Our Better Boating Plan 2026-2028

Navigation and Infrastructure

We know the basics of navigation are important. With our focus on paddle repairs and keeping our locks and moving bridges better maintained, boating should feel easier for you.

1. We’ll continue to repair any new paddle faults as soon as possible (but no longer than four weeks).
2. We'll continue to target more resources on planned preventative maintenance (PPM), prioritising re-greasing and clearing vegetation at locks and swing/lift bridges in the spring and early summer ahead of the busier boating months.
3. We'll continue to spend more delivering improved grass-cutting in 2026 and beyond, from our programme success and challenges in 2025. We will continue to ensure grass is cut at locks and mooring sites and cut more towpaths to the water's edge. 
4. With our tree management standards updated and surveys increased, we will complete more winter tree works and assign higher priority to the clearance of fallen trees blocking navigation and towpaths. 
5. New for 2026, we will start a dedicated and transparent programme of work to remove sunken boats across the network.

Journey essentials

We’re making sure your journey essentials are reliable, accessible and kept to a high standard. We’re standardising essential facilities, combatting overflowing bins and fly-tipping and improving mooring accessibility across the network, helping you cruise with confidence.

6. If our water, Elsan or pump-out boater facilities break, we'll fix them promptly.
7. We will invest £4.5m over the next five years to standardise water points, Elsan and pump-out, replacing obsolete parts and standardising fixtures and fittings for swifter repair when things go wrong and for ease of use.
8. With Simpler Recycling legislation rolled-out across our network, we'll focus on the review of refuse collections at our busiest sites to reduce overflowing bins and take measures to help tackle fly-tipping.
9. We’ll review our current management standards for short-stay visitor moorings and trial different ways of working to ensure short stay visitor moorings are used fairly across the network, so that you can cruise with confidence.

Communication & customer service

Being able to find up-to-date information is important, so we'll continue to improve the communication and customer service you receive and provide more opportunities to meet and talk with us. We’re still working on a Boater App that will make it easier for you to access our online services and hope to launch the first version by the end of 2026.