Welcome to FilmApp for Canal & River Trust

There is a non-refundable fee of £10 to make an application. If in doubt, please get in touch before you apply to check the location is owned by Canal & River Trust. We cannot refund the application fee if you apply in error.

We have over 2,000 miles of fantastic outdoor locations to choose from – from towpaths and locks to reservoirs and docks. Before you begin your application please check our map to make sure that your chosen location is on a Canal & River Trust waterway or search for a location here. We recommend that you recce the location to ensure its suitability for your film or photography shoot.

Make an application
Your application must include the following information:
  • Risk assessment
  • Public liability insurance – min. £5million cover.
You should refer to the Risk Assessment Guidance document under ‘Useful Documents’ for information about filming by the water safely.

Application notice periods
Small scale (i.e. factual TV)                     5 working days
Medium scale (TV drama, commerical)   2-6 weeks
Large scale (Feature film)                        4-12 weeks

Towpath closure, mooring suspension, navigation restriction notices require 4 weeks notice.

Before making an application please check our notices and stoppages page to check there are no planned towpath closures, navigation closures or other events taking place at your chosen location.

Using FilmApp
If you don’t already have a login please click ‘Apply for permit’ to create a new account by registering your name and email address. To create a new application, you will need to input your chosen shoot location(s), date, and time. Please provide a short synopsis of the scenes you plan to film or photograph, as well as including full details of any equipment you will be using and any special requests (i.e. towpath closure). Ensure you fully complete the production tab with all your company information. You will be prompted to upload your insurance and risk assessment documents.

When you apply, you'll receive an application confirmation email from FilmApp. The filming manager will send you a fee quote and let you know if there are any issues with your application. If you need to change the date or location, you'll be contact through FilmApp to log in and make amendments.

If you are happy with the quote we'll issue an invoice and process your application, notifying our regional teams and check for other events and works taking place at the location. We'll review your risk assessment and provide safety comments if required.

Upon payment, successful applications will receive a filming/photography permit before the shoot date.Please note that you do not have permission to film unless you successfully complete the application process as detailed above.

Fees
Please check our Filming Fees document under ‘Useful Documents’.

More information
Please visit the Canal & River Trust website for more information about filming and photography on the waterways.

Canal & River Trust, National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port, South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 4FW | 0303 0 404040

For any technical queries relating to FilmApp or password resets, please call the software provider on 020 7620 0391 or email support@apply4.com and their customer support team will be happy to help!