The government has just made an announcement about the future funding of the nation’s 250-year-old canals. In short, it puts this much-loved canal network at risk, and we’re determined to fight for its future. So, we’re asking all of you who value the canals to join us and take action to demand that they must be saved.
The government currently contributes approximately a quarter of the cost of the operation, care, and maintenance of these precious waterways. That amount – a fraction of what it used to be – is currently frozen and, hence, is currently being eroded by the high levels of inflation we’re all suffering, and with more frequent and intense extreme weather events, this already isn’t enough to keep up with the scale of work that such old canals need to remain safe for people, the communities alongside them, and for the nature and wildlife that it provides a home for.
We’ve been told that in the years ahead, government is planning to make year-on-year cuts to the vital funding it contributes. This means that we’re all faced with the very real likelihood that in the years ahead, there won’t be enough money to look after this much-loved canal network that today delivers so much benefit. Whilst our canals may look picturesque and tranquil. They depend upon maintaining the safe condition of thousands of assets, bridges and tunnels, embankments and culverts, reservoirs and pumping systems that need daily care and attention.
Any deterioration would bring about a return to the decline of the 20th century when hundreds of miles of canals were lost. Whilst we will do our utmost as the national charity caring for these canals, the brutal truth is that some may have to close if there isn’t the money to look after them. Imagine the impact that would have on all our lives on the wildlife and nature they support, on the businesses that depend on them, and the tens of thousands of jobs.
We’ve shown how today’s canals improve the well-being of those who live on or near them, often in places where access to nature is limited. Using the government’s own methodologies, we’ve shown that their value to the NHS alone is worth over £1 billion a year. The case for public investment in our waterways is overwhelming.
So, what happens next? We must ensure that this disappointing and damaging decision is revisited. We will keep campaigning, engaging with government and opposition parties to continue to make our case. Together, we must convince the politicians making these decisions that it is vital to keep the nation’s canals safe and available for the benefit of us all.
This won’t be easy. We’ll need to keep the momentum going. Follow our social media channels and share the news about just what’s at stake. Sign up to our newsletter so that we can keep you up to date with how you can help. And please do continue to support us. Together, we can fight for a future that sees our canals safe to flourish for the next 250 years.
