Peter's Waterways Blog Wigan Locks This was first published in IWA West Riding's Milepost in June 2018, and another example of Canal and River Trust's customer service priorities.

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While checking another stoppage with the Canal and River Trust website, I stumbled upon a consultation about Wigan Locks, the top and bottom of which are now open only: - 8am until 9am daily (for "entry"), - 12noon until 1pm (for "entry and exit"), - 5pm until 6pm daily (for "exit") and locks are padlocked closed outside of these times. See here for the current version of the stoppage notice.

Sign at the locks

Wigan Bottom Lock on a damp morning

I asked how C&RT consulted those who use the locks occasionally, but were not planning a trip within the consultation period, and how there are any advantages, compared with a turn-up-and-go service. If I started at 9am, and finished at 1.05pm or shortly afterwards, I would be extremely discontented to wait four hours for someone to let me out. Even worse I might rush through the last few locks hoping to beat the deadline, at risk of personal safety, or waste of water, or harming the infrastructure of the locks, or the boat or any combination. It's always easier to fit the service to the convenience of those providing it: the aim, however, is to meet the needs of the customers.

Consider as an example those who hire and pay about £2,000 during the summer for a week's holiday. They may expect to cover 60 or so hours of navigation for their money, and denying 4 of those ought to attract £120 worth of compensation plus other consequential loss for having to turn around early. And there is the disruption to a plan to have to be there to start the passage at a particular time, and the possibility of scaring away entirely those who might otherwise navigate the locks. It all seems a very poor idea to me, and whatever your opinion, enquiries.northwest@canalrivertrust.org.uk may still like to know what you think. Peter Scott @peterjohnscott

Locks as they were in 1978