Eco moorings on the Regent's Canal

THE Canal & River Trust and Islington Council are creating an ‘eco-mooring zone’ for visiting boats to London's Regents Canal.

These will be between York Way and Danbury Street on the waterway, and are supported by funding from Defra. The zone will include electric charging points to provide boaters with an alternative to running boat engines to generate energy.

Reducing air pollution

This comes as the issue of air quality gains greater public attention, with both local and national government increasingly committed to measures to reduce air pollution in cities.

Research from the Trust shows that, while the impact of boat emissions is minimal in comparison to pollution from road traffic, the people most at risk from engine fumes are boaters themselves. Using cleaner sources of energy, like electric charging points, will benefit boaters’ health.

Effect waterside residents

While living on the waterways can be a sustainable and environmentally friendly choice, in some busy areas the impact of engine noise and fumes can affect both waterside residents and other boaters. Boaters live close to nature and many are keen to embrace ‘green’ initiatives like solar panels and clean fuel. The new ‘eco-mooring zone’ will enable boaters to reduce their reliance on using their engines for energy and to embrace a greener way of life.

With grant funding from Defra secured, alongside their own contributions, Islington Council and the trust will now work together to implement the scheme, including defining the area the eco-mooring zone will cover, with plans for the site to go live in October 2019. There will then be a transition period of a further two years, during which there will be no running of diesel engines or generators permitted on site, and a progressive encouragement for boaters mooring here to move from burning of solid fuels to electricity for their heating and cooking.

Particular challenge

Ros Daniels, Director for London and the South East at Canal & River Trust, explained:

“Many boaters are keen to embrace green initiatives and often have already established a smaller environmental ‘footprint’ as they pursue a low impact way of life. However, some urban areas can present particular challenges. In Islington, the ‘funnel’ effect created by the canyon around the Islington Tunnel section of the Regent’s Canal means that noise and fumes can have a greater impact than in other areas. The new eco-mooring zone will significantly reduce these problems, as well as giving boaters the opportunity to increase their use of mains electricity as an energy source.

“While the impact of canal boats on air quality is minimal when compared to other sources of pollution, we appreciate that the local effects can be perceived as a problem and we are pleased to work with Islington Council and, with Defra’s support, to introduce this new facility over the next year."

Move to electrical power

During the transition period, Canal & River Trust explains, there will be ongoing work with the boating community to identify the support required to move fully to electrical power. Islington Council and the Trust will act together to support this, including offering training and technical advice. Towards the end of the transition period, in 2021, there will be an evaluation of the progress made ahead of the implementation of the full restrictions planned for the eco-mooring zone. This will include looking at the wider availability of electric charging infrastructure across London’s waterways, the impact of tighter restrictions on boaters and the use of these moorings, on local air quality measures, and the wellbeing of local residents.