Canal locks should be World Heritage site, says MP

Part of a canal in Greater Manchester should become a world heritage site, an MP has said.

Lisa Smart, the Liberal Democrat member for Hazel Grove, made the call for the 16-flight Grade II-listed canal locks at Marple during a debate on funding for the Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals.

She also raised concerns about financial pressures on the Canal and River Trust, which manages inland waterways, with Macclesfield Labour MP Tim Roca describing the “ongoing strain” on the trust as "heart-breaking".

Nature minister Mary Creagh said the government had agreed a new funding deal with with the trust until 2037.

Smart said of the locks in Marple: "This lock flight is an extraordinary testament to our industrial and engineering heritage, representing a pivotal era in Britain's industrial past.

"Such recognition would not only attract global interest, a boost for global tourism, but to ensure the locks are protected and celebrated for generations to come."

The trust was founded in 2012 to take over the assets and responsibilities of British waterways.

Smart said: “Funding changes made by the previous Conservative government which will see cuts of 5% a year for 10 years will drain nearly £300m from the trust.

“These reductions will undoubtedly undermine the trust’s ability to maintain the canal network making closures of these treasured public spaces I fear sadly inevitable unless something changes.”

Roca said: “Our canals are not only beautiful green spaces but their significance as a network providing jobs, homes, transport and a thriving habitat for wildlife cannot be underestimated.

“That’s what makes it heart-breaking - the threat that our canals face due to the ongoing strain on the trust which is the legacy of the last Conservative government.”

He said this combined with “mixed performance and some boat owner dissatisfaction" did “risk a way of life many have chosen”.

Creagh said the trust was independent of government and was “free of public sector financing constraints” so it could source alternative revenue streams.

“While we are sympathetic to the many restoration projects currently under way around the country, there is no general government funding available for canals,” she said.

She said when the trust was founded it was given a 15 year grant of £740m, which was inflation adjusted in its first 10 years and then fixed in the final five years.

She said in a “clear sign of the importance” the government placed on inland waterways, a new 10 year £401m funding package had been agreed from 2027.

“We’ve demonstrated our commitment to ensuring this natural asset is available to survive by providing the trust and the Environment Agency with substantial funding over the years and into the future,” she said.

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