Supplementary memorandum submitted by
Louis Jankel (BW 03a)
In their oral evidence to you, the Inland Waterways
Association (IWA) suggested that the waterways system should be
unified under British Waterways (BW). I am writing to insist that,
to my certain knowledge, very many users and user groups disagree
with the IWA position.
This IWA policy was born in the 1940s, prior
to the creation of the BWB and before the development of modern
ideas of river basin management. In the opinion of many users
the IWA policy is now out of date.
The EC Water Framework Directive (WFD) has changed
the way in which river catchments will be managed in future. The
Environment Agency (EA) is rightly leading this work. BW has no
great expertise in these matters. Non compliance, with the WFD
could lead to significant fines from Brussels that would make
the recent examples levied on Defra seem trivial.
The EA has done a good job in managing its navigations
in an environmentally friendly manner, while giving due attention
to the needs of boaters. I have taken my narrowboat the length
of the Rivers Nene, Great Ouse, Thames, (EA administered); Trent,
Ouse, Weaver and part Severn