Boater consultation to launch in December 2026

Hello, I'm Campbell. And in December we're embarking on a very important public consultation around how to improve the experience of boating on the waterways, and we want you as boaters to be involved in all parts of that.

Why now? I'm just in post. It's clear this is a challenging time for canals, that we've got ageing infrastructure, changing climate and huge funding pressures. But it's exciting too.

There are opportunities for us to do things differently and make things better for boaters. You are absolutely central to this. We want to see canals thriving with boats we need and want to work alongside boating communities on what comes next. And we need to build trust with you. And that means treating you as partners, not just as customers, Sharing you have a seat at the table before big decisions are made.

This consultation will run from December. Before then, we'll be working with many of you to help shape it so that consultation reflects your lived experiences. That's why it's really important you get involved, you share your thoughts and you help us to make things better.

In 2025, an independent Commission reported on ways that boaters experience on the waterways could be improved. The report was a wake up call about friction, poor communication and boaters feeling ignored. We accept the findings and have already started to make changes. We're investing more on day-to-day maintenance and boater services through our Better Boating Plan, making improvements to our welfare support and carrying out a Roots and Branches review of our communication to make them clearer and more friendly. The more complex recommendations from the report require further considerations to build practical solutions that work on the cut. This covers things like boat safety, support for boaters, greater certainty around navigation requirements, fair sharing of the space and managing the canal responsibly.

We're going to work with boaters on designing and consulting, making it a true community endeavour. The future of boating on the waterways is important to all of us and we want you to be part of the decision making before we further consult boating communities. We'll be working directly with you to better understand the practical implications of the recommendations. Your lived experience is incredibly important to us. We want to make sure that the public consultation reflects this so we can build practical solutions together.

We're setting up a Citizens Boater Panel that we want you to be part of. All boaters are invited to apply to sit on it. We'll be sharing more information on the Citizens Boater Panel in the next few weeks.

We'll also be working closely with national boating organisations, our navigation Advisory group and boater representatives.

It's a huge undertaking. Thank you for working with us and helping us shape the future of boating.

We’re responding to recommendations made by the independent Commission on Boat Licensing and looking at how we can improve the experience of boating on our waterways. We want to work with boaters to explore challenges and possible solutions before any major decisions are made.

No. The purpose of this process is to help shape future proposals before any decisions are made. We want to understand different perspectives, gather evidence and work with boaters to develop practical solutions that reflect real experiences on the waterways.

The pre-engagement period will help us design a better consultation. We will work with boating organisations, our boater representatives and Navigation Advisory Group, and boaters with different boating lifestyles to understand lived experiences, test ideas, gather feedback and ensure the consultation asks the right questions in the right way.

The formal consultation is expected to open in December and run for 14 weeks. We will provide plenty of notice beforehand, so boaters know how and when to take part.

There will be a range of opportunities to get involved during the pre-engagement period, including online updates, engagement through boating organisations and opportunities to apply to join the Citizens’ Boater Panel. We will regularly share details through our website, Boaters’ Update and other channels.

The Citizens’ Boater Panel will bring together a diverse group of around 40 boaters from different backgrounds, locations and boating lifestyles. We particularly want to hear from boaters whose voices may not always be represented through formal organisations. The panel will help us test ideas, provide feedback and ensure the consultation reflects the experiences of people who use the waterways in different ways.

We’ll be sharing details of how to apply in the next few weeks. All boat licence holders signed up to receive communication from the Trust will receive a direct email to their registered email address, and we’ll publish information on our website as well as sharing via Boaters’ Update and on our social media channels. If you own a boat, but you currently do not have a Canal & River Trust Licence, you can request a link to apply.

We will work with national boating organisations, boater representatives, the Navigation Advisory Group, local boating groups and the Citizens’ Boater Panel.

August: Listening

• Recruitment for the Citizens’ Boater Panel.
• Workshops with national boating organisations, boater representatives and the Navigation Advisory Group.
• Engagement with local boating groups and communities.
• Attendance at boating and waterways events across the network.

September: Working together

• Citizens’ Boater Panel recruitment closes, panel members are confirmed and begin participating in workshops and discussions.
• Continued engagement with boating organisations, representatives and stakeholder groups.
• Exploration with boaters about the practical implications of recommendations from the Licensing Commission report.

October–November: Shaping the consultation

• Final stakeholder workshops and co-design sessions.
• Testing consultation themes, language and questions to ensure they are clear and accessible.
• Sharing updates on how feedback has influenced the consultation design.
• Publication of information about consultation dates, timescales and opportunities to participate.

December 2026–February 2027: Public consultation

The formal consultation opens, providing opportunities for all boaters and stakeholders to have their say through online responses, events and engagement sessions.

Spring 2027: Reporting back

• Independent analysis of consultation responses.
• Publication of findings.
• Explanation of how feedback has informed next steps and future decision-making.

The consultation will focus on four themes:

• Relationships – improving understanding and support for liveaboard boaters, reducing conflict and making rules easier to understand and follow.
• Clarity – developing greater certainty around navigation requirements, boating rules and how the waterways are used today and in the future.
• Fairness – ensuring waterway space is shared fairly and tackling licence evasion so everyone contributes appropriately.
• Effectiveness – exploring ways to ensure boats on the network are safe, reducing the impacts of abandoned and sunken vessels, and considering what tools are needed to manage the waterways effectively and responsibly.

No. The consultation will consider issues that affect all boaters, including those with and without home moorings, liveaboards, leisure boaters, businesses and other waterway users.

No. Existing licence conditions and navigation requirements remain in place while the engagement and consultation take place. Any future changes would only be considered after consultation feedback has been reviewed and any decisions have been made.

The independent Commission concluded that the current licensing framework requires reform and highlighted concerns about relations between the Trust and boaters. It made 36 recommendations designed to make licensing requirements clearer and improve the management of the waterways.

Yes. We’ve accepted the Commission's findings and are taking forward a programme of work in response, including a review of communications with boaters, improvements to welfare support, investment in day-to-day navigations and boating services, and further consultation on more complex recommendations.

The feedback gathered during the pre-engagement period will help us understand the practical implications of different approaches, identify areas of agreement and concern, and inform any future proposals. We’ll use it to help shape the consultation itself, including the questions we ask, the issues we explore and the information we provide.

After the consultation closes, we will publish a summary of the findings and explain how feedback has influenced our next steps. We are committed to being transparent about what we have heard and how it has been considered.

We will publish regular updates on our website and through Boaters’ Update and social media. We encourage all boaters to follow the process and share their views.

No. While some recommendations relate to compliance and licensing, the consultation is much broader. It is about the future of boating on the waterways including, amongst others, boat safety, support for boaters, greater certainty around navigation requirements, fair sharing of the space, and managing the canal network responsibly.

No. The aim of the engagement and consultation process is to understand how boaters use the waterways today, including the experiences of liveaboard boaters. We recognise that people use boats in different ways and want to work with boaters to develop practical solutions that support a thriving and diverse boating population in the future.