Britain’s canals and navigable rivers deliver many benefits for communities, nature, and the economy, yet these benefits are consistently overlooked in national planning policy. According to IWA, the 2026 budget is the opportunity to re-set, and allow our waterways to contribute more fully to the long-term economy, with judicious yet modest investment now.
IWA’s submission sets out five priority recommendations which offer the Treasury low-cost, high-return opportunities to support the Government’s stated priorities of regional growth, devolution, and economic and climate resilience.
Summary of IWA’s 5 Budget recommendations
- Devolve waterway powers and funding flexibility to Metro Mayors, enabling waterway-led regional renewal;
- Commission a cross-departmental review of England and Wales’s inland waterways, producing a long-term investment plan by 2028;
- Establish a national waterborne freight strategy, including expansion of the Modal Shift Revenue Support grant and affordable sustainable fuel1;
- Fund the repair and resilience of canal reservoirs and feeder channels, protecting tourism revenue and building wildfire-response capacity; and
- Invest in the cultural and recreational heritage of waterways to benefit local economies and widen participation.
Charlie Norman, IWA’s Director of Campaigns and Public Affairs, said:
“Britain’s waterways are already delivering huge value along economic, environmental, and social lines, but chronic under-investment and fragmented decision-making hold them back. Giving Mayors the power to make waterways part of their regional growth strategies would unlock so much untapped potential.
“Modest and targeted intervention now will protect existing economic activity and allow waterways to contribute much more to the Government’s stated priorities for regional growth, devolution and economic and climate resilience.”
The representation from IWA (sent Tuesday, 9th September) comes ahead of the Autumn Budget on 28 October 2026.
1 See also submission from the IWA Sustainable Boating Group
View our full Budget Representation.
