Please be clear what these pages are about: We are not criticising BW here. We know that BW is aware of these problems and is doing what it is able with the money available. Its money has to be prioritised which means that it is not available for structures such as those shown here.
What is needed is for people who use these waterways to contact MPs and Ministers to continue putting pressure on Government to provide adequate funding for the waterways.
These deteriorating assets illustrate why better funding is essential.
Photos of BW Assets:
Shocking images of the state of this structure. See images.
Bridges and towpath on the Oxford. See images.
Hole in the towpath. See image.
As part of their evidence to the EFRA select committee, British Waterways audited its "Principal Assets". These assets are those which directly affect the use of the network and are described by BW as "key operational structures, the failure of which would lead to serious disruption or have serious consequences for our business customers or neighbours".
As of June 2007, BW had a total of 10,700 such Principle Assets. BW's network is subject to regular inspections. Principal Inspections (PIs) take place on a risk-based cycle, on a frequency of anything between 3 and 20 years. In addition to these, BW carries out annual inspections in between. Monthly 'length' inspections are also said to take place. However because of access problems most culverts only receive a PI every 10 to 20 years.
The Assets are graded following an inspection, using this system:
A = Very Good
B = Good
C = Fair
D = Poor
E = Bad
BW identified some 20% of their Principal Assets as being in either D or E condition.
A check of the current list in November 2007 shows 2161 Assets in category D or E and a further 818 un-rated Assets totalling 2979. This is 27.8% of the national total. (BW's evidence to EFRA stated: "Where there is no assessment we are awaiting a formal report but initial assessment suggests D or E grade.") The total of D and E assets falls to 2846, if those in Scotland (which is differently funded) are omitted.
546 principal assets were considered to be in the greatest need of repair, and thus referred to by BW as being "In Arrears". The estimated cost of repairing those assets was said to be more than £9.6 million. BW stated to EFRA that the estimated cost of repairing the total maintenance backlog of the D and E rated Principal Assets as being £97 million.
BW says that it needs £124 million a year to maintain the network. In evidence to EFRA BW said that the projected lower funding levels meant they could only spend around £101 million a year.
So, BW currently has a maintenance backlog of £97 million. The cumulative shortfalls during the 3 years of the current Comprehensive Spending Revue could add £69 million to that figure.
By 2010 the maintenance backlog could amount to £166 million, which is almost as much as it had been in1996/7. That estimate takes no account of assets which may have deteriorated sufficiently by then to join the D and E list.
On 16th October 2007, a major breach occurred at Gilwern on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, blocking a main road and damaging cars and property. A 16 mile stretch of canal has been drained for further safety inspections. The breach may take a year to be repaired.
This serious incident has served to illustrate the vulnerability of a 200 year old inland waterway network. Obvious, but worth stating 'if a railway line goes out of use through a lack of maintenance the travelling public will find another way to go about their business'. If a waterway fails in a vulnerable spot, property and lives are threatened. In fact the BW engineers stated that, had the Gilwern breach been a 100 yards further on towards Crickhowel, the consequences for property and persons would have been far more serious.
Embankment No9, which failed at Gilwern, was classed on BW's list as being Category D.
A recent Channel 4 TV Dispatches programme, "Britain under Water", focused on the danger of living 'in the shadow of' a water installation. Highlighting such an issue could have serious implications for both property prices and insurance premiums.
Rotton Park Reservoir in Birmingham was featured in the programme, and a computer simulated breach showed hypothetical flooding to a large area of Edgbaston.The programme reassured viewers that this reservoir is in 'good' condition. However the official BW asset rating for that reservoir is D (poor). According to BW records, it was last inspected to PI standard on 16 March 2006. BW says that completion of ongoing work at Rotton Park should bring it up to a C (fair) grade.
It should be stressed that, because an asset has a D or E rating, it does not mean that it is set to fail, but it does mean that qualified engineers were not prepared to give it a higher grading.
In August 2003, the outer bullnose of Vale Royal Locks on the River Weaver collapsed. This was at the entrance to the smaller lock, the only one that was serviceable at the time. The large lock has had to be brought back into use but with restricted passage times. Meanwhile the bullnose has been left in a collapsed state for 4 years.
In October 2007, BW's Wales & Border Counties area had issued a work order to their tied contractor Morrison Construction to start work at Vale Royal Locks on the Weaver Navigation in Cheshire. After they had set up a compound and moved materials on the site, the contractors were asked by BW to stand down.
Wales & Border Counties General Manager Julie Sharman confirmed that work on Vale Royal Locks on the Weaver Navigation had now been deferred until 2008. She said: "The major breach at Gilwern on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal must take priority for our limited resources and we are addressing this emergency work as a matter of urgency."
So, the £2.3m repair job at Vale Royal has been deferred to pay for the repair of the Mon & Brec breach? Robbing Peter to pay Paul? How many more years will Vale Royal have to wait and how much more will it cost to repair by that time?
British Waterways has issued a list of all the maintenance work planned for Winter 2007/8 that will now be deferred to a later date.
This includes the deferral of all culvert inspections in the East Midlands, West Midlands, North West, South East and Wales & Border regions.
In recent years culvert collapses have resulted in canal closures or breaches on the Oxford, Rochdale, Grand Union and Llangollen Canals.
Information and images provided by Keith Langston of "Towpath Talk".