Canal leisure pursuits may be stopped due to cuts

A report found activities along the canal, such as boat hire, camping, running the visitor centre and events, were not financially viable

Leisure activities, such as boat hire and camping, along the Basingstoke Canal could be stopped due to council cuts.

A decision will be made on Monday after a report found recreation services were not financially viable.

Basingstoke Canal stretches 32 miles from West Byfleet, in Surrey, to Greywell, in Hampshire.

It was jointly acquired by Hampshire and Surrey County Councils in the 1970s to manage risks, protect the canal and provide public recreation.

The waterway is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and home to numerous nationally-scarce species of flora and fauna.

In 1990, county councils for Hampshire and Surrey, as landowning authorities, created the Basingstoke Canal Authority.

Under the arrangement, Hampshire employs the staff and provides IT and finance support, while Surrey manages the visitor centre at Mytchett.

In 2023/24, the cost of the canal required a draw of £192,000 on existing reserves to cover a shortfall in income, the report said.

The waterway is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and home to numerous scarce species

Funding comes from the county councils, in partnership with six local borough and district councils, but some have indicated a reduction or withdrawal of their contributions.

The two authorities commissioned an external company to conduct a review and recommend a sustainable operating model.

From five alternatives, the one chosen indicated the Basingstoke Canal Authority would continue to deliver statutory requirements and leisure navigation.

However, it would no longer deliver activities such as boat hire, camping, running the visitor centre and events, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The proposal will be debated on Monday.

The executive member for countryside and regulatory services, councillor Russell Oppenheimer, will take a decision later that day.