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)

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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 18^th 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 30^th 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 20^th 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 14^th 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 22^nd 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 25^th 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 1^st 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 – 1^st 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 – 13^th 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 23^rd 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, 10^th June (Roger Stocker to represent IWA)
• EA National Waterways Forum & National Waterways Advisory Group extraordinary meeting on national navigation strategy – 10^th June (Sue O’Hare to represent IWA)
• Navigation Committee online meeting – 8^th 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.

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• Ensure the charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
• Comply with the charity’s governing document and the law
• Act in the charity’s best interests
• Manage the charity’s resources responsibly
• Act with care and skill
• Ensure the charity is accountable and well managed

We are looking to complement our existing Trustees and have identified the following skillsets that we think need
strengthening:

• Experience of engaging and enabling participation of younger people with the charity
• Health and safety management
• Funding/fundraising
• Environment and sustainability
• experience of restoration projects (not just waterways)
• Marketing, membership and recruitment

We would also welcome applications from individuals to apply if they think they have experience that would be valuable to the Association beyond those mentioned above. For example, we would like younger people (18 and over) to apply who may have very relevant skills and experience for growing IWA today.

Candidates must be passionate about our campaigning: for sufficient funding for Britain’s waterways; the sustainable operation of navigations; restoration of closed waterways; and our work to make the waterways great places to live, work, travel, play, and for wildlife, nature recovery and mitigating climate change.

Most Trustee meetings are held online. However, we feel it is important to meet in person and to visit sites and events from time to time. Reasonableexpenses are covered. We are committed to improving the diversity of our Board. We encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, including those of varying ages, genders and minority ethnic backgrounds. Selection will be made on merit and the ability to best serve the Association’s charitable objectives, taking into account the current skills and experience of the Board. Candidates should have sufficient time available to be able to spend at least one to two days per month on IWA business

The Application Pack contains information about the roles and responsibilities of Trustees and contact details in case you wish to discuss potentially applying. Applications will close at 5pm on 11th June 2026. Applicants will be asked to submit their CV, complete a skillset questionnaire, and submit a covering email rather than completing an application form.

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Wyvern Shipping also provided a tug, hire-boat Mallard, to tow the hopper, from which volunteers dragged the canal with grappling hooks to retrieve sunken items.  The hopper also received bags of rubbish collected by volunteers walking the towpath.  A Buckingham Canal Society workboat that was to collect any rubbish from the far side of the canal was unfortunately disabled by an underwater obstruction on the first morning, but there was little to collect.  Much appreciated refreshments at each break were provided by the tea boat that led the convoy.

The usual mix of discarded items were found, including several supermarket trolleys, six tyres, four electric hire scooters, three bicycles, an outboard motor, a plastic barrel, a motor bike frame, two folding chairs, traffic cones, a damaged and abandoned dinghy, timber and domestic rubbish.  Four sunken boats were seen during the Clean-up.  Some silting of parts of the route was noticed.

At Cosgrove, the rubbish was unloaded on Monday 13th from the work boats by contractors Smith Recycling Ltd for disposal.  Although the total load was probably about 7 tonnes, it filled two 16-tonne grab lorries due to its bulk.

There were fewer volunteers on hand than some previous years – around 18 on the first day, 12 on the second – as, fortunately, the amounts to be cleared have reduced over the years because the clearances have had a very positive effect and have encouraged other local community clean-ups in the area.

IWA Milton Keynes Branch Chairman Tim Armstrong said, “There was enough rubbish to keep the volunteers happily occupied without being overworked.  My thanks go to everyone who took part, whether organising, litter picking. working on boats or providing refreshments.” IWA Milton Keynes Branch was founded in 1976, fifty years ago.  Its first Clean-up is believed to have taken place in 1977.  In following years, one-day Clean-ups were staged irregularly at spot locations in Milton Keynes, until 1997, when they were expanded to become highly organised two- or three-day yearly or twice-yearly events.  The Clean-ups help to keep the city’s stretch of the Grand Union Canal safe and attractive for all users afloat and ashore, but it is sad that some people still treat the canal and its surroundings as a convenient rubbish dump.

[The main photo shows a hopper and tug at Bridge 71b – by Pete Bickers]

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Members heard from the National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA), and the Residential Boat Owners Association (RBOA), after which a roundtable discussion was held with input from Canal and River Trust (CRT), Accessible Waterways Association, the National Association of Boat Owners (NABO), and the Broads Authority.

The session demonstrated that while it may be easy to hold romantic views about life on water the reality can be hard, from not having an address to registering with a GP, limited access to waste disposal services, and the difficulties in obtaining pet and other insurance.

Ella Parry-Davies of NBTA outlined that around 8,500 boats navigate without a home mooring on CRT waters, but the total population of boaters could be as high as 50,000. This is a diverse and often vulnerable community, with significantly higher levels of disability than the national average.

