UK canals and rivers benefit from major investment

There are around 2,000 miles of canals and rivers in the UK and while development dates back earlier, it was during growth in UK trade in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that this cheap and efficient method of transport blossomed. Those halcyon days may be over, but there is still demand to preserve the network’s heritage and contribution to nature and tourism: the canals are home to over 2,700 listed structures, 50 scheduled ancient monuments and five UNESCO world heritage sites.

Investment expenditure will rise to £85.4m this year and £93m in 2016/17, the money targeted at improving and protecting waterways for boating. Planned major work will include: repairing or reconstructing deteriorating embankments and culverts (£6m), dredging and wash wall repairs (£6m), lock repairs (£2m), protecting and improving water supply to parts of the network (£4.5m) and repairing and strengthening of bridges, aqueducts, tunnels and cuttings (£4.5m).

Investment will be focused on canals in the north of England where the percentage of assets in poor condition is highest, including major work to fix the leaking Horbury Culvert on the Calder & Hebble Navigation, repairs to Bosley and Elton reservoirs in the Manchester & Pennines region and work to the Barlow Wood and Calverly embankments on the Peak Forest and Leeds & Liverpool canal respectively.

Grouting of various lock walls will take place across the network, along with stabilising and repairing bridges on the Oxford and Grand Union Canals, works to Dog Head Stakes Weir on the Kennet & Avon Canal and gate repairs at West India Dock in London. Next stages in the Trust’s £80m enhanced ten year programme includes dredging at 15 locations including the Slough Arm, the Grand Union Canal and Birmingham Mainline. General waterway expenditure includes £28m for lock gate replacements, planned preventative works, the fixing of high priority faults and vegetation and waste management.

Vince Moran, operations director for the Canal & River Trust said: “We’re very pleased to be able to increase our investment in caring for the waterways, making them safer, more resilient and more enjoyable for everyone that visits. As well as protecting the fabric of the waterways, the vast majority of this investment – which equates to £230,000 each day – is focused on improving the waterways for navigation so that boaters in particular will benefit from these works.

“Boaters will also be able to see dredgers carrying out important and very welcome dredging works at sites across the network and of course we’ll be investing further in our programme of winter lock repairs.”