Frustration as United Utilities ban paddle boarding at reservoir

Paddle boarders are being banned from using Torside Reservoir near Glossop.

United Utilities have declared they are banning the sport with immediate effect at all their 170 sites across the country, with the exception of five. 

Hollingworth Lake is the only local site which will still allow paddle boarding.

Dave Noxon, who is a member of Glossop Sailing Club, says he can’t understand the reasoning behind the decision.

He told the Chronicle: "United Utilities have taken the decision without discussing it with anyone. Paddle boarding doesn’t harm the reservoirs and it is beneficial to physical and mental health.

"We have written testimony from key workers as to how paddle boarding really kept them going during the Covid crisis. As indoor sports were banned it was a safe way to continue exercising and can be done easily with a safe distance of two metres.

"It is a rare water sport that is enjoyed predominantly by women and also there are many members over 50 plus. Therefore it is a very inclusive and safe sport. And the UU ban disproportionately impacts female members of sailing clubs. It is in fact one of the cheapest and most accessible water sports.

"Glossop Sailing Club has 180 members and around 60 are predominantly paddle boarders only. In fact paddle boarding is by far the fastest growing area of the club." 

But United Utilities say reservoirs aren’t the most suitable of places for paddle boarding.

A spokesperson said: “We’ve taken this action with safety in mind because paddle boarding and other water sports often result in time spent in the water, exposing users to the associated risks. One of our top priorities is the safety of customers including those who visit our recreational sites.”

Sailing clubs say paddle boarding is classed as canoeing, which is covered by the majority of sailing club leases with United Utilities.

United Utilities do not accept this, even though they are aware many sailing clubs on their waters include paddle boarding - like Glossop Sailing Club.

A statement from British Canoeing reads: "Stand up paddle boarding and the ownership of personal paddle craft has been growing steadily for many years. The pandemic has caused a step change in this growth, leading more people to explore outdoor activities they could do closer to home and more widely in the UK.

“Towards the end of summer 2021, British Canoeing was contacted by a number of concerned SUP paddlers and groups who had been banned from paddling on Thirlmere and Ennerdale Waters in the Lake District. Paddle sport activity has been enjoyed safely and responsibly for many years on both these bodies of water and increasingly so by small groups of SUP users. In response to the ban, British Canoeing reached out to United Utilities to offer practical support and guidance around understanding and managing the perceived risks.

“Rather than introducing bans, we encouraged United Utilities to work closely with British Canoeing to develop a supportive climate for safe activity, based on safety information and raising awareness.”

Members of Glossop Sailing Club are now planning to protest about the ban.

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