Independent Water Ombudsman

What it asks

What the petitioner did first

1. 27 Sep 2018
   Public Petitions Committee

   New Petitions
   1 mention
2. 20 Dec 2018
   Public Petitions Committee

   Continued Petitions
   1 mention
3. 6 Jun 2019
   Public Petitions Committee

   Continued Petitions
   1 mention
4. 5 Dec 2019
   Public Petitions Committee

   Continued Petitions
   1 mention

1. Scotland132 71.7%
2. United Kingdom45 24.5%
3. England4 2.2%
4. Singapore1 0.5%
5. Germany1 0.5%
6. Isle of Man1 0.5%

1. David Edes 9 May 2018
   In their current form Scottish Canals are unaccountable to their users.
   I also believe the Board of Scottish Canals should have a representative from each of the Canal user groups
2. David Alexander Brown 10 May 2018
   This is long overdue.
3. James Dykes 10 May 2018
   Bridges need repaired, so locks closed due to lack of funds. Yet, as usual,the people at the top creaming off substantial, salaries,pensions & benefits. Great need for more accountability.
4. Joyce Dykes 10 May 2018
   Typical, government passes a service to the private sector who run the business for the benefit of themselves rather than the users.
5. Ian Howker 10 May 2018
   Essential not only for the Lowlands Canal but for all of Scotland's inland waterways to adjudicate on conflicts of interests in Scottish Canals activities.
6. Angus Jack 10 May 2018
   great work, there really should be a third party available to customers of Scottish Canals to escalate complaints to. They are a law unto themselves...
7. Angus Jack 10 May 2018
   Great work, there really should be a third party to help resolve disputes between Scottish Canals and their customers. Especially as there are so many unhappy customers. Scottish Canals are a law unto themselves...
8. Tom Murkin 10 May 2018
   Can't believe that Scottish Canals have let the lowland canals deteriorate to the extent they are now effectively closed until further notice. They need holding to account, and to uphold their statutory duty to maintain the canals for navigation.
9. Stuart henderson 10 May 2018
   The way the Scottish canals have been run into the ground is a disgrace
10. John Bell 10 May 2018
    The canal was running better before 2012, in my opinion the reason is the management at Scottish canals have priorities that does not involve boats moving on the water, they would rather boats were static homes
11. Julie Bedell 11 May 2018
    The u.k canals are a vibrant living historic monument and should be preserved for all to enjoy .
12. Kathy Russell 11 May 2018
    Why are Scotland closing navigations? England, Wales and Ireland are thankfully restoring them!
13. Iain Street 11 May 2018
    At the present time, BWS are unaccountable to their users, and appear to have forgotten that they are a Navigation Authority, and not a property development company. A Waterways Ombudsman would go some way to restoring the balance.
14. Caroline Milne 11 May 2018
    The waterways are part of our heritage and an amenity we cannot afford to neglect.
15. Martha Cronin 11 May 2018
    The bridge closures are costing us thousands of pounds to get our home to its mooring in Auchinstarry, this is unacceptable.
16. Andrew Bone 12 May 2018
    As a person who lives on a boat on the canal I feel as if I have no say about the environment I choose to live in and that Scottish canals are in decline
17. William jones 12 May 2018
    Long overdue
18. Sue Bedford-Visser 13 May 2018
    Waterway users feel let down by Scottish Canals on many fronts and have real concerns about the future for navigation
    - already seriously compromised
    - which is an essential component in keeping canals alive.
19. Douglas Boxall 13 May 2018
    Scottish Canals have.a duty of care and they are accountable for their actions (Or lack thereof)
20. David Bird 13 May 2018
    Very long overdue. Oligarchy comes to mind in respect of Scottish Canals
21. Kathleen Fraser 13 May 2018
    The effort of volunteers and money from various sources in the millennium to open the canal should not have been in vain 18 years later
22. David Armstrong 13 May 2018
    The full millennium link must be safeguarded !
23. Eleanor Shaw 14 May 2018
    Canals are our heritage both in engineering, industry, immigration and history and should be promoted more in tourism, school curriculum just as much as Robert Burns etc.
24. Catherine Fish 14 May 2018
    Sadly friends from New Zealand have cancelled their trip in the Forth and Clyde canal owing to uncertainty and are visiting a Germany instead. More loss of tourism money!
25. Christine cameron 20 May 2018
    People who live on water have no rights except to be taken to court for eviction. The Scottish government could rectify to protect boaters living on water
26. Pierre Potel 20 May 2018
    Had a Water Ombudsman be present over the last 4 years, the Canals wouldn't be in the poor state they are in now...
    Forcing the organisation to fulfill its' statutory duties is highly necessary.
    The boaters desperately need a third party to overlook and arbitrate unsaftisfactory behaviour from Scottish Canals.
27. Christine Southgate 20 May 2018
