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In March 1955 the Board of Survey reported and recommended the disposal of 771 miles of waterway including some canals that had already been abandoned and closed to traffic. These were called "Group 3" waterways "Group 2" was 994 miles of waterways that were to be retained but if traffic did not increase they were to be downgraded to Group 3. "Group 1" at just 336 miles was the smallest group. These were waterways to be developed and consisted of the Aire & Calder Navigation (including the Ouse Lower Improvement), Gloucester & Berkeley Canal and the River Severn, Grand Union Canal below Berkhamsted, Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation, River Lee (below Enfield Lock), River Trent and the River Weaver.
In response IWA advocate a National Waterway Conservancy to look after all our waterways and point out that it is cheaper to restore and use waterways than to eliminate them.
It was announced in October 1964 that at Ferrybridge "C" Power Station a coal discharging installation was to be built to raise and tipple 210 ton barges in nine minutes. Coal would be delivered in trains of three 210 ton capacity compartment boats, propelled by a powerful tug. The system was designed by Strachan and Henshaw Ltd., of Bristol. On arrival at Ferrybridge, the barge trains wre to be led into a channel approaching the unloader. At this stage they were to be taken in hand by a marshalling system and the tug moved away downstream to collect waiting empty trains. The barge tippler was a large unloading hoist which was to raise the boats forty feet above water level, discharging the coal into an elevated receiving hopper which feeds the convoyer system, leading to the power station. By this means, a planned unloading rate of 1,000 tons per hour was to be achieved. The manufacturers claimed that this system of water-borne transportation and handling could make a considerable contribution to industrial efficiency. The use of a tippler enabled barge carriage to compete favourably with, and be independent of, all other forms of transport, wherever there is reasonable water access from the supplier to the customer.
Apparently, after much research had been undertaken into the Ferrybridge installation, the Railway Board attempted to make out a case for delivery of coal to the power station by rail. Fortunately, the Electrical Authority were convinced of the striking superiority of the barge system, which was able to go ahead as planned.
The 1981 IWA National Rally and Waterside Arts Festival was held on the Aire & Calder Navigation at Leeds with 410 boats, including many commercial craft, in attendence.
In 1992 520 craft and 375 caravans and tents attended IWA National Festival at Wakefield on the Aire & Calder Navigation. This event is still remembered for the mud caused by the wet weather and for the efforts of the Waterways Recovery Group in keeping the site in a usable condition (photograph by courtesy of Waterways World).
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