Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident at 05:17 on Monday 22 December after a canal bank collapse in the Chemistry area of Whitchurch. Fire Control received the first 999 call at 04:22. A cavity around 50 metres by 50 metres formed, three boats were caught in the void, more than ten people were assisted to safety and about 12 residents from nearby moored boats were moved to a welfare centre at the former Whitchurch Police Station. No injuries have been reported and the immediate water flow was reduced by mid‑morning, with a multi‑agency response remaining on scene.
The Canal & River Trust (CRT) confirmed the breach occurred on the Llangollen Canal near New Mills Lift Bridge and that teams have dammed off the affected section. The canal and towpath at this location are closed while engineers carry out initial investigations.
Imagery from the scene shows rapid loss of canal water into adjacent land, leaving a pronounced drop in the bed and several narrowboats either stranded or pulled into the cavity. Responders established upstream and downstream safety sectors and used barge boards and water gate systems to manage flows around the breach.
Roles are clear under established arrangements. CRT, as the navigation authority, is responsible for inspecting and maintaining canal assets such as embankments, culverts, locks and towpaths across roughly 2,000 miles of waterways. The Environment Agency (EA), a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, leads on environmental protection during recovery, including monitoring for pollution and flood impacts. The local multi‑agency effort is being coordinated through the Shropshire Tactical Co‑ordination Group within the area’s Local Resilience Forum structure.
A “major incident” is defined in joint doctrine as an event with serious consequences that requires special arrangements by one or more responder agencies. There is no single threshold; the decision reflects local operational judgement about severity and the resources needed. Once declared, responders align around shared objectives through strategic, tactical and operational coordination.
Funding and repair responsibilities sit with CRT as the asset owner. CRT states that around 22% of its 2024/25 income comes from a Defra grant and that the 2027–2037 funding settlement reduces support by over £300m in real terms, which the charity warns will constrain asset resilience and increase long‑term risk across an ageing network. Emergency response itself is delivered by Category 1 responders and the local authority under civil contingencies duties.
Disruption to navigation and towpath access is significant. Local authorities and emergency services have asked the public to stay away from the affected area, including Whitchurch Marina. Local media report CRT has introduced an emergency closure between Lock 6 at Grindley Locks and Bridge 31A on the Whitchurch Bypass, pending engineering assessment.
Public safety and environmental protection remain the immediate priorities. Responders report unstable ground and fast‑moving water at the scene and continue to manage water flows to protect nearby properties. EA officers are part of the multi‑agency attendance to assess environmental effects and advise on remediation where needed.
For residents and businesses, the advice is straightforward: follow local authority instructions on access restrictions and welfare support; boaters should await CRT updates before attempting to move craft; and any signs of water pollution downstream should be reported to the EA’s 24‑hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or via GOV.UK.
Next steps involve CRT completing a rapid engineering assessment, maintaining temporary dams and working to restore water levels either side of the breach. The charity has said it will provide further detail on cause and timelines in due course, once investigations and safety checks conclude.