BRITISH Marine recently joined other members of Fund Britain’s Waterways for a meeting with the Canal & River Trust chief executive Richard Parry and his senior team at Hatton Locks.
The trade association, whose members come from a broad range of boating businesses, is one of 120 organisations backing the FBW campaign to protect all of Britain’s inland waterways. “We had a constructive meeting with the Canal & River Trust about the management of its 2000-mile network amid the impact of more extreme weather and diminishing government grants”
British Marine’s president-elect Robert Parton told Towpath Talk. “I also recently attended meetings with the Environment Agency and the Broads Authority and it seems clear all our main navigation authorities are now increasingly struggling to maintain their networks, not least because of the impact of climate change.” Robert added: “Given the huge value of Britain’s waterways to the well-being of local communities and the wider economy, it’s crucial government thinks again to ensure there will be adequate funding in the decades ahead to maintain this much-loved public asset. “This is why we want everyone to support Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign during this general election year to persuade all our current and aspiring parliamentarians to back our inland waterways.”
FBW’s campaign includes working with CRT to seek a review to its funding settlement for the period 2027-2037 which the trust fears will be insufficient to avert future canal closures. #fundbritainswaterway
