The UK has some 3,000 miles of inland waterways. They are managed by more than 30 navigation authorities but the two largest are:
- British Waterways (BW) – 2,200 miles comprising mostly of canals. Over 32,000 registered boats
- Environment Agency (EA) – 600 miles of rivers, primarily the River Thames which is also used by around 30,000 boats
Funding is precarious. Government grants have been declining since 2006 with the result that there isn’t sufficient funding to cover maintenance – this is particularly acute in the case of BW which is charged with maintaining over 11,000 assets (locks, aqueducts, bridges, embankments, reservoirs, etc) that are part of a navigation that was built 200 years ago. The current funding deficit is around £40 million per annum.
Given the economic climate that faces us over the next decade, it is extremely unlikely that any government is going to cover this shortfall. The annual deficit has forced BW to operate at 85% of the level required to maintain a steady state for several years now and as a result has accumulated a £100+ million backlog. A backlog that clearly worsens each year.
Signs of decline are already apparent to boaters and anglers and those that regularly walk the towpaths. Fortunately though, most of the backlog of work is neither serious nor complex and BW are openly seeking the help of local residents to help catch up.
The aim of Waterway Watch is to answer this call for help by facilitating the formation of local groups of volunteers to help BW and other navigation authorities maintain and enhance our inland waterways.
