Towpath’s serious and dangerous issues cause Ware Boat Festival cancellation

A UK boating festival has had to be cancelled at the last minute due to the state of a towpath which runs though its centre.

Hertfordshire County Council has issued a closure order for a large section of the towpath on the River Lee through Ware, including the entire site on which the Ware Boat Festival was to be held.

The towpath is now so dangerous, it constitutes a danger to the public.

The county council has erected barriers at either end, and entrances to the towpath, to prevent public access. Anyone setting foot on the towpath could be liable to prosecution and a substantial fine.

“This is a sad and disappointing day for our local boaters and the wider community of Ware after 20 years of staging this incredibly popular festival,” says Craig Haslam from the Inland Waterways Association Lee and Stort Branch. “We do not question the need for significant improvements. However, we feel this could have been achieved through a planned closure when footfall and river traffic is quieter, rather than electing for the blunt instrument of a full an immediate closure via a prohibition order which we believe is a disproportionate approach and was done with no consultation.”

The towpath has been in a poor state for many years, deteriorating annually. Usually volunteers from the IWA undertake a few days’ work to make things safe for the festival, with minimal support. But this year, it’s been deemed as having 40 serious and dangerous issues. And, each of those could have been enough on their own to issue the closure order.

The cost of the works is estimated to be £100,000, which Hertfordshire County Council has agreed to fund. But that’ll only happen when it has the budget as it has been classified as a ‘complex’ issue for a specialist team.

There is no timescale for the work. IWA says it has asked for assurance the works will be completed before the 2025 festival. It says reassurance has not been forthcoming. The organisation also says that the decision demonstrates a lack of multiagency partnership working, as no consultation with the town council, CRT or IWA took place.

The situation also highlights how the waterways can be affected if not funded adequately. The Fund Britain’s Waterways group has come together to campaign to persuade national and local government to ensure that the benefits provided to the public by the waterways do not continue to be eroded.

IWA believes the waterways of today would not exist without its work, which has ensured over many years that they were saved and enhanced. It’s led successful campaigns to preserve heritage, promote greener boating, and encourage more funding. The organisation is now deeply concerned about the threat to the waterways posed by funding cuts, with for example the financial situations of the Canal & River Trust (which recently spoke out after shocking feedback from its stakeholders), Environment Agency waterways and Scottish Canals being especially critical.