Fund Britain’s Waterways (FBW) is a growing action group currently comprising 145 member organisations representing hundreds of thousands of users and supporters of inland waterways. Its sole purpose is to campaign collectively for an increase in government funding of Britain’s inland waterways to avert their decline, and to promote awareness of the huge economic, environmental and social well-being value they provide.
FBW made a submission to the Autumn Budget 2024. Since then we have seen the collapse of embankments on both the Bridgewater Canal and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal on New Year’s Day following sustained heavy rainfall. These events demonstrate the vulnerability of our canals to the increasingly frequent severe weather events resulting from climate change. Increased investment will be needed in order to future-proof the network.
We have therefore presented a strengthened argument in our Spending Review submission and repeated our request to Government that:
- the importance of Britain’s inland waterways as a unique national asset and part of the national infrastructure is recognised
- the deterioration in condition that is already happening is acknowledged
- a review of government funding for all Britain’s inland waterways be carried out as a matter of urgency, with the aim of defining a sustainable funding solution which will enable the current benefits of our canals and rivers to be maintained and enhanced for future generations.
To fund our inland waterways properly would cost a small (in government terms) investment measured in millions not billions of pounds. In return the country will continue to obtain billions of pounds of benefits for health, economic and environmental benefits, much of the benefits in less well-off areas.
We are already seeing the waterways deteriorating and businesses suffering, and the rate of deterioration is increasing because of the impact of extreme weather events caused by climate change. If underinvestment continues this will become worse until a tipping point is reached and waterways have to be closed, wasting the benefits as well as the millions of hours of volunteer time and millions of pounds of public money that have gone into the current network. Read the full submission here.