    There are many failings of Scottish canals. Most complaints and feedback go ignored or unsatisfactorily answered. When Scottish canals were part of the wider British waterways the complaints procedure allowed issues to go to someone in British waterways England to be considered. although this was still part of British waterways it was someone outside the running of the Scottish waterways. I do not believe it is necessary to have someone outside Scotland as long as they are outside Scottish Canals. The fact that there are no private marinas and no competition for Scottish canals has led to increased fees with reduced services For example we have just see price rises in mooring fees but they have just issued notification that access to services are been reduced in many cases to two half days a week for services such as pump outs. This creates an environmental and potentially human rights issue.
    We are in desperate need of ombudsman to ensure fairness and encourage accountability.
28. Wendy Dawson-Young 21 May 2018
    Scottish Canals have shown themselves insensitive to the needs and concerns of boat owners, particularly with regard to maintenance of the canals in a navigable condition and the provision and pricing of moorings (over which they hold a virtual monopoly). An independent Water Ombudsman would give all canal users the right to be heard.
29. Beverley Schofield 21 May 2018
    I am one of several businesses who have been forced to give up trading on Scottish Lowland Canals due to the poor treatment received from Scottish Canals. As a sole trader it was impossible to challenge the arrogant, dismissive and inefficient actions of this organisation, even before navigation was halted. A water ombudsman would have been invaluable and addressing this.
30. Christine Cather 23 May 2018
    Local people want to develop enterprises on canals but are being refused by the waterways. Why? There is done bus or prejudice and it is opposite to the stated mission of including communities fairly with our canals. Too many barriers for true community engagement.Time to empower Communities at canals
31. Louise Terry 23 May 2018
    Absolutely agree in this day and age
    - long overdue.
32. John Neil Kitchener 12 Jun 2018
    Scottish Canals seem to ignore their statutory obligation to maintain navigation along the lowland canals, preferring to squander their money on excessive salaries and perks for senior staff and investing in egocentric projects which do not benefit the canals. An independent ombudsman will provide a check on the activities of Scottish Canals and ensure that they carry out maintenance to guarantee that navigation will be maintained along the length of the canal.
    The current closure of a number of bridges on the Forth and Clyde Canal is a serious indictment of their misallocation of funds and their maintenance strategy.
33. Bill Jarvie 13 Jun 2018
    As one who was instrumental in the re-opening of the Forth & Clyde Canal, 17 years later I find having a boat on same a complete farce when despite having the 'good fortune' to be moored at Auchinstarry, on the 'summit reach', and thus able to enjoy some cruising despite the enforced bridge closures, now I find I can no longer risk leaving my mooring because of the large volume of weed, and our recently 'upgraded' weed cutter cutter again being out of commission.
34. John Mackay 14 Jun 2018
    Having been involved off and on in trying to ensure the canals were reopened to navigation and more made of what is potentially wonderful resouce for 42 years I am greatly concerned at the state that they have been allowed to fall into when they offer a tremendous opportunity both for leisure and business opportunities. Hopefully a waterways ombudsman would help the active waterways users, communities and business liaise with the new management in a far more positive way than previously
35. David Edes 14 Jun 2018
    The Caledonian canal seem to operate a if your face fits system .certain people seem to get anything they want st the expense of other Canal users
36. Jim Sharp 14 Jun 2018
    Stop the Quango !!!!!!!
37. andrew double 14 Jun 2018
    the caladonion canal has become very dangerious for the ocanioal boater due to the passenger higher boats doing up to 15knots in canal if this is aloud to carry on it will erroud banks and destroy canal as they have no other interest than to make as much money as possable
38. Ian Howker 16 Jun 2018
    What epitomises the dysfunction of Scottish Canals could perhaps be summarised by:- At a meeting of Canal users about price increases for berthing charges, the public spent 2hr 15min telling anecdotal evidence about the (1), the poor service given, (2) the way in which money is wasted, (3) the poor way in which problems,identified by canal users, are dealt with, (4) the way in which canal users are treated by canal staff. I would argue that the users represented an even spread of socio economic adults. It is my understanding that this had happened at all the 3 canal meetings. I think there is a huge case for an independent, Water Ombudsman.
39. Kathy Gostick 16 Jun 2018
    The ombudsmen could ensure the best representation of the fragmented users of the canals to ensure the better management of them by Scottish canals particularly that the Forth & Clyde canal is re- opened to sea to sea navigation as required by statute and government grant conditions.
40. Martyn Sharpe 17 Jun 2018
    As a boater with a long term mooring on the Forth and Clyde Canal I trusted Scottish Canals to protect the fabric of the canal, and the have failed to do so. We need an independent voice to ensure the waterway is preserved for future generations . We need someone who cares to save the canal from falling into dereliction. If no action is taken then there will be no boats on the canal. Why pay exhorbitant mooring fees when there broken bridges in every direction. How on earth did Scottish Canals allow this to happen...