The Canal & River Trust is trialling new mooring stay times along the canal in Birmingham to make the city centre more accessible to visiting boaters and to remove any confusion over stay times at popular mooring spots.

The proposals, which were put out to consultation earlier this year, have been shaped by feedback from boaters, boating and canal organisations, and boating businesses. They aim to give all visiting boaters, whether local or from other parts of the country, good access to facilities, shops, and restaurants in the city centre, now and in the future.

The trial will start on 3 July and finish on 31 December 2023. It includes the following changes:

  • All visitor moorings in the central zone to become four-day moorings from 3 April to 31 October, reverting to 14 days from 1 November to 31 March.
  • Visitor moorings northwest of Sheepcote Street on the New Mainline Canal and southwest of Granville Street on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal to become 14-day all year round.
  • Pontoons at Cambrian Basin to all become long-term moorings, including two that are currently designated as visitor moorings.
  • Service moorings established immediately alongside the Canal House in Gas Street Basin and extended between the Roundhouse and Sheepcote Street.
  • Designated accessible mooring spaces for disabled boaters, those with access needs or limited mobility, to be clearly marked in two locations: between Cambrian House and Tindall Bridge; and south of Worcester Bar.
  • Information about stay times to be displayed on signs alongside all the moorings.

Tom Freeland, boating, and customer service manager at Canal & River Trust, said: “I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our consultation. All the feedback received has been reviewed and has helped us to shape this mooring trial.

“We want as many people as possible to enjoy our canals in Birmingham, and making sure there are good quality moorings available for boaters of all backgrounds and abilities is vital. The trial, with the new stay times and clearer information, will help increase the availability of moorings in the city centre, and make it simpler for boaters to find somewhere to stop off for a few days to enjoy all Birmingham has to offer.

“Our regional canals are wonderful places to live and boat along. We needed to make this decision so that this ever-evolving green space is used to its full advantage. We believe this trial will make the best use of the limited space available and will allow everyone the chance to experience the wonderful city of Birmingham.

“At the end of the trial we will review how many boats have visited and moored in Birmingham and what the feedback is from visiting boaters before making a decision on whether to make the trial permanent.”

For further details on the moorings trial visit https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/west-midlands/birmingham-city-centre-moorings-trial

For more information on the Canal & River Trust including how you can volunteer or donate money to support our work visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk