Users of the Montgomery canal in Welshpool have said changes to parking in the town have made it impossible access the waterway without breaking road rules.

Friends of Montgomery Canal say their ability to use a key slipway in Welshpool has been cut off by the addition of barriers along the entrance to the car park on Mill Street that limits access to the canal.

The group say the low level metal plates that form the barrier on the car park mean there is no legal way for them to enter or exit the side of the car park closest to the canal, making it more difficult to access a key slipway.

Graham Deakins, from Friends of Montgomery Canal, said: “If we want to launch a boat from that slipway, or bring equipment down for maintenance or transport a load of canoes and kayaks, we are faced with a problem entering the car park at the best spot.

“We can’t come in at one end due to the metal plates, which essentially isolates the canal wharf in Welshpool, which is the only place from which we can launch bigger boats.

County Times: Low level barriers along the side of the MIll Street car park.

“Friends of Montgomery Canal access that spot at least once or twice a week, so disruption to that is a big inconvenience to our operations.”

The barrier was put in place by Powys County Council when the car park was repurposed with the addition of a bus station, which opened earlier this year.

Mr Deakins said that he had contacted several local authorities on behalf of Friends of Montgomery canal, but was told that as a Shropshire resident he should direct the issue to Shropshire MPs.

He added: “If the canal is a Powys issue, it seems like an unnecessary extra step for me to go through one county council hoping they will contact another.”

“It’s an example of local government incompetence, because while I must say that everyone I have spoken to has been nice and polite, Powys Council clearly have not looked at the issue from the perspective of people who need to have clear access to the canal from that wharf.”

Powys County Council has said that it is aware of the concerns from Friends of Montgomery Canal and highway offices will liaise with them to discuss the matter.