British Waterways and the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust pilot third sector
28 May 2010
As part of its plans to establish a ‘national trust’ for the nation’s canals and rivers, British Waterways (BW) together with the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust (KACT) are piloting an innovative approach to managing the 200-year old Kennet & Avon Canal. The launch of the initiative will give the people that use and enjoy the waterway and the communities that live alongside it a much greater say in how the canal is managed.
Following discussions, which also included representatives from the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), the KACT and BW will work together in setting up a Waterways Partnership Board for the canal. Members will be drawn from the highest level from the five local authorities and other key stakeholders who came together and led on the canal’s restoration.
The pilot includes reviewing the current plans of both organisations including development, operations, funding requirements etc. and by September agree and produce a combined Waterway Area Plan for the canal corridor which can be implemented by all partners.
It is hoped that the pilot will provide BW with valuable information and experience on how to put waterways on a 'more sustainable footing' and ensure the lessons are incorporated into the consultation on the setting up of a new third sector body.
Commenting on the pilot David Rees chair of the KACT said: “To ensure and safeguard the future of the Kennet & Avon Canal, and as a model to be considered for other waterways, it is essential that decision making and engagement comes closer to the people and organisations which it serves and is more integrated into local communities. A key feature will be the drive to attract more volunteers to the canal. We can achieve this by offering new opportunities and demonstrating that it's worth getting involved because there is a real chance to make a difference.”
Simon Salem, marketing director at British Waterways, said: “Local communities are crucial to the sustainability of their waterways. We hope we will learn a lot from this pilot and that it will inform further discussions on British Waterways' proposed move to the third sector.”
Clive Henderson IWA national chairman said: “We are delighted that this approach is being looked at as a model for ensuring firm local partnerships, as we want more local accountability. We are pleased to be part of that development process and will continue to help support it.”
ENDS
For further information:
Gill Owen or Jonathan Ludford at British Waterways tel: 020 7985 7263
British Waterways (BW) is the guardian of 2,200 miles of historic canals, rivers and docks in England, Scotland and Wales. The 200-year old network, one of the finest examples of industrial heritage in the world, comprises the country’s third largest collection of listed structures and a wealth of important urban and rural habitats that support a variety of familiar and endangered wildlife.
The waterways are busier than ever, attracting over 13 million people each year for walking, cycling, angling, boating or simply for peace and relaxation. BW works with local communities, businesses and councils to unlock the potential of the waterways to benefit waterside areas and to secure the funds needed to maintain and repair the system.
BW is a public corporation responsible to Defra and to the Scottish Government. It has proposed moving the waterway network out of direct state control and into the third sector as a way of giving stakeholders a greater role in the running of their local canal or river and opening up new funding streams.
www.britishwaterways.co.uk
The Kennet & Avon Canal in 2010
In 2010 the Kennet & Avon Canal celebrates the 200th anniversary of its opening in 1810. The canal winds its way 87 miles from Reading to Bath, before joining the River Avon and linking to Bristol. The canal is a 200-year-old feat of engineering, originally built as a trade route, now supporting a thriving leisure industry following a record £25 million restoration project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The Kennet & Avon Canal is managed and maintained by British Waterways, in partnership with the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust, local authorities and numerous volunteer groups. The canal is a diverse wildlife habitat, home to an impressive array of historic industrial architecture, a leisure boating route, a long distance path, a holiday destination and much more to many thousands of people who visit each year.
The K&A 200 steering group, including British Waterways, Kennet & Avon Canal Trust and VisitWiltshire? has joined forces to promote the canal during 2010, its bicentenary year. Through a series of activities and events, organisations, local groups and national bodies will be celebrating the canal’s history, enjoying its beauty and looking forward to its development beyond 2010 as a much-loved asset to the communities through which it passes and connects.