Public Right of Navigation on the Upper River Wye (and its Tributaries)

Following the introduction on 1 April by the owner of Llanthomas Fishery of a ‘paddle permit’ (whereby he is attempting to levy a fee of £3 for paddlers passing through his fishery at Llowes, between Glasbury and Hay), members of the British Canoeing Access Advisory Group have reviewed the historical evidence of navigation on the Upper Wye. Their research, published by River Access for All , demonstrates convincingly that a Public Right of Navigation (PRN) exists on the Wye upstream of Hay. We are extremely grateful for their work on behalf of us all.
Canoe Wales has now written to Powys County Council, Natural Resources Wales, the Welsh Government and the Environment Agency asking them to acknowledge this PRN and to clarify who has responsibility for managing it - so that we can engage with them to consider how best to balance the needs of users and local communities on this popular river.
We are confident that the fishery owner does not have the right to introduce his 'paddle permit', so local commercial operators (being targeted by him) will be able to use this new information to help defend themselves against demands for payment.