Rex Walden of RBOA reinforced this, describing a wide cross-section of society living afloat, from retirees and young professionals to key workers, veterans, and people in vulnerable circumstances.

Despite this, both organisations acknowledged that boaters’ recognition had been hindered in policymaking.

The NBTA called for the protection of existing legislation and opposed additional enforcement powers. They stressed that inconsistent communication and lack of transparency from navigation authorities exacerbated these challenges.

At the same time, NBTA welcomed recent signals from CRT’s leadership, including a commitment to reset relationships with boaters, and was further positive that welfare support staff had recently increased.

A central theme from organisations was the need for residential boaters to be treated on equal footing with land-based residents, including stronger tenancy rights, improved legal protections, and inclusion in national housing and planning policy. On this last Point, IWA has been campaigning for government to include residential boaters in its National Planning Policy Framework.

Those present also raised concerns about stigma and mistreatment, with reports of verbal abuse and occasional physical incidents directed at boaters. A CRT representative acknowledged legislation ambiguity and the need for clearer definitions and safeguards, further explaining the need for the Report of the Commission on Boat Licencing. He said that there are increasing welfare issues with vulnerable boaters living in dangerous conditions and their welfare team are dealing with more referrals. He agreed that any new policy or legislation would need safeguards and checks and balances.

Wendy Morton, MP for Aldridge-Brownhills, vice-chair of the Waterways APPG, questioned presenters and chaired a robust roundtable discussion after. Commenting, Wendy said:

“This was an important discussion, and it is clear more must be done to support residential boaters.

“For many, living on the waterways is their home, and they should be treated with the same fairness as those in bricks-and-mortar housing. Yet too often they face barriers and a lack of recognition in policy.

“I will continue working with colleagues to raise these issues at a national level, particularly the need to properly reflect residential boaters in planning policy.”

The round-table concluded with a commitment from MPs to raise these issues at a national level, including through parliamentary questions on the inclusion of residential boaters in planning policy.

Attached photo L-R: Lucy Burchnall (Head of Ranger Services and Navigation Officer, Broads Authority), Tim Clarke (Accessible Waterways Association) with Ozzie the dog, Lee Dillon (MP for Newbury), Matthew Symonds (National Boating Manager for CRT), Rex Walden (Residential Boat Owners Association). Wendy Morton (MP for Aldridge-Brownhills), Ella Parry-Davies, (National Bargee Travellers Association) and Roger Stocker (IWA).

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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.

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Water transfers, if designed with care, can help mitigate the growing impact of climate change on Britain’s waterways by keeping canals navigable, supporting ecosystems and preserving heritage. These benefits will only be realised through rigorous engineering, clear operating principles, and enforceable protections for the wider network. 

IWA is calling for a more comprehensive and transparent demonstration of the engineering of the canal section of the scheme to show how the water flows will be managed and controlled. This will 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 (near Derby). 

Water transfers via canal are not new. The Llangollen Canal, Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, Bridgwater & Taunton Canal and Fossdyke have all been used for water transfer for some years. Every canal has its own specific character, and this is why IWA is working with CRT to get the best deal for the canals impacted by the GUCT scheme. 

IWA’s submission emphasises five key areas where additional information needs to be placed in the public domain: 

• Engineering Feasibility Study

IWA emphasises that a comprehensive engineering feasibility study, with appropriate supporting appendices, addressing all topics in IWA’s published water transfer guidelines and the topics below, should be prepared, published and subjected to a round of consultation before commencing the Development Consent Order process in mid-2027.  

• Water management and control

Under existing arrangements CRT has the capability, under its sole management control, to supply water from the Grand Union Canal towards London, Oxford, Northampton, Warwick, Leicester and Shardlow (near Derby). Documentation is required to demonstrate how the water flows in the transfer will be managed and controlled, with the resulting water levels, together with demonstration that supplies to the connected canals will be no less than the supplies historically provided, and ideally increased. During the consultation period CRT advised IWA that this is its intent, though its water management studies do not yet provide the required demonstration.  

• Design principles and design criteria

A comprehensive suite of design principles and design criteria is required to understand the engineering approach proposed. From discussion with CRT during the consultation period, it is apparent that such documents have been prepared but were not issued as part of the public consultation. The Design Principles document forming part of the consultation addresses only the visual appearance of structures. 

• Bypasses and weirs

Within the consultation documents, there are numerous qualitative discussions of water level and the need to vary weir levels and weir capacities, but no quantitative information to allow interested parties to understand what is proposed or how such changes might affect water levels, navigation and drainage. Affinity Water and CRT have this information but did not publish it for the consultation.

