26 CONTEXT 188 : JUNE 2026 leases or liable to change of ownership over time. Each year, the trust makes numerous applications for listed building consent, or clearance to proceed without it, to local planning authorities (some 80 in total) across England. Between April 2020 and February 2026, the trust applied for and received consent for works to 36 bridges and clearance for works to another 82. In the same period, works to 72 locks were granted consent, with a further 143 receiving clearance. Most of these works to locks and bridges will have been for similar repairs or minor alterations, using similar specifications. Common works to bridges, tunnels and aqueducts include, for example, replacement of loose or perished brick and stonework, and repairs to cracks and damage caused by boat or vehicle bashing, vegetation growth and past use of incompatible materials. For locks, common examples of works include repairs to chamber masonry, replacement of damaged quoins and copings, mending or alteration of broken paddle gearing, and the endless work of re-gating. This last category of works can be a source of inconsistency, with some but not all local planning authorities requiring full-blown listed building consent to replace lock gates that are modern, demountable and probably only 25 years old. Not infrequently it can take weeks for consent or clearance to be granted. This interrupts the trust’s tightly-run work programmes and is wasteful of money and time, both for the trust’s staff and for hard-pressed conservation officers who cannot be expected to possess in-depth knowledge of waterway heritage assets. The legal, authorising document relating to the NLBCO is the statutory instrument drawn up by MHCLG lawyers: the [Draft] Planning (Listed Building Consent) (Canal & River Trust) Order 20[ ] (with the empty brackets to allow for a flexible commencement date). The main purpose of the draft order is to provide a single listed building consent mechanism for common, repetitive works to a large number of listed structures (spread across numerous local planning authorities) that would otherwise require individual or repeat consents. The order will allow more effective planning of works, ensure consistency, common standards and accountability, and reduce bureaucracy for the trust and local planning authorities. The draft order essentially permits works for alteration or repair (but not demolition) to a relevant structure which are necessary to repair or maintain it, prolong its lifespan, and secure the safe and effective operation of a waterway. The supporting document, which describes in detail the types of structure covered by the draft order and the types of work permitted, is the Conservation Management Methodology and Principles. This includes a scoping table which sets out typical works to the relevant structures and indicates whether these fall within or outside the order. It is important to understand that the order will not be a carte blanche to proceed indiscriminately.There will still be some planned works that may be exceptionally extensive and will always require listed building consent. The draft order and its accompanying Conservation Management Methodology and Principles were subject to public consultation in 2018, and were generally well-received. Further supporting documents and in-house training material are being prepared by the trust. Works that are in scope and covered by the draft order will be agreed internally with the trust’s regional heritage advisers, who will carry out any necessary impact assessments or investigations, and who will sign off completed works. Details of the location and description of works Jib crane and Bridge No 79, Maesbury Marsh, Montgomery Canal Bridge 170 (c1818), built by Thomas Fletcher to a ‘standard design’ by John Rennie, Lancaster Canal
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