CAMPAIGNERS responding to the Government’s extra £6.5 million investment in England’s and Wales’s canal network are once more calling for a top-level rethink into how waterways are funded. They say although the boost is welcome, it yet again underlines the ongoing underfunding crisis – and warn that this is only a one-off payment, not systemic reform.
The Canal & River Trust is receiving the funding in addition to the £52.6 million provided annually by the Government and was allocated prior to the devastating breach on the Llangollen Canal at Whitchurch.
Announcing the news, the Government’s water minister hailed the network as a “vital part of our national infrastructure,” but the cash is targeted at specific projects rather than broader maintenance needs – and fails to include the 3000 miles of waterways managed by the Environment Agency and other navigation authorities, which too face critical infrastructure challenges due to chronic underfunding.
The Inland Waterways Association said a one-off capital grant is not the systemic funding reform Britain’s canals and rivers urgently need. Chair Mike Wills said: “Last year’s disastrous breaches demonstrated the costs of fixing problems after they happen. But this is not the first instalment of ongoing investment, nor part of a comprehensive review of long-term funding requirements. It does nothing to change the Government’s overall funding approach to waterways.
“We need the Government to develop a long-term funding plan that addresses the needs of all 5000 miles of Britain’s navigable waterways – piecemeal project grants won’t build the resilient network the country needs.”
Fund Britain’s Waterways said the extra funding represents only 12% of the current £52.6 million annual grant funding to CRT, a figure which is ‘already inadequate’ and which is intended to start reducing from April 2027 – and is not sufficient enough to halt the decline of the CRT network.
Chair Hazel Owen has repeated the FBW’s call for the Government to commit to a comprehensive national review of future funding plans for Britain’s inland waterways.
She said: “£6.5m is good, but not good enough. Everyone is agreed on the value of our waterways, but that must be translated into funding.
“The recent breach at Whitchurch is likely to cost several million pounds to repair. Maintenance work during the 2024/2025 winter period cost more than £60 million. Repairs to just one reservoir at Toddbrook will cost nearly £50 million. Even repairing bridges after vehicles have struck them costs more than £1 million each year.
“Neither is CRT alone in facing problems caused by long-term inadequate funding. There are now five indefinite closures across the Environment Agency’s Anglian waterways, which the agency has stated that it has no plans to address owing to ongoing financial pressures.”
The extra cash, the Government said, will extend the life of critical canal assets such as canal embankments, culverts and reservoirs and reduce future repair bills. It will also enable essential works to be completed on schedule, supporting public safety and keeping waterways open and operational.
Water Minister Emma Hardy said: “Our historic canals and waterways are not only world-famous and precious to communities around the country – they are also a vital part of our national infrastructure, delivering environmental, social and economic benefits.
“This investment will help futureproof the Canal & River Trust’s network, ensuring it is better equipped to withstand the challenges of climate change while continuing to operate safely and reliably for the public.”
Key projects include works on the Peak Forest Canal, Tame Valley Canal, and the lift bridge connecting London Docklands to the River Thames. A number of the nation’s oldest reservoirs built to feed fresh water into the canal system will benefit, improving their resilience and ensuring they continue to supply water. These include reservoirs from the industrial age that supply the Birmingham Canal Navigations, Grand Union Canal, Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Peak Forest Canal and Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.
CRT chief executive Campbell Robb said: “Increased extreme weather events and rising maintenance costs have placed additional strain on the nation’s historic canal infrastructure and this funding recognises the important role they are able to play in helping to build resilience.
“Although built in the industrial age, a resilient canal network is perfectly placed to help meet many of the challenges of modern society. The investment in reservoirs speaks to the potential of navigable canals to store and move water around the country for domestic supply, serving the nation by moving water from areas with excess to areas where there isn’t enough.”
