Rivers and Estuaries: Derelict Boats

Lord Meston Excerpts

Thursday 19th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

My Lords, the Canal & River Trust and the Environment Agency, the two principal navigation authorities, publish guidance on licensing and registration, and ownership is traced via these licensing and registration systems. Navigation authorities work hard to ensure that licence evasion rates are as low as possible and, although the Government do not get involved in operational matters, we encourage navigation authorities to work together to resolve these issues, including in conversations with Defra where relevant.

[Lord Meston (CB)]

My Lords, are the Government aware of the recent operation by Bath & North East Somerset Council to remove five sunken boats from the River Avon, after unsuccessful efforts to get any owners to do so? There may be many good or bad reasons for the abandonment of boats, but does the Minister endorse that council’s advice for boat owners to use recognised sites, monitor their moorings regularly, and ensure boats are fit for the water and properly insured, inclusive of salvage?

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises an interesting case of some very positive enforcement action that was taken by the local authority that he named. We very encourage all navigation authorities to work with local stakeholders, communities and local authorities to do as much as they can to remove that blight. For noble Lords’ information, in 2024-25, the Canal & River Trust removed 12 abandoned derelict and sunken boats from its rivers, and 96 such boats from its canals. The average cost of removal was £7,000.