Adjacent landowners responsibility

I would like to see if there is support by your readers for a campaign to include in the forthcoming legislation re-structuring British Waterways a requirement on adjacent landowners to keep the navigation and towpath clear of vegetation—or indeed anything else, writes Mike Todd.

This requirement was introduced for roads some years ago and relieved the local councils of quite a considerable task and expense.

Transferring the burden

If the same were applied to the canals then it would make the new British Waterways' budget a little bit easier at the expense of transferring the burden to those whose land causes the obstructions in the first place.

Maybe then British Waterways could invest the money saved on clearing the growth in the canal itself—some stretches have weed growth that reduces the available width to single boat operation at times.

Transition period

Clearly a transition period would need to be allowed as some land owners would have more to do than others but just a simple item in the legislation could make a tremendous difference.

But it will need a media campaign to get behind the idea to see it happen. Any MP's reading this who might like to take it up . . . ?