Access to canal towpaths will be guaranteed under Government plans. Photo: David Dixon CC-BY-SA-2.0

Access for walkers on England and Wales’s canal towpaths will be guaranteed under proposals announced this week.

Coalition Government minister Richard Benyon, in a written statement in the House of Commons, said a new ‘national trust for the waterways’ would be set up to take over the functions of British Waterways and the Environment Agency’s responsibility for navigable rivers.

Ironically, the move comes at a time when the National Trust, on which the plans are modelled, is leading the political opposition to Government plans to relax planning laws.

The response from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to a three-month public consultation earlier this year included a commitment to put walkers’ access to towpaths on a statutory footing.

Defra said: “The Government believes it should ensure that the existing towpaths are, as a general principle, freely available for pedestrian access.

“As the majority of towpaths are not currently public rights of way and access is permitted at British Waterways’ discretion, this is a significant new protection.”

However, cyclists’ use of the paths will still be subject to control of the charity, whose final official name has yet to be decided.

“Access to the towpath for cycling and other leisure pursuits will be a matter of policy for the New Waterways Charity, in line with bylaws in force and any commitments that may be made under the future Funding Agreement with Defra,” the Government said.

Kayakers and canoeists could face charges for using the canals and rivers. Defra said: “The trust obligations should not prevent the charity from continuing to make reasonable charges including for boating, fishing and use of its waterways.”

The Ramblers, whose chief executive Tom Franklin has been appointed a member of the transitional trustees for the charity, welcomed the announcement.

The walking charity said it had argued strongly that the nation’s waterways should be held and operated for public benefit and that, to maximise the benefit to the public, access should be free and as extensive as possible; particularly as walkers are amongst the biggest group of people to use and access our canals and rivers.

Justin Cooke, Ramblers senior policy officer, said: “A walk besides Britain’s waterways is an important part of our cultural heritage.

“The announcement this week helps to ensure that the right to walk beside the new waterways charity’s 2,200 miles of canals and rivers will be strengthened.

“We welcome the Government’s commitment to improving public access to our canals and rivers and the recognition of the benefits access can bring to recreation, health and social wellbeing.”

The Ramblers said they would also continue to press to open up access for walkers to all of Britain’s woodland.