Boaters may be charged £40 to use the Bridgewater Canal if they want to make a return journey.
Boaters using the waterways of the North West of England will know that there has long been a reciprocal agreement in place to allow boats licensed on the Bridgewater Canal to access local CRT waterways, and for CRT licence holders to use the Bridgewater Canal to travel between the Rochdale, Trent & Mersey and Leeds & Liverpool Leigh Branch canals, without any additional charge. The Bridgewater Canal Company (BCC) has recently changed the reciprocal agreement and IWA is concerned that this may affect boaters with CRT licences who wish to use the Bridgewater Canal to access other CRT waters for a short period and then return the same way. IWA North West Region is continuing to lobby on behalf of all boaters and businesses in the area in an effort to mitigate any adverse affects from the changes.
Current enforcement activity along the Bridgewater Canal already seems to be discouraging CRT licensed boaters from making the transit from Preston Brook to Leigh and Manchester as they may be charged a £40 supplementary licence fee for the return journey. (Above – Barton Aqueduct) It is expected that if this trend continues the local businesses along the Bridgewater will suffer as visitor numbers reduce.
CRT had recently extended the reciprocal agreement to allow additional time for Bridgewater licensed boats to visit Liverpool, and so it is particularly disappointing that there seems to be no ‘reciprocation’ from BCC to encourage CRT craft to visit the Bridgewater Canal.
Mike Carter, IWA North West Region Chairman, said “IWA is campaigning for a system that allows suitably licensed boats to be able to visit all locations surrounding the Bridgewater Canal, including Manchester, Liverpool, Wigan, Blackburn, Middlewich, Barbridge and Kidsgrove. IWA considers that both CRT and BCC should be encouraging visitors to the area by maintaining a reasonable licensing policy that avoids isolating these locations for both Bridgewater and CRT licensed craft”.
Thanks to the IWA for this report.
