The Marina

There is a quiet pride in what is on offer here and we hope you will feel this too. Willowtree Marina has set its sights on becoming a leader on the Inland Waterways. A desire to uphold the best of our canal past has been coupled to a management commitment for Customer Care, Quality Assurance and Environmental Protection.

Whatever it is you are looking for - be it moorings for boats, locations for filming, a centre for canal events, wildlife photography, walking, etc. - Willowtree Marina should be your first port of call.

IWAC goes in government ALB cull

Richard Benyon MP, Minister for Natural Environment and Fisheries has written to Michael Fabricant MP, secretary of the all party Parliamentary Waterways Group, telling him the Inland Waterways Advisory Council (IWAC) is to be abolished because Defra doesn’t need an Arm’s Length Body (ALB) to help develop policy for the inland waterways.

Mr Benyon says this role should be taken by government departments and ministers and in future Defra will consult all interests directly, including making use of the evidence which can be provided by the navigation authorities and by having a closer relationship with stakeholders.

The legislation necessary to abolish the IWAC will be brought forward as part of a Public Bodies Bill early in 2011.

‘Please be assured that this decision does not indicate that Defra will place less emphasis on the importance of the inland waterways,’ said Mr Benyon in his letter. ‘If anything we will be more directly involved as we seek to place the inland waterways onto a more sustainable footing through our work towards moving the waterways into a civil society organisation.’

The IWAC was set up as an independent statutory body consisting of 14 volunteer members, a part-time chairman and two support staff. It was created on April 1, 2007 by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 to advise government, navigation authorities and other interested persons on matters relevant to Britain's inland waterways.

Its sponsoring department is Defra and it also receives funding from the Scottish government.

Sat Nav quick link

Need to get to us in a hurry? Don't worry, here's the postcode for your Sat Nav.

Internet Wifi

Willowtree Marina moorers now have acess to the internet from their boats via a wifi link. This is available to visiting boats as well. Just ask in the marina office for details.