Boaters angry at Nantwich Marina shower facility closure

Canal boaters in Nantwich have hit out at a decision to remove showering facilities at Nantwich Marina.

They have lobbied Nantwich councillors in a bid to reverse the decision by the Canal and Rivers Trust (CRT).

The trust says they were closed down after they were vandalised and that they consulted with boaters last year on the decision not to reopen them.

But some boaters fear the decision will lead to more polluted water being emptied into the canal system.

And they say engines on boats will have to run for two hours to heat enough water for showers on board.

One canal user Stuart Garratt said: “All 150 boats from the marina and every visiting boat has to empty its shower into the canal.

“I saw dead fish in the water at Nantwich on the Shropshire Union Canal and on the Trent and Mersey.

“The same is happening at Red Bull services and Harcastle Tunnel north end in Kidsgrove. And it is happening all over the country.

“Nationally, more than 35,000 boats will be spewing hundreds of thousands of litres of soapy water contaminated with all manner of human detritus, directly into our inland waterways.

“In Nantwich alone there are hundreds of boaters that rely on the showers, yet the showers at Nantwich services are closed and will remain so permanently.

“Each boater pays on average £1,000 per year for their licence and recently CRT introduced a surcharge for continuous cruisers, supposedly to help pay to provide customer service facilities.”

Another canal user wrote to Nantwich Town Council asking for help to lobby the trust to reinstate the shower facilities.

A CRT spokesperson told Nantwich News: “Our charity has unfortunately had to take the decision not to reopen the showers at Nantwich Marina.

“This is after they were vandalised, and follows a consultation with boaters last year which showed that nine out of every 10 boats have showers on board.

“We know that access to drinking water, rubbish disposal, and sewage facilities are the biggest priorities for boaters, so that’s where we’re focussing the limited funds our charity has available, alongside the huge investment that’s required each year to keep the 250-year-old canals and their locks, bridges, tunnels and aqueducts navigable.

“We’re sorry this difficult decision isn’t ideal for everyone, but hopefully boaters will understand why we’ve had to make it.

“Our nature-rich canals do, indeed, provide important wildlife habitats, and we urge all boaters to use green eco products and dispose of waste responsibly.”

(Aerial image of Nantwich Canal Centre by Jonathan White)