New funding to stop 19th Century canal running dry

Funding has been secured to prevent one of Wales' most popular canals running out of water.

During unseasonally dry weather last March, there were fears the 225-year-old Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal could run dry within days, upending the 1,000 jobs which rely on the waterway.

Now a joint provision between the Welsh government and the Canal and River Trust has agreed to contribute half a million pounds annually, for five years, to make sure the water supply remains constant.

Huw Irranca-Davies, the deputy first minister with responsibility for climate change, said the money would provide "the space to develop long-term resilience for this precious waterway".

The 35-mile (56km) waterway weaves its way through the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park - formerly known as the Brecon Beacons National Park - and the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a World Heritage Site, attracting an estimated three million visitors every year.

Sally Curtis, who has run Road House Narrowboats in Gilwern, near Abergavenny, with her husband Nigel for 15 years, said the funding was "a great relief".

"This year has been really testing, and very emotional at times, and this just means that our future is secure - and not only ours, but the other businesses that rely on the canal," she said.

"There are so many people that rely on the tourists that come to the canal. This is just wonderful news."

Ms Curtis said the news of the canal possibly running dry earlier this year had led to fears their business might collapsed.

She said: "We were devastated – we thought we could lose everything.

"Fifteen years of hard work and investment could potentially have just been wiped away."

Sailesh Karavadra, owner operator of Talybont stores and canal-side cafe said the promised cash injection was "great news for all the businesses and people travelling around the area"

He told BBC Radio Wales: "Securing five-year funding is welcome news, but it would be really good if we could to secure the future of the canal in many other ways as well.

"It is the complete backbone of our business - 75% of our business depends on the tourists travelling in the area."

"It is vital for our economy."

More than 1,000 jobs rely on the waterway, which contributes £30m to the Welsh economy.

The water supply came under threat this spring and summer because of limits placed on how much water could be taken from the, environmentally sensitive, River Usk.

Up to £400,000 will now be provided by the Welsh government every year "sustaining the water supply", with the Canal and River Trust spending another £100,000 annually.

"A canal is nothing unless you actually have the water in that canal," said Irranca-Davies.

"That's what makes people come here - that's what the quiet enjoyment is," he said, while highlighting the canal's significant biodiversity and the "thriving businesses" which depend on it.

Ben Cotton, from the Canal and River Trust, told BBC Wales the waterway plays a significant role in the area's economy: "Somewhere like Talybont or Usk, you walk through the village and you see the canal-side pubs, cafes and shops that are reliant on that trade that passes through the canal."

But he also cited "the magnetic affect that canals have - of bringing people to somewhere like Bannau Brycheiniog,

"It is the most visited attraction within the national park, so this is a core part of the heritage and fabric of mid-Wales."

Earlier this year, approximately £5m was spent refurbishing the Manorafon pumping station and securing the water supply until spring 2026.

Georgina Wood, regional operations manager for the Canal and River Trust - the charity which helps maintain the canal - said without the investment and ongoing funding, there would have been safety and maintenance issues.

"The canal this summer would most definitely have run dry and then we would have had significant issues in maintaining it," she said.

She said it might have led to wooden lock-gates drying out and cracking, as well as issues with weirs and sluices.

Paul Motte, a volunteer for the Canal and River Trust - and regular user of the canal - said he was pleased the funding would enable him to continue showing off the canal to visitors from around the world.

"It's a new experience for a lot of people, and we hear often that it's on the bucket list of things people want to do," he said.

"People travel from overseas to come on to our canal and... providing it's not too bad Welsh weather, they just enjoy being out and enjoy the scenery as they pass through it at a slow pace."