Following the Government’s announcement of a ‘road map’ out of the current Coronavirus lockdown that began in January, Canal & River Trust (CRT) has stated that it expects boat movement in England to remain limited to essential journeys only until 29th March 2021 and only limited local movement until 12th April 2021. CRT stated that subject to further Government advice, it intends to resume enforcement of the 14-day rule from 12th April. CRT also expects leisure boating to resume on 12th April subject to the limitations on household mixing.
After past lockdowns CRT has stated that boaters without a home mooring have 14 days to move from their lockdown location, to avoid congestion and the consequent risk of spreading the virus at facilities.
The situation in Wales has not been clarified yet, and CRT is still waiting for information from the Welsh Government.
The Environment Agency (EA) has not made any announcements about its plans regarding the ‘road map’ out of lockdown, but its plans regarding mooring enforcement are likely to be similar to CRT’s, and we expect other navigation authorities to follow the EA’s lead.
For the latest information from CRT see https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/safety-on-our-waterways/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-boating-faqs
For the latest information from the EA see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environment-agency-waterways-coronavirus-covid-19-update