Our canals don’t just connect us; they’re residential areas. In fact, there are more boats on our canals now than during the peak of the industrial revolution, with a quarter of these estimated to be liveaboard residential vessels. Rising rents, a lack of social housing and an increased cost of living mean living on the water is a more affordable option for many. With our waterways in Bath the envy of the country, it’s no wonder many boaters choose to make Bath their home, whether moored permanently or passing through on longer journeys.
For decades, boaters and residents living alongside the Kennet and Avon canal in Bath have coexisted peacefully, as neighbours and as friends. Liveaboard boating communities are an important part of our city. Many work locally, raise their families here and care deeply about the canals they call home. Riverside businesses contribute so much to Bath’s local economy, and create welcoming spaces enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.
But in recent years, boaters and residents have been subjected to behaviour that has made it impossible to enjoy their homes in peace. A small, persistent minority of individuals are making life along the canal increasingly difficult, and at times dangerous.
I’ve heard deeply concerning accounts from constituents of drug and alcohol misuse, public urination, and towpaths obstructed by furniture and dumped rubbish. Even more troubling are reports of human waste being emptied directly into the canal, black bags of excrement left beside towpaths, and diesel and oil slicks polluting the water.
Boats are remaining in short-stay mooring zones for months, sometimes even over a year, while abandoned vessels block locks, preventing safe navigation. No one living in, working by, or visiting Bath should ever feel unsafe on our waterways. This behaviour is unacceptable.
So why does it persist?
The answer, in large part, is a system where responsibility is fragmented, split across multiple bodies: The Canal and River Trust, the Environment Agency, local councils and the police. When issues overlap, as they so often do, they fall between the cracks.
As the saying goes, when everyone is responsible, no one is responsible. This problem is compounded by an inadequate legislative framework. The Canal and River Trust was created as a charity in 2012, inheriting responsibility for vast stretches of critical national infrastructure once managed by British Waterways, a statutory body. Yet it was not given the clear, modern powers needed to enforce the rules fairly or effectively.
Take, for example, the rule for boats without a permanent mooring. The law says they must not remain in ‘one place’ for more than 14 days, but fails to define what ‘one place’ means. How far must a boat move? How often? This ambiguity leaves the Trust to interpret the law itself, creating conflict, confusion and costly disputes.
Enforcement against unlicensed or abandoned boats can take years. Removal costs around £8,000 per vessel – money the Trust often cannot recover. Astonishingly, the Trust has no power to issue fines or refuse licences. Safeguards for those who live aboard boats are essential, so too is the ability to act swiftly and proportionately where behaviour is dangerous, polluting or antisocial.
In Bath, I am working to bring stakeholders together and improve coordination on the ground. Undoubtedly, better collaboration matters, but this alone will not solve the problem. This is not an issue specific to Bath. The Future of Licensing Commission Report, published last year, highlights insufficient powers, chronic under-resourcing and unsustainable enforcement arrangements as just some of the issues facing the Canal & River Trust. This affects the canal network nationwide.
The solution is straightforward: the law must be updated to clarify expectations, strengthen enforcement powers and provide proper safeguards, so rules can be applied consistently and fairly. My constituents are tired of waiting. They want clear accountability, proper funding for enforcement, faster action where behaviour is harmful, and better coordination between agencies.
If we are serious about protecting our canals and rivers, we need all hands on deck. By giving those responsible the power and resources to regulate, enforce and act, we can make our waterways safe, well-managed places that work for residents, boaters and communities alike.
If everyone’s responsible, no one’s responsible: combatting antisocial behaviour on our canals
