Condition of canal causes hire company to stop trading

A WELL established boat hire company ceases trading due to the terrible condition of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

Pennine Cruises of Skipton on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal will finish normal hire after this season, Janet Friend reports.

Established 60 years

Established for 60 years and one of the longest operating hire companies on the waterways, we ourselves actually had a week on one of their boats 29 years ago, with great service, it getting us hooked on boating!

Ian Clarke, director of Pennine Cruisers told that the route had not been maintained at a high enough standard to keep it open and navigable and that it had become 'soul-destroying' to operate on the canal because of low water levels and broken locks, so the narrowboat hiring will end at the end of this season, with Ian telling:

"We don't know whether we have got water, if things break there is no guarantee they are going to be mended the same day, or even the same week.

"People can't actually get where they want to get to, they could be six miles from here, then something breaks and they can't get back. it was no longer viable to operate holiday hire boats.

"We do more refunds now than we have ever done, It's just a nightmare, I can't expect my daughter or my staff to put up with it."

Unaffected by closures

However Pennine Cruisers will continue to offer day-hire boats, as they are unaffected by canal closures, going only short distances.

Sean McGinley, Yorkshire regional director, tells the waterways were 'creaking at the seams' and faced challenges such as broken locks and bridges.

Earlier this year, Canal & River Trust called on the new Labour government to increase funding in order to help maintain the 250 years old infrastructure.

The Leeds & Liverpool was closed five times in September and twice so far this month.