Memorandum submitted by British Waterways
(Appendix 29)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. British Waterways welcomes the provisions
of the NERC Bill. The proposed changes to the delivery bodies
will bring greater coherence to the delivery of sustainable rural
development. The proposed change to the statutory provisions underpinning
the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council will ensure they
more appropriately reflect its recent activities.
2. Whilst not always immediately perceived
as an agent of rural development, British Waterways (BW) has demonstrated
that it can make a valuable contribution to the regeneration and
sustainable development of rural communitieson a local
basis and along waterway corridors.
3. As an operator of waterways and of associated
leisure and tourism businesses, as well as a developer of waterside
property, BW is able to deliver direct economic, social and environmental
benefits and act as a catalyst to other sustainable development.
4. At present BWs regeneration activities
are restricted to the corridors of the waterways it owns or manages.
The recent End to End Review of BW recommended removing this restriction.
BW's contribution to sustainable rural development nationally
could be much enhanced if its power to undertake regeneration
activities could be extended to the corridors of waterways that
it does not directly own or manage (but without any encroachment
on the powers or activities of the host navigation authority).
5. Such extension to its powers would make
BW's regeneration expertise (particularly in the field of sustainable
waterside developments) available nationally to the benefit of
a broader range of rural communities. Given that the Bill already
contains a Part devoted to Inland Waterways, it is an ideal vehicle
for such a modest extension to BW's powers.
BACKGROUND TO
BRITISH WATERWAYS
6. British Waterways is a public corporation,
sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra) in England and Wales. It cares for a 2,000-mile network
of canals and navigable rivers across the country. Its aim is
for a sustainable and integrated network of waterways throughout
Britain providing maximum benefit and enjoyment to society.
7. BWs activities have always extended beyond
the role of a navigation authority and it has a very broad range
of powers to engage in complementary business activities including
leisure and tourism activities, property development, water sales
and telecommunications.
8. As a not-for-dividend organisation it
works with a broad range of public, private and voluntary sector
partners to unlock the potential of the inland waterways and generate
income for reinvestment for the benefit of the millions who visit
and care for the waterways. Our navigations are visited over 160
million times each year by ten million people, who spend around
£1.5 billion annually. In addition, BW estimates that waterway
restoration has acted as a catalyst for £2 billion of regeneration
investment.
DRAFT NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT AND
RURAL COMMUNITIES
BILL
Part 1The Agency and the Commission
9. BW supports the proposed rationalisation
of delivery bodies for sustainable rural development. Of the constituent
members of the proposed Integrated Agency, BW has most dealings
with English Nature (BW manages a large number of SSSIs on its
waterways) but also has important dealings with the Countryside
Agency, particularly as regards the recreation elements of its
work. The integration of these agencies will be beneficial to
BW in enabling a more "joined-up" approach in their
regulatory impact on BWs activities.
Part 3Flexible Administrative Arrangements
10. BW welcomes its inclusion in the list
of bodies that will be enabled, by mutual consent, to carry out
eligible functions of another body or of the Secretary of State.
BW anticipates that, in its case, the opportunities given by these
provisions will more likely be of a local nature at first but
are none the less valuable for that. For example, BW carries out
various flood control functions and the Environment Agency has
significant navigation authority functions. Undoubtedly there
are some locations (such as at the interface of BW and EA waters)
where savings and efficiencies can be made by one party, by agreement,
carrying out the functions of the other.
Part 4Inland Waterways
11. BW welcomes the modernisation of the
statutory provisions underpinning the Inland Waterways Amenity
Advisory Council (IWAAC). The Transport Act 1968 introduced provisions
aimed at transforming the inland waterways from primarily a freight
facility to primarily a leisure and amenity facility. IWAAC was
established by the Act specifically to advise BW on amenity issues
at a time when the organisation had to undergo a change in its
skills and culture to complement that transformation.
12. In more recent times the focus of IWAAC
has often gone beyond the activities of BW alone and has, for
example, looked at waterway restoration priorities of derelict
waterways primarily not owned by BW. It is appropriate that, as
its focus develops beyond BW alone, the responsibility for funding
the body should be removed from BW and BW should cease to have
a formal role in the appointment of Council members.
