“Planning reform essential to enable water freight growth,” says Logistics UK as it publishes new waterborne freight report

The UK Logistics Network: Waterborne Freight was launched at Multimodal 2025 and calls for a radical rethink of waterways as core components of modern multimodal logistics, and for the expansion of their use to transport freight to reduce road congestion, lower emissions, improve air quality, and enhance regional connectivity.

“Waterborne domestic freight has the potential to improve the efficiency, sustainability and resilience of the UK logistics sector, supporting the government’s own net zero targets,” says Logistics UK Head of Infrastructure and Planning Policy Jonathan Walker.

“Britain’s waterways have developed over centuries, linking ports to cities and connecting communities with the goods they needed long before motorways and mass railways even existed. It is time that there is coordinated action from government so businesses and the UK economy can realise again the benefits of exploiting this tried and tested delivery network.

“Planning reform is also essential to enable water freight growth,” explains Mr Walker: “Too often, vital wharf sites are lost to residential development without recognition of their strategic value to the economy. Protecting freight infrastructure must be embedded in planning policies nationally and locally.”