Over the past 30 years there have been significant changes in the use of the 2,000-mile canal network in the UK managed by the Canal & River Trust. The Trust has announced it has established a new Commission to review the legal framework around boat licensing, to explore whether it is appropriate for the network’s future.
The Commission will start its review in January and is expected to run until September 2025. It will be chaired by Andrew Cowan, a former senior partner at Devonshires. Penelope Barber, one of the elected boating representatives on the Trust’s Council, and trustee Sir Chris Kelly, a former senior civil servant and former boat owner, make up the three-person Commission.
The Commission is expected to consider potential legislative reforms as well as operational changes to the Trust’s boat licensing activities. The Commission’s report will be submitted to the Trust Board and its work will be overseen by the newly constituted Boating Sub-Committee of the Board, chaired by David Orr CBE, the Trust’s chair.
David Orr said: “Our canals and navigable rivers are still used by thousands of boats two centuries after they were first built to act as vital freight routes for the Industrial Revolution. However, as society evolves, so do the ways our canals and rivers are used, and boating is no exception. This Review will allow us to take a fresh look at how we licence boats on our waters and help us formulate proposals for possible changes that better reflect the use of the network today and in the future.”
The Commission will actively engage with boaters and other stakeholders ensuring their views are considered. More details will be provided early in 2025, once the Commission has met for the first time.
