As part of its on-going consultation on plans to implement a new management plan for moorings on and around the River Lee Navigation, British Waterways today met with local waterways stakeholder groups.

British Waterways met representatives from the National Association of Boat Owners, the Residential Boat Owners’ Association, the Inland Waterways Association, Stort Boat Club, Rammey Marsh Cruising Club & Association of Lea Cruising Clubs and the Lee Anglers Consortium to discuss their views on the proposals. 

In a separate meeting held today, British Waterways met with Lee Valley Regional Park Authority members to update them on the consultation process.  British Waterways has previously held a meeting with representatives from the two organisations that represent continuous cruisers on the river.

An upgraded length of towpath on the Llangollen Canal has improved access on the canal and also transformed the Shropshire gateway into the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.

This project has been funded by British Waterways , Northern Marches England LEADER  through the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013, which is funded by DEFRA and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and Northern Marches Cymru through the Rural Development plan for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

From 19 April 2011, an online booking system will enable boaters to reserve a visitor mooring on London’s waterways during summer 2012. This is in response to research which indicates that there will be strong demand for mooring in the Capital throughout the Olympic Games.

The anticipated increase in visiting boats for this once in a lifetime event requires a dedicated moorings plan to manage these exceptional circumstances.  It will ensure that the network is efficiently managed and that moorings are reserved for those who have booked them.

There will be a ‘controlled zone’ for several weeks throughout the Olympic summer.  All boats that have a home mooring within the ‘controlled zone’ will be largely unaffected. Visiting boats, however, will only be able to enter with a confirmed booking of a visitor mooring (with BW, another operator or individual).

The Crick Boat Show 2011 is once again taking place at Crick Marina on the Grand Union Canal on the May late bank holiday weekend (28 - 30 May). The show is a great day out for all the family as well as everyone who loves boats.

There will be a huge range of exhibitors specialising in all things boat-related as well as food, crafts, leisure and arts.

For the young (and the young at heart) there is an exhaustible list of activities including face painting, circus skills, traditional fairground with Punch and Judy show, arts and crafts, bouncy castle, pedal karting, bungee-trampolining and a giant spider mountain to be climbed and conquered with a giant slide down for those who make it to the top.

Following the Government’s decision in October 2010 that the canals and rivers currently managed by British Waterways (BW) will be transferred to a new third sector charitable organisation, the Government announced on Monday (28 February) that it has decided the Environment Agency’s navigable waterways should also transfer to the new charity.

The Government has confirmed that its proposal is to transfer the Environment Agency’s navigations to the new charity in 2015/16, subject to the agreement of the new charity’s Trustees and provided that it is affordable to do so. In 2014, the performance of the new charity will be reviewed and options considered for the transfer of the navigations.