Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Government cuts threaten the future of our canals and rivers


The Canal & River Trust is to lose almost half its funding from the government, putting the future of some parts of the inland waterway network in question.

New Civil Engineer reports:

Canal & River Trust says the cuts will see it lose almost half of its funding for this period – amounting to more than £300M in real terms.

It said the planned shortfall comes as the costs of maintaining historic canals are increasing due to climate change, with drought and extreme events impacting 250-year-old infrastructure.

Canal & Rivers Trust chief executive Richard Parry said the cuts will have a “potentially devastating impact” on the trust’s ability to safeguard 3,200km of waterways and associated heritage of locks, reservoirs, bridges, tunnels, aqueducts and embankments.

He added that the downscaling could undo one of “the nation’s greatest heritage regeneration stories”.

“The government has confirmed the value and importance of the nation’s canals and their vital role in our health and wellbeing, for wildlife and nature, and in supporting jobs and the UK economy. Yet, at the same time, they have announced a funding decision which puts the very future of canals at grave risk,” Parry said.

The trust was established in the early days of the Coalition government to take over the responsibilities of British Waterways in England and Wales.

It was clearly intended that this move would cost the government less in the long run, but it was never clear how the shortfall was going to be made up. David Cameron's 'big society' faded away before any serious attempt had been made to define the concept.

The danger now is that some of the waterways restored in recent years will be lost again if there is not enough money for regular maintenance across the network.

Later. Thanks to a reader for pointing me to an informed thread on the implications of this funding announcement on the Canalworld forum.

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