s response, the bridge reopened to cyclists, pedestrians and all boat traffic in mid-July. However, traffic signals are still in operation and will prevent river passage if sensors on the bridge detect a problem.

    The closure highlights the importance of long-term funding for repairs and maintenance of historic bridges and other heritage infrastructure. Many of the 200- to 250-year-old heritage assets of the waterways system are at risk from ongoing lack of funding. Similarly, higher summer temperatures from climate change will continue to increase that risk, particularly for heritage structures made of iron.

    Likewise, responsibility to maintain waterways heritage structures can often fall inbetween several different agencies with room for dispute. For Hammersmith Bridge, the Department for Transport announced it is willing to pay a third of the cost of reopening the bridge, expecting Transport for London and Hammersmith & Fulham Council to also pay a third. The Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce are currently reviewing options for how the bridge repairs will be funded.

    Hammersmith Bridge project updates

    Heritage structures at risk

    Other historic bridges needing repair have had similar funding problems. Iron Bridge, over the River Severn, had repairs following an English Heritage crowd-funding campaign, along with a German not-for-profit grant.

    Union Chain Bridge is a heritage suspension bridge spanning the border between England and Scotland. In this case, multiple agencies put together the successful National Lottery Heritage Fund bid.

    Other historic iron bridges on the Heritage at Risk Register include Mythe Bridge, over the River Severn at Tewkesbury.

  • Parliamentarians urged to support residential boaters

    Parliamentarians urged to support residential boaters

    IWA facilitated the online meeting, with presentations from the Residential Boat Owners Association, the National Bargee Travellers Association and Canal & River Trust. The groups highlighted areas where the Government could provide more support for those living on the waterways.

    Michael Fabricant MP, Chair of the Group, led the meeting. It was attended by MPs and peers, officials from Defra and representatives of many waterway organisations and navigation authorities. Also attending were representatives from a number of new and established community mooring co-operatives.

    Support for liveaboard boaters

    The presentations and the lively discussion that followed identified a number of key issues. More support from Government and other public bodies would be beneficial to:

    • Make sure that health, social services or other local authority services are available and accessible to liveaboard communities
    • Better co-ordinate between navigation authorities and planning authorities to allow a more constructive and positive response when residential mooring developments are being considered
    • Support and help for setting up more boater-managed community or co-operative style moorings
    • Better support for reducing the impact on boaters of anti-social behaviour in inner city locations
    • Support for navigation authorities in making waterway infrastructure more resilient to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather
    • Help for boaters to adapt to low carbon technology to support Government net zero carbon targets
    • Ensure no adverse impacts on boaters’ legitimate way of life through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021
    • Putting arrangements in place to rectify the missed opportunity in the 2021 Census to collect data about how many people are living on boats, which in turn will help to improve access to public services.

    The meeting concluded with Michael Fabricant MP stating that the APPGW would write to the Defra Minister with responsible for waterways, Rebecca Pow MP, to ask her to convene a meeting to discuss these issues with representatives of relevant organisations and government departments.

    As well as providing the Secretariat for the APPGW, IWA also lobbies government directly. IWA will continue to press relevant government departments and local authorities to make progress in these areas.

  • Survey calls for basic facilities

    Survey calls for basic facilities

    The survey, which ran on our website during the second half of last year, asked boaters to identify areas on the UK’s waterways where facilities are missing or are in poor condition.

    Hundreds of comments were received about the facilities provided by nine different navigation authorities.  We will follow up the results with each authority individually, with Canal & River Trust, the Environment Agency and the Middle Level Commissioners all saying that they will welcome the findings.  Canal & River Trust has also said that IWA’s Gaptracker facilities survey results will contribute to their facilities review.

    An overwhelming 84% of the responses were about water points, rubbish disposal or portable toilet emptying, indicating a strong demand for those basic facilities.

    The report identifies a number of recommendations which we will be asking navigation authorities to adopt, including the general principle that the three basic facilities of drinking water, portable toilet emptying and rubbish disposal should continue to be provided by navigation authorities, without any additional cost to licence holders, at frequencies within 5 hours boating time.

    Read the full GapTracker report giving more detail about the findings of the survey.