• Bank raising and dredging

IWA suggests that the extent of bank raising might be reduced through a programme of enhanced dredging allowing the Minimum Operating Level in the canals to be reduced. CRT has stated, in discussion, that an underlying principle before design commenced was that existing canal operating and maintenance regimes would not be altered, so this option has not been studied. IWA is of the opinion that the decision was premature and that the option deserves further attention. 

Affinity Water and CRT have confirmed that they have addressed, or are currently addressing, issues raised by IWA but acknowledged that very few of their technical studies and conclusions were documented in the consultation documents. For these reasons IWA especially calls on the scheme leaders to be more transparent by publishing more of the studies undertaken. While these studies can be highly technical, they should be made accessible.  

There is an opportunity for further discussion and feedback before formal commencement of the Development Consent Order process, which IWA welcomes.

Graham Heald, IWA’s Water Lead, said: 

​“The Grand Union Canal Transfer scheme should safeguard navigation on the canals between Atherstone and Great Brickhill while providing an opportunity to enhance water supplies to the connected canals to London, Oxford, Northampton, Warwick, Leicester and Shardlow, near Derby.

“We want to see this scheme work, and this is why we have been engaging with Affinity Water and CRT. Water transfers have the potential to play an important role in helping the network deal with a changing climate. As droughts become more frequent and water demand increases, better movement of water could help sustain our inland waterways, sadly now quite fragile in some places. However, these schemes are not a magic bullet, and if poorly designed, they risk damaging the very network they aim to support. 

“Our response to the latest consultation highlights significant omissions that must be addressed. Water transfer using canals is a key benefit of the waterways and is part of long-established infrastructure use but needs to be sensitively managed”. 

IWA’s evidence-based climate risk map, The Risk Index, shows where and why our waterways face the greatest threats by 2050, but it also reveals solutions. Because of the potential for water transfer to mitigate some of the pressure on our waterways, we are adding known and proposed water transfers to the Risk Index. This will help to see, at a glance where the schemes are both planned and happening across the network. 

Read IWA’s full response to the consultation.

​

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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 1^st 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 25^th 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 – 14^th April
• CRT Council Boater Representatives special meeting on water resources – 20^th April (Sue O’Hare to represent IWA)
• Navigation Committee regular liaison meeting with the Canal & River Trust National Boating team – 13^th May
• Navigation Committee online meeting – 13^th 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.

The post IWA Navigation Committee News appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.

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]

The post IWA Campaigns to Protect the River Stour in Kent appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.

Britain’s canals and navigable rivers deliver varied benefits for communities, nature and the economy, yet new national planning policy overlooks their strategic importance..

While often celebrated for their heritage and leisure value, canals and rivers play a much wider role today. They support wildlife and biodiversity, provide natural flood management and climate resilience, create green corridors through towns and cities, attract tourism and investment, and homes for residential boaters.

Yet because waterways frequently cross several local authority boundaries, they can too easily fall between planning policies. IWA says stronger national policy is needed so that canals and rivers are properly considered in decisions about housing, infrastructure and place-making.

Charlie Norman, IWA’s Director of Campaigns, said:

“Our submission outlines the need for residential boat moorings provision in the planning system, and the need to review and update Canal Conservation Areas. As well as this, there is so much potential that is not being realised, for example, water transfer by canals. From the contribution of water-based travel and inland ports to sustainable transport, our waterways are not being recognised for their potential, and the planning system can go a long way to fix this.

“The value of canal restorations to healthy communities is immense. Despite all these benefits, they are treated as an afterthought in planning policy, and this is a wasted opportunity.”

IWA’s response factors in these areas that could better reflect planning policy in valuing waterways:

• Strategic infrastructure: Canals and navigable rivers should be explicitly recognised in national planning policy, so they are considered in housing growth, transportplanning, active travel,and regeneration projects;
• Climate and nature: Canal and river corridors are natural green and blue infrastructure that support biodiversity, urban cooling, water management, and climate adaptation;
• Homes: Residential boating is a long-established way of living, yet provision for residential moorings is rarely planned for properly. Local plans should assess and provide forresidential boat dwellers;
• Heritage and place-making: Waterways are often the historic heart of towns and villages. Development should protect and enhance their character and heritage setting; and
• Expert involvement: Waterway specialists should be consulted when development plans affect canals, rivers, and their surrounding corridors.

IWA says that recognising waterways in planning policy would help unlock their full potential, from delivering environmental gains, economic growth to new opportunities for sustainable living.

“If we want thriving communities, resilient landscapes and attractive places to live and work, canals and rivers should be recognised as part of the nation’s strategic infrastructure”, Charlie Norman concluded.

Read IWA’s full submission to the NPPF consultation.

The post Government Planning Policy Overlooks National Role of Canals and Rivers appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.