Better Boating Plan: Quarterly progress update - June to September 2026
We’re committed to delivering the improvements set out in the Better Boating Plan 2026–2028. Here’s an update on what we’ve achieved from June–September 2026.
Quarterly overview
| Area & status | Year-to-date (from 1 April) | Target |
| Paddle repairs - improving | 78% repaired within target | 95% new faults repaired within 4-weeks |
| Planned maintenance - on track | 2,891 tasks completed | 95% of 3, 209 programmed visits complete |
| Grass cutting - on track | 81% of programme completed | 90% of programme complete |
| Tree management - on track | 1,130 trees cleared | 90% of 1,195 identified for removal complete |
| Sunken boats - improving | 39 boats removed | Remove 100% of identified backlog by April 2027 (boats removed outside this backlog are not included) |
| Boater facilities - on track | 78.8% fixed on first visit | 80% fixed on first visit |
| Recycling and waste - improving | 91.7% bins collected on time (from 1 April 2025) | 95% bins collected on time |
| Visitor moorings - n/a | n/a | Reduce overstaying on visitor moorings – target to be defined |
Better Boating Plan 2026–2028
Read the Better Boating Plan in full here
Navigation and infrastructure progress
Our focus is keeping you moving safely and reliably across the network.
Paddle repairs
Target: repair new paddle faults within four weeks.
Quarterly progress for paddle repairs
| Measure | Year-to-date |
| Current total broken paddles | 58 |
| Faults repaired | 165 |
| New faults repaired within four weeks | 78% |
What this means for boaters: Broken paddles can stop a lock from filling or emptying: this could be debris trapped under the paddle or a more complex problem with the mechanism. Repairing faults within four weeks, or sooner when possible, means less disruption for boaters.
Planned maintenance
Target: complete 95% of programmed preventive maintenance at locks and movable bridges.
Quarterly progress for planned maintenance
| Measure | Year-to-date |
| Lock visits | 2,530 |
| Moving bridge visits | 361 |
| Year-to-date completion | 90% |
What this means for boaters: Re-greasing and clearing vegetation at locks and swing/lift bridges in the spring and early summer means they are more resilient during the summer holidays when more boats are cruising.
Grass cutting
Target: carry out grass-cutting at locks, moorings and along towpaths.
Quarterly progress for grass cutting
| Measure | Year-to-date |
| Kilometres of grass cut | 11,294km |
| Year-to-date completion | 81% |
What this means for boaters: Our grass cutting is concentrated on the areas most used by boaters to make getting on and off at lock landings and moorings easier and safer. We’re also cutting more grass to the towpath edge to improve accessibility for boaters.
Tree management
Target: carry out planned tree works and remove fallen trees affecting navigation within 48 hours.
Quarterly progress for tree management
| Measure | Year-to-date |
| Trees cleared | 1,130 |
| Year-to-date completion of planned tree works | 95% |
| Fallen trees cleared within 48 hours | No accurate data source – under review |
What this means for boaters: We’ve carried out in-depth tree surveys across the network and have now removed nearly all trees identified as problems, removing the risk of them coming down in high winds. When trees do fall and block waterways, removing them as quickly as possible minimises disruption to navigation.
Sunken boats
Target: remove the backlog of sunken boats from the network, which stood at 126 on 1 April.
Quarterly progress for sunken boats
| Measure | Year-to-date |
| Boats removed as part of programme | 39 |
| Current backlog in programme | 87 |
What this means for boaters: Sunken boats are a frustration for boaters, particularly when they block waterways and moorings, and removing them will improve navigation.
Stay up to date with our progress
You can view the ongoing Navigation & Infrastructure progress here
Journey essentials progress
We’re working to make sure the facilities you rely on are reliable, accessible and easy to use.
Essential facilities
Target: fix 80% of water points, Elsan disposal points and pump-out facilities on first-time visit. Target: contractors will aim to arrive onsite within 24 hours of being notified of broken facilities.
Quarterly progress for essential facilities
| Measure | Year-to-date |
| Faults fixed on first visit | 78.8% |
What this means for boaters: Boaters who use our water points, Elsans and pump outs can expect a more reliable service.
Better facilities programme
Target: invest £4.5 million over five years to improve and standardise facilities, making repairs faster and facilities easier to use.
Quarterly progress for better facilities
| Measure | Year-to-date |
| Facilities upgraded | Not started |
| Locations completed | Not started |
What this means for boaters: We're investing in new facilities that are more reliable, easier to repair, easier to use, and more accessible. Standardising designs across the network will help us reduce downtime when something goes wrong and improve the service you receive. A key aim is to improve reliability. By using standardised designs and off the shelf parts, we can carry out repairs more quickly and cost-effectively when issues arise.
What happens next: The programme will be delivered in phases across the network. This approach will allow us to learn from installations, incorporate feedback, and minimise disruption to boaters.
Recycling and waste
Target: 95% of bins collected on time.
Target: review refuse collection at the busiest sites to reduce overflowing bins.
Quarterly progress for recycling and waste
| Measure | Year-to-date |
| Bins collected on time | 91.7% (from 1 April 2025) |
| Missed due to fly-tipping/overflowing bins | 6.97% (since 1 April 2025) |
What this means for boaters: Boaters can expect to see improvements at sites that have suffered from fly-tipping and overflowing bins. The programme is under continuous review, and we encourage boaters to report any problems so they can be resolved by our waste contractors.
Visitor moorings
Target: review how visitor moorings are managed and improve accessibility across the network.
Quarterly progress for visitor moorings
| Measure | Year-to-date |
| Mooring sites reviewed | n/a |
| Accessibility improvements completed | n/a |
What this means for boaters: Boaters can cruise with confidence, with a fair chance of finding a short-stay mooring at popular spots. Accessible moorings will enable more boaters to be able to enjoy more parts of the network.
What happens next: We need to audit our short-stay visitor moorings, review our current management standards, and trial different ways of working to ensure short stay visitor moorings are used fairly across the network. We’ll review our existing accessible moorings, and work to develop an applicable standard to support the installation of more accessible moorings across our network, including the roll-out our new accessible mooring bollard.
Looking ahead to next quarter
Over the next quarter we’ll continue to focus on:
- Tree works
- Sunken boat removal
- Finalising the rollout of the new customer service facilities
Next update: January 2027
Tell us about an issue
You can help us identify problems by reporting:
- Broken paddles
- Faulty facilities
- Navigation obstructions
- Waste and recycling issues
Report an issue using our contact form. Please include the waterway and nearest bridge, lock or recognised location, a short description, and a photograph if it is safe to take one.
We’re currently developing a Boater App which will make it easier for you to report issues on the network. We’ll keep you updated as to the progress.
Last Edited: 29 October 2026
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