Laura Anne Jones has called for the Welsh Government to step in prevent the closure of the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal.

Ms Jones met with Mark Evans, Director of Wales and South West Canal and River Trust and Alasdair Kirkpatrick, proprietor of the family business Beacon Park Boats, who says that even with average to high levels of rainfall, the canal will become unnavigable if the water supply from the Usk is restricted. Mr Kirkpatrick is now faced with closure, which would leave 30 members of staff redundant.

The canal is visited by millions of people every year, and generates over £20 million annually from marine facilities, commercial boat operators, private boaters and the 290 pubs, restaurants and cafes within a mile of the water.

The canal, which flows through Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, has been voted “Britain’s prettiest canal”, and is home to the kingfisher, the water vole and the otter.

Welsh Water are reportedly ready to provide the water the canal needs from their surplus from Llandegfedd Reservoir, at an estimated cost of a million pounds per annum and additional capital investment.

Ms Jones is pressing the Welsh Government to provide this cash, which she says is “a drop in the ocean compared to the economic, social and mental health benefits this canal brings, and what could potentially be lost.”

Laura Anne Jones MS, Senedd Member for South Wales East, said: “It’s terrible that the canal is in danger of becoming unnavigable, but thankfully there is a solution on the table.

“It is important that we protect the River Usk, but also, we need to take urgent action to save our beautiful canal, because with the water already restricted the consequences of the canal closing could be disastrous for local people.

“As local councillor Jan Butler’s petition rightly points out, we need to act NOW to save it.