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Results of Birmingham city centre moorings trial

After a successful six-month trial, we are implementing changes to the mooring stay times along the canals in Birmingham city centre.

An aerial shot of a narrowboat passing other moored boats and surrounded by high-rise flats.

The new stay times, which were put out to consultation and trialled between July and December 2023, will standardise the stay times at popular mooring spots across the city centre.

The new mooring stay times have been shaped with feedback from individual boaters, boating groups and local boating businesses. The new standardised mooring stay times will give local and visiting boaters improved access to facilities, shops, and restaurants in the city centre.

What changes are being made?

From the 1 April the changes will be:

  • visitor moorings in central zone will be standardised as four-day moorings from 1 April to 31 October and 14-day moorings from 1 November to 31 March
  • the visitor moorings northwest of Sheepcote Street on the New Mainline Canal and southwest of Granville Street on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal standardised to 14-days all year round
  • ‘accessible mooring’ spaces will be signed in three locations: between Cambrian House and Tindall Bridge; south of Worcester Bar; and alongside the International Convention Centre
  • the pontoons at Cambrian Basin all designated as long-term moorings
  • the ‘service mooring’ alongside the Canal House in Gas Street Basin will be formalised. This will enable improved access to the bin store for private boaters and the Trust’s litter boat
  • the ‘service mooring’ between the Roundhouse Birmingham and Sheepcote Street will be formalised. It will be available for boaters using the facilities at Sherborne Wharf and by Roundhouse Birmingham to facilitate events
  • Tom Freeland, boating and customer services manager, at Canal & River Trust, said: “I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to respond to our consultation and trial. All the feedback was reviewed and, where possible, improvements made.

“We believe these new stay times will make the best use of the limited space available and will allow everyone the chance to experience the wonderful city of Birmingham.

“We’ll keep an eye on visitor numbers and on all customer feedback throughout the year before reviewing the success of the new mooring arrangements early next year.”

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Last Edited: 29 February 2024

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