Boat firm ends holiday hires over canal condition

A family-run boating business is to stop running holiday rentals on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal because of the condition of the waterway.

Pennine Cruisers of Skipton said the route had not been maintained at a high enough standard to keep it open and navigable.

Director Ian Clarke said it had become "soul-destroying" to operate on the canal because of low water levels and broken locks.

A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust, which maintains the waterways, said the decision was "sad", but that the charity would "continue to help support" Pennine Cruisers.

The lets, which allow holidaymakers to navigate the Leeds and Liverpool Canal over a week, will be stopped after the current 2024 season.

Mr Clarke, 66, said running them had become "increasingly stressful".

"We don't know whether we have got water, if things break there is no guarantee they are going to be mended the same day, or even the same week," Mr Clarke told the BBC.

"People can't actually get where they want to get to, they could be six miles from here, then something breaks and they can't get back."

Earlier this year, more than 20 canal boats were left stranded after a stretch of waterway in West Yorkshire ran dry due to a faulty lock being left open.

Pennine Cruisers will continue to offer day-hire boats, as they are unaffected by canal closures.

Mr Clarke said the uncertainty was having a financial impact on his business.

"We do more refunds now than we have ever done," he said.

"It's just a nightmare, I can't expect my daughter or my staff to put up with it."

Earlier this year, the Canal and River Trust called on the new Labour government to increase funding in order to help maintain the 250-year-old infrastructure.

At the time, Yorkshire regional director Sean McGinley said the waterways were "creaking at the seams" and faced challenges such as broken locks and bridges.

The trust said: “Our charity is raising funds to invest significant sums in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, to meet the increasing challenges of looking after an ageing network with its two centuries-old locks, bridges, tunnels and aqueducts.

"Costs continue to increase and mandatory statutory safety works on reservoirs for the next few years will run into millions of pounds, at a time when government funding is reducing.

"Thanks to the support of boaters, canal businesses, partners, funders and volunteers, we’re working to close that gap, to ensure that our canals get the care and maintenance they need."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.