The Inland Waterways Association has played a very active role in campaigning against the funding cuts to the waterways. The IWA's regions organised some of the waterway protests that were part of the 2006-7 Save Our Waterways campaign, and IWA regions are represented on the Save Our Waterways steering group.
IWA understands that ministers are to be presented with a package for £130 million of immediate cuts to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs' budget with radical options for another £140 million of savings. This would affect all DEFRA-funded bodies, including British Waterways and the Environment Agency and would be in addition to 5% year-on-year cuts already reported. British Waterways is allegedly at the top of the list for further cuts to its funding.
British Waterways and the Environment Agency have not recovered from their share of the £200m cuts to funding imposed by the Treasury last year after DEFRA mismanaged payments to farmers following a reform of agricultural subsidies.
John Fletcher IWA national chairman said:
"This is bad news for the waterways in general and very disappointing for IWA, as we have endeavoured to work with the new minister and BW to reach a constructive dialogue for firm commitments on future funding. Despite this, the waterways community now faces a £5 million known budget deficit, a 33% or more licence increase, a trebling of fuel costs, 200 plus waterway job cuts, indeterminate maintenance cuts and now more budgetary cuts of an unknown nature".
"British Waterways has been hard hit by this summer's flooding and the breach in the Brecon and Abergavenny Canal - a total additional cost of over £10 million. Other navigation authorities have also suffered considerable losses. The Treasury should be allocating additional funds to waterway managers to cope with these disasters which were outside their control. The Government's decision to reduce waterways funding to help pay for the additional costs of the outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease, Blue Tongue Disease and Bird 'Flu is not just unfair, but grossly unreasonable and should be reversed before further damage is done".
John Fletcher continued:
"Waterway users are justifiably angry, and need to show their concern now by writing to their MP and raising the alarm before it is too late. IWA will, in addition, be seeking an urgent meeting with the minister to discuss the possibility of an application for funding from the Contingency Fund".
"Whilst IWA is appalled at the prospect of further cuts to the waterways it is clear that the situation would have been worse if it had not been for the campaigning and lobbying already undertaken. That work has been very effective and IWA is grateful for the support received from many MPs and welcomes their resolve to resist these prospective cuts".
IWA recommends that all waterway supporters should contact their MP today, as important funding decisions are being made in the next four weeks. To delay raising concerns over the cuts and the latest funding proposals could allow the proposals to become consolidated before MPs have a chance to lobby ministers.
IWA is concerned that substantial budget cuts to British Waterways would raise the likelihood of closure of canals due to an inability to fund routine maintenance and safety requirements risking the type of breach such as that recently seen on the Brecon and Abergavenny Canal.