IWA lobbies MPs over EA transfer

IWA is aware that Canal & River Trust has recently made a formal submission to Defra for the transfer of the Environment Agency’s navigation responsibilities.

IWA National Chairman, Ivor Caplan, has written to the Waterway Minister, Dr Thérèse Coffey MP, to assure her of IWA’s support for the proposal. Transfer of these navigations to Canal & River Trust would allow these waterways to benefit from improved maintenance, third party funding opportunities and the economies of scale to be gained from being part of a larger navigation authority.

IWA has also written to about one hundred MPs to ask them to write to the Minister with their support, including MPs with EA navigations in their constituencies, members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Waterways, and other MPs who have previously indicated their support for the transfer. To date 16 MPs have responded positively, confirming that they would write to the Waterway Minister.

Photo-top: Dedham Lock on the Suffolk / Essex Stour – closed in 2014