Following the news that British Waterways is likely to suffer a Government funding shortfall of up to £60m over the next five years, ten national groups representing tens of thousands of waterway visitors and users are gearing up to campaign against the current thinking of the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
  A campaign spokesman speaking on behalf of the groups involved, says:- 
“We are all deeply concerned that the tremendous progress made in caring for, opening up and putting to active use the historic waterway network of the UK over the last few years is not only about to come to an end but could actually be reversed.  The benefits of pleasant, well maintained and accessible waterways are wide ranging and improve the lives of millions of local people who live close by them or who use them in the course of their leisure time activities.  Why should they be deprived because of Defra’s incompetence?” 
 
· The government sponsored navigation authorities in England and Wales receive their grant-in-aid from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.
Owing to apparent calamitous mismanagement within the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, it has been unable to meet its obligations. This was first realised during March 2006, when the first cut to British Waterways’ budget was made. Since then, the Department’s financial position has worsened. The department (DEFRA)must pay a large fine to the European Union for its failure to make prompt payments to farmers via the Rural Payments Agency. The Department has also incurred substantial overspends in correcting the systems that makes payments to farmers and on some other projects. No further funding is available from Treasury so the Department has decided to cut further the budgets of its responsibilities other than those related to payments to farmers.
     British Waterways has now made public that it has been told that its grant-in-aid for the financial year April 2006 to March 2007 has been cut by a further 7.5% (£4.5 million) in addition to the 5% (approximately £3.1 million) cut that was made in March 2006 and that there is the possibility of a yet further cut of 2.5% (£1.5 million) to be applied this autumn. In total, this would mean a loss of over £9 million to BW in the year, with 15% of its grant-in-aid lost.

 Please write to your M.P. as soon as possible before the 15th November asking him/her to support Early Day Motion number EDM 2757 INLAND WATERWAYS tabled by Charlotte Atkins on 16-10-2006 .
 
This and further information is available on :- www.saveourwaterways.org.uk 
Save our Waterways  is a voluntary action group, dedicated to taking the campaign against the cuts made by DEFRA to communities along our canals and rivers. SOW embraces all waterways users (anglers, boaters, canoeists, cyclists, runners, walkers, etc.) and those who live and work beside the waterways. Contact [email protected]