The Canal & River Trust has announced plans to improve navigation and the service for boaters.
These include: a ‘paddle pledge’ with a target to fix newly reported broken paddles as soon as possible and no longer than four weeks and clear all outstanding issues by 2026.
There will also be a quicker response to broken boater facilities and a review of busiest refuse sites to improve provision and reduce issues; and better recycling provision, with segregated collections introduced in 2025.
The announcement follows on from falling boater satisfaction with the Trust.
Navigation
“Keeping our canals open for boating is paramount: without navigation the canals as we know them today would not exist, and neither would the tremendous benefits that navigable canals bring to communities both on and off the water,” said Richard Parry, chief executive at Canal & River Trust.
“However, many boaters have told us that they’re not satisfied with the service they receive and want to see our efforts focused on the things that matter most to them.
“We need to change this and make sure that we demonstrate to boaters that their needs are at the heart of what we do.”
The Trust has published the Better Boating Plan: Our plan for better boating | Canal & River Trust which can be seen here.
