7 POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH IN LEISURE
USE OF THE WATERWAYS NETWORK
75. The inland waterways network's original purpose
of commercial freight has now largely disappeared and the waterways
are used primarily for leisure. BW estimates that 300 million
visits are made to the waterways each year, mostly on the towpath.
There are currently 29,000 licensed boaters on its waters. BW
told us that the number of licensed craft has "grown consistently
year on year".[128]
76. We were interested to know how much potential
there was for further growth in the leisure use of the network.
Several witnesses told us this potential was considerable. Boater
Louis Jankel said the potential was "enormous" because
more and more UK families are taking two or more annual holidays.[129]
Shire Cruisers—a holiday hire-boat company—agreed
that the potential for growth was "good", and pointed
out that over 100,000 people take hire-boats holidays each year.[130]
77. Some users of the network, however, told us that
several constraints existed that could hinder further significant
growth in leisure use of the network. First, some boaters were
concerned that boating was becoming too expensive to grow considerably
as a leisure activity (boat licences and mooring fees currently
raise about £14 million per annum for BW).[131]
One boater said that many licence holders felt that they were
simply a "milk cow" for BW to exploit.[132]
Save Our Waterways warned that canal boating was "growing
to be too expensive for the average family".[133]
Several witnesses representing the boater sector—such as
the British Marine Federation—expressed concern that licence
and mooring fees would only increase further in the context of
the current financial pressures, and that this would deter further
growth in leisure boaters.[134]
78. Second, users of the network expressed concern
that not enough moorings and marinas existed to accommodate a
significant increase in boating activity.[135]
Long waiting lists currently exist for most marina sites in the
UK, although BW has recently announced it will hold a trial in
August 2007 whereby mooring allocation is determined by an internet
and postal-based tendering system.[136]
This announcement has attracted criticism from some elements of
the boating community, who say the new system will only increase
mooring prices.[137]
We were also concerned to learn of BW's policy towards those with
shorter term mooring agreements (such as those at Sawley, in North
West Leicestershire) who are being moved, against their will,
to more distant moorings wholly inconvenient for the work-places
or educational arrangements of families on residential narrow-boats.
We are disappointed that British Waterways (BW) did not inform
us in evidence about the introduction of its trial tendering system
for mooring allocation, and note the concerns of the boating community
that the new system may further increase the cost of boating.
We are concerned that the permanent introduction of such a system
could make boating too exclusive.
79. Third, witnesses representing the holiday hire-boat
sector raised concerns that the unreliability of the condition
of the network—caused by reductions in BW's grant level—was
the biggest constraint on the growth of their business. [138]
Fourth, witnesses such as the Institution for Civil Engineers
told us that some areas of the network—so-called 'honey-pot'
sites, around Birmingham and the Black Country—were already
too crowded to accommodate further growth in boating use.[139]
80. When asked about this, BW acknowledged that potential
existed for further growth in leisure use of the network, and
said it was "absolutely critical" to "maintain
and … hopefully grow" the number of boats on the waterways.[140]
In particular, BW considered it "essential" that the
holiday hire-boat industry maintained or increased growth because
it was a significant source of license fee income and a 'feeder
stream' for holiday-makers who later bought their own boat.[141]
We asked BW about some of the potential constraints witnesses
had told us about. In respect of marina capacity, BW said 10,000
marina berths were required by 2015 to meet expected demand.[142]
Although BW believed it was the private sector's responsibility
to invest into marinas, BW had established a New Marinas Unit
in March 2006 to assist private companies in doing this.[143]
In respect of boaters' concerns about increases in license and
mooring fees, BW acknowledged that boat licence fees were indeed
forecast to increase by 30% in real terms phase in over three
years from April 2008, "as a direct result of the grant cuts".[144]
Possible future funding pressures could potentially hinder further
growth in leisure boating use of the network, for example if the
operation of bridges became more restricted.
Our views
81. We are concerned that inadequate maintenance
of the waterways network could adversely affect the business of
holiday hire-boat companies, cruise companies and others who depend
on the network for a living. BW must ensure that the views of
those companies are heard when it is prioritising its maintenance
work responsibilities, particularly in the context of the current
financial pressures and a possible shortfall in spending on 'major
works' on the network during the CSR 07 years.
82. We also note boaters' concerns that significant
increases in licences and mooring fees could have an adverse impact
on growth in leisure boating on the network. The boating community
is already facing increasing costs because of the recent removal
of the EU derogation covering the use of red diesel fuel for leisure
boats, despite the Government's opposition to such a move. We
recommend licence and mooring fees should be kept at a level that
maintains a high level of individual participation on the network.
83. In its response, BW should state its expectation
of how many of the 10,000 new marina berths required by 2015 will
be occupied by boat-residents.
128 Ev 71, para 6.1; Ev 67, para 1.2.2 Back
129
Ev 272, para 5.1 Back
130
Ev 296, para 7.1 Back
131
Ev 70, para 5.3.2 [British Waterways] Back
132
Ev 271, para 2.4 [Louis Jankel] Back
133
Ev 318, para 4.1 Back
134
Ev 29, para 15. See also Q 355 [Dr Paul Woollam). Back
135
Ev 291, para 6 [National Association of Boat Owners]; Ev 287,
para 29 [Horseboating Society]. Back
136
"Tendering of BW Long Term Mooring Vacancies-A 12 Month Trial",
British Waterways press release, 9 May 2007 Back
137
"More for a mooring: capital canal dwellers face a rent rise",
Time Out London, 7 June 2007, p 10 Back
138
Ev 296, paras. 7.4-7.7 [Shire Cruisers]; Q 382 [Richard Clements]. Back
139
Q 101 [Institution of Civil Engineers]. See also Q 30 [Inland
Waterways Association]. Back
140
Q 313 Back
141
Q 325 Back
142
Ev 114 Back
143
Q 323; "Tendering of BW Long Term Mooring Vacancies-A 12
Month Trial", British Waterways press release, 9 May 2007. Back
144
Ev 249, para 6 Back
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