THANKS to campaigning from IWA, Fox Boats and the Middle Level Commissioners, Fenland District Council has reversed its decision to remove the important boaters’ facilities block on March Riverside.
When local IWA members first learned about the March Future High Street Fund, they were delighted that it recognised the potential of the waterway passing through the town and sought to improve visitor moorings and facilities. However, they then discovered that the proposed moorings had been cut and the vital boaters’ services had been ditched.
IWA wrote to Fenland District Council in April 2022 to make the case for the retention of these services, emphasising that if the town of March is to attract visiting boaters to stop and contribute to the local economy, they need these facilities, which also benefit local river users. An IWA spokesman said: “We argued that there was a proven need for water, refuse disposal and pump-out services, as the only other facilities in the area, at Fox’s Marina, may not be able to provide these services to the anticipated rises in boater numbers. We encouraged the district council to commit to waterside regeneration for all the benefits it brings to the area.
“Recently we had confirmation that Fenland District Council will be retaining the boaters’ facilities and investing in a new pump-out in the coming months.”
#marchriverside #iwa #inlandwaterwaysassociation #fenland #towpathtalk #canals #canalsandrivers #narrowboat #rivers #waterways #lifeonthecut #boating #boats
