New charity will protect Britain's waterways, Government says

The statement comes as part of its response (34-page / 428KB PDF) to an initial consultation on the proposals, and will be subject to Parliamentary approval.

The Government will work with the new charity to secure and safeguard public benefits, including free access to towpaths, and protect heritage and local wildlife it says.

The new charity's council will be made up of all interested groups, with a view to having half of the council appointed through elections.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is currently responsible for over 4,000km of British canals, rivers and docks which attract over 13 million people each year for walking, boating and other leisure activities, it says.

Inland waterways are currently managed by British Waterways, the Environment Agency or smaller local companies on behalf of Defra.

The new charity will look after all waterways currently operated by British Waterways, with a view to transferring the others at a later date.

Transferring responsibility to a new charity from the public sector will give local communities "a greater involvement in how the waterways are managed" and will allow them to be more financially sustainable through access to commercial and fundraising income, the consultation said.

A further short consultation to seek views on how British Waterways' legal powers and obligations should be transferred to the new charity will run until the end of October.

British Waterways and the transition trustees of the new charity welcomed the Government report.

"The Transition Trustees have engaged with and fully support the Government's response to the consultation in which it has reaffirmed its commitment to the formation of this exciting new waterways charity. This ensures we have taken another major step towards seeing this important national treasure held in trust for the nation," said Tony Hales, chairman of British Waterways and the Trustees, in a statement.