Flotilla of boats protest over waterways funding

A flotilla of boats has travelled through Lincolnshire to highlight a lack of funding for inland waterways.

About a dozen canal boats, cruisers and sailing boats left Keadby on the River Trent with some planning to navigate all the way to Westminster to lobby parliament.

The protest was organised by Fund Britain's Waterways (FBW) which is campaigning for more government money for canals and rivers.

FBW said it was a "coalition of organisations representing hundreds of thousands of users and supporters of inland waterways".

The group claims the UK's waterways generate £2.5bn from water-based tourism.

It added that they provide a social and health benefit with people using them to stay active and are a valuable environmental resource.

Nick Roberts from FBW said the cost of maintaining ageing infrastructures and global warming required increased investment.

"Definitely we're seeing a lot more expenditure needed to keep the canals going, he said.

"And that's coming against the background of the government saying we're not going to be giving you so much money in the future."

The Canals and Rivers Trust, which manages 2,000 miles (3,200km) of waterways, receives a government grant of £740m which runs from 2012 until 2027.

A Defra spokesperson said: "We recognise the wide range of benefits that our inland waterways bring, and we are currently providing the Canal and River Trust with an annual grant of £52.6m.

"We have agreed to provide substantial new grant funding for the Trust of £401m over 10 years from 2027, reflecting the continued value that we place on our inland waterways."

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