The Broads Authority has invited public comment on proposals for a below-inflation increase in boat tolls for 2026/27, alongside planned investment in navigation improvements across the Broads.
Under the proposal, boat tolls would rise by 2.5%, despite a continuing decline in boat numbers. The authority says this has been made possible following recognition by Defra that navigation is fundamental to the character of the Broads, delivering benefits to the local economy, the natural and built environment, communities, and the quality of life of those who use the waterways.
The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has long argued this case to Government, highlighting the need for adequate funding for navigation safety and maintenance. The association has previously pointed out that the Broads Authority is the only major inland navigation authority that has not received direct government funding specifically to support navigation maintenance, relying instead on ring-fenced National Parks grant funding.
The IWA has urged the Government to recognise the need for financial support to protect navigation and preserve the unique character of the Broads. Defra has now responded by allowing greater flexibility in the use of National Park funding to support navigation, although this change has not been accompanied by any additional funding.
IWA’s Navigation Committee has written to the Broads Authority outlining its concerns as part of the consultation on next year’s tolls. These include the need to ensure that current maintenance standards are not reduced, that improvements to navigation are made where possible, and that efforts are stepped up to halt the decline in boat numbers. The committee has also stated its support for the proposed 2.5% toll increase.
As part of the process for setting navigation charges for 2026/27, the Broads Authority’s chief executive, John Packman, set out the current financial position in a briefing note.
He explained that changes made last year — including a reapportionment of operational costs from the navigation budget to the National Park, together with a lower-than-expected staff pay rise — have more than offset the reduced income resulting from fewer boats on the Broads.
“This has put the navigation budget in a healthier position,” the note stated. “A proposed increase in tolls of 2.5% — below the current level of inflation, which is between 3.8% and 4.6% — would leave the authority in a stronger position for the coming year and the following two, even with our anticipated reduction in boat numbers, and would also be more palatable for toll payers.”