13. In terms of stakeholder engagement with
BW, there has now for many years been a close direct engagement
between BW and user organisations with an interest in the waterways
(boaters, anglers, walkers and others). This engagement is currently
maturing into a more formal arrangement under BWs "Openness
& Accountability" initiative with the planned creation
of the British Waterways Advisory Forum, a body with a membership
of all relevant user organisations with national scope.
14. Part 4 of the draft Bill does however
provide an opportunity to implement a very recent recommendation
of the End to End Review of BW that would enhance BWs ability
to further contribute to sustainable rural development. The Review
Team have only recently concluded their work and their Report
is to be published shortly. It therefore was not possible for
their recommendation to be taken into account in the preparation
of the draft Bill.
15. The Review Team's recommendation on
the geographical extension of BWs property development powers
is directly relevant to BWs ability to contribute to sustainable
rural development more extensively. Although the formal response
of Defra to the Review will have to await the publication of the
Review Report, the Waterways Minister has indicated to BW that
he is supportive of this specific recommendation.
ENHANCEMENT OF
BRITISH WATERWAYS'
CONTRIBUTION TO
SUSTAINABLE RURAL
DEVELOPMENT
16. In November 2000 British Waterways launched
its Rural Regeneration Strategy, to provide a co-ordinated framework
for action, partnership and investment in waterway corridors in
rural areas. The strategy promotes inland waterways and their
corridors as agents for the sustainable development of rural areas,
delivering economic, environment and social/community benefits.
17. In its paper "The Economic Impact
of Inland Waterways in Rural Areas" (June 2004), BW demonstrated
how the economic components of its Strategy had progressed and,
through seven case studies, showed the results of some of the
initiatives it had undertaken. The paper illustrated how these
projects, some very modest, some more significant, had contributed
to sustainable rural development, particularly the in creation
of local employment.
18. The regeneration of waterway corridors
benefits the economy of rural areas through:
Creating and sustaining employment,
particularly through recreation and tourism developments and activities.
This is especially important in the context of agricultural change
and the need to ensure the survival of local services. People
visiting waterways in rural areas also spend money on goods and
services in local shops, pubs, restaurants etc, which are not
necessarily alongside the waterway.
Facilitating and encouraging waterside
development, especially in market towns. Developments by water
typically command higher premiums than at other locations. This
is particularly true for the residential sector, but commercial
developments can also benefit.
Attracting inward investment to rural
areas, from both private and public sources.
Providing opportunities for developing
skills and training eg through undertaking canal works through
employment training schemes such as New Deal; creating opportunities
for learning craftsman skills through heritage and countryside
projects.
Improving the external image of and
range of facilities and services in rural areas, thus indirectly
encouraging enterprises to locate and invest in an area.
19. As well as the economic and social returns
to the community from appropriate development, BW benefits as
well. One of BWs objectives is to move towards greater financial
self sufficiency. Already a substantial proportion of its public
functions are funded from its business activities. As a public
body however it seeks to ensure its business activities always
enhance the waterway environment.
20. At present BW powers confine its regeneration
and development activities to the corridors of the waterways (and
docks) it owns or manages. BW could play a valuable role in regeneration
alongside other waterways through a modest adjustment to its powers.
21. As indicated above BW has a broad range
of business and commercial powers not shared by other navigation
authorities. Other navigation authorities have expressly welcomed
the prospect of BW being able to undertake appropriate development
activity alongside their waterways. They recognise BWs expertise
in ensuring such activity is sensitive and complementary the waterside
environment.
22. For example, the Broads Authority (Britain's
third largest navigation authority) has expressly welcomed BW's
recent creation of a waterside pub partnership in a joint venture
with Scottish & Newcastle. The Chief Executive has indicated
that he believes such partnership "could deliver the `perfect
blend' of a pub company's expertise in efficient operation of
such businesses, with BW's expertise in waterside interface, regeneration,
community involvement, social responsibility and sustainability."
He has expressed the wish that the partnership could explore opportunities
in the Broads.
23. Extension of BW's development powers
to other waterside vicinities than its own network would not encroach
on the powers or functions of the "host" navigation
authority. BW would be in the same position as any other local
business operator.
24. BW is accordingly working with Defra
to seek a modest addition to Part 4 of the draft Bill (one clause
would be sufficient) that amended s49 of the Transport Act 1968
by removing the current geographical limitation of BW's property
development powers to the vicinity of the waterways it owns and
manages and extending them to "the vicinity of any inland
waterway, reservoir or harbour in Great Britain".
British Waterways
February 2005
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