Financial Information

British Waterways' income comes from three main sources:

Trading Income
We focus on business activities that enable us to unlock the full commercial potential of the waterways,and have taken advantage of the growing demand for waterside leisure as well as waterside property.

Trading income is an important growth area for us as we continue to develop the network's full commercial potential and long-term sustainability. It is mainly comprises income earned from waterway, leisure, property and venture activities.

Government Grants
We receive an annual grant from theDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for our activities in England and Wales, and the Scottish Executive for our activities in Scotland. We also work very closely with the National Assembly for Wales.

Our grants recognise the value of the waterways to the millions of people who use them every year for informal recreation, such as walking or jogging. It also reflects their value as part of the land drainage system.

Everyone who pays taxes is helping to maintain the waterways for the widest possible public benefit.

Restoration Income
We receive funding from third party sources including European bodies, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and Regional Development Agencies to restore inland waterways. Since the late 1990s this funding has been quite significant, however it does fluctuate according to project activity.