BCNS boaters in call for action over ‘challenging conditions’

BOATERS on the Birmingham Canal Navigations are being asked to bombard the Canal & River Trust with information about the poor condition of the area’s waterways and demand appropriate action.

The Birmingham Canal Navigations Society (BCNS) is leading a campaign to ‘put our weight behind boaters experiencing problems’ and put pressure on CRT.

Its magazine Boundary Post reports: “Challenging navigation conditions may be found in many areas of the BCN particularly in relation to depth of water and vegetation overgrowth.

“As CRT seems to be increasingly reliant on volunteers it is down to boaters to bring these problems to their attention in a timely manner.”

The society’s boating members have recently encountered navigation problems on the New Main Line at Bromford Stop Toll Island where vegetation obscured navigation sight lines and silt build-up caused several boats to get stuck.

“Single- handed boaters can find it difficult to extricate themselves from this type of situation,” says the society.

It also points out that lack of depth on the increasingly popular Titford Canal has also caused problems and it is impossible to moor against the wash wall in The Pools because dredging did not extend right to the edge. The self-draining bottom pound at Brades is also said to need attention.

BCNS is calling on CRT to take some active remedial action but a spokesman added: “We are also aware that most boaters who experience problems simply sort themselves out and go on their way without reporting the issue.”

The society wants this situation to change and is urging boaters with issues to contact CRT, either online at www. canalrivertrust. org. uk or by telephone on 0303 040 440, bearing in mind that anonymous complaints are not recorded or considered.

In addition boaters are also asked to pass on the complaints to the BCNS where the issues will be collated and resubmitted to CRT “thus maintaining pressure for remedial action to be taken.”