We continue to engage with government to secure future of UK waterways

We continue to present our case to the government, highlighting their vital role in delivering key national priorities.

In our comprehensive submission to the government’s current Spending Review process, we're making the case for a contribution to our funding sufficient to ensure that our canals can continue to provide the significant economic, environmental, and social benefits it delivers into the future.

Strategic opportunities

This follows the publication of our 2024 Impact Report in December illustrating the wide range of positive outcomes we deliver, and the submission of our first Climate Change Adaptation report to Government last month demonstrating how our ageing infrastructure is requiring substantial future investment to keep it open and safe.

Our canals and associated infrastructure – including reservoirs, docks, and embankments – offer strategic opportunities to support issues of national importance, such as water security, flood protection, climate resilience, and economic growth. However, these assets face growing pressure from reduced funding, rising maintenance costs, and the increasing impact of extreme weather events. We believe that a modest increase in government investment, to maintain our real terms funding, would unlock even greater benefits, ensuring the canal network remains resilient for generations to come.

At present we receive around 22% of its funding from government and this is set to decline to around 10% by 2035, a loss of funding of around £300m in real terms over the next ten years.

An extraordinary national asset

Richard Parry, our chief executive, said: “Our canals and navigable rivers are an extraordinary national asset, supporting the economy, providing water security, supporting nature, protecting against flooding, and offering green and blue spaces that benefit millions of people. However, the pressures on this ageing infrastructure are growing and, without adequate investment, there is a real risk to the benefits they provide. As a charity we must raise funds through many different routes and part of this is by engaging with the government in a thoughtful and measured way, to show how targeted funding could help to future-proof these vital assets and ensure they continue to support communities, the environment, and the economy long into the future.”