IWA has welcomed the announcement of £6.5m Government investment in Canal & River Trust waterways, while warning this one-off capital grant is not the systemic funding reform Britain’s canals and rivers urgently need.
This additional investment will fund essential resilience work on specific infrastructure across the Canal & River Trust’s 2,000-mile network, supporting communities, businesses and wildlife that depend on secure waterways.
However, the funding is targeted at discrete projects (e.g reservoirs) rather than addressing the broader maintenance backlog. It provides no support for the 3,000 miles of Britain’s navigable waterways not managed by the Canal & River Trust, many of which (particularly those managed by the Environment Agency) face critical infrastructure challenges due to chronic underfunding.
Mike Wills, Chair of the Inland Waterways Association, said:
“IWA welcomes any additional funding for our waterways, and this investment reflects the aims we’ve been campaigning for. Our Risk Index shows that climate change poses one of the biggest threats to canal and river infrastructure, so investment specifically targeting resilience to extreme weather is a priority.
Last year’s disastrous breaches demonstrated the costs of fixing problems after they happen. But our Risk Index also shows that much more is needed. This is a one-off capital grant for specific projects, not the first instalment of ongoing investment, nor part of a comprehensive review of long-term funding requirements. It does nothing to change the Government’s overall funding approach to waterways, and it does nothing for the 3,000 miles of Britain’s canals and rivers managed by the Environment Agency and other navigation authorities.
We need the Government to develop a long-term funding plan that addresses the needs of all 5,000 miles of Britain’s navigable waterways. Piecemeal project grants won’t build the resilient network the country needs.”
IWA is calling on the Government to:
- Conduct a comprehensive review of funding requirements across all UK waterways
- Develop a funding strategy that covers maintenance and climate resilience
- Extend support beyond Canal & River Trust waterways to the entire 5,000-mile network
