IWA has warned that East Anglia’s waterways are being lost “in perpetuity” following the announcement that due to health and safety concerns, navigation though the Old Bedford Sluice V-doors has been closed indefinitely, the latest in a growing catalogue of closures across the Environment Agency’s Anglian waterways with no plans for reopening.
The closure, announced on 19th January 2026, further severs connections between the Middle Level and the Environment Agency’s waterways via the Old Bedford River and Welches Dam Lock on the Horseway Channel.
The Anglian waterways network now suffers from multiple indefinite stoppages with no remediation plans in place:
- Old Bedford Sluice V-doors (Old Bedford River): closed January 2025
- Brandon Lock (River Little Ouse): closed since 2024
- Harlam Hill Lock (River Ancholme): closed since 2012
- Welches Dam (Horseway Channel/Old Bedford River): closed since 2006
- Swaffham Bulbeck Lock (Swaffham Bulbeck Lode): no longer operational, reclassified as flood relief structure
In a statement to IWA, the Environment Agency confirmed there are currently no plans to reinstate any of these locks to navigation, citing ongoing financial pressures.
IWA’s Risk Index, which mapped risks across the inland waterways network from climate change and funding shortfalls, identified indefinite closures as a critical threat to the connected system.
The implications extend beyond navigation. A fragmented waterway network means:
- Lost economic opportunities for waterside businesses and tourism
- Reduced public access to green/blue spaces for recreation and wellbeing
- Irreversible damage to historic infrastructure and cultural heritage
Keith Alderton, Chair of IWA Great Ouse Branch said:
“This policy of failure to repair waterways infrastructure as it becomes inoperable is resulting in the loss of irreplaceable heritage, lost access to green/blue space for local communities and lost economic opportunities across the region. Without intervention and adequate funding, these historic waterways will not see another generation due to systemic neglect and that’s unacceptable.”
IWA is calling on the Environment Agency and government to:
- Develop costed restoration plans for all indefinitely closed structures and consider volunteer labour;
- Integrate waterway restoration into major infrastructure projects like the Fens Reservoir; and
- Recognise waterways infrastructure as vital assets to the environment and the economy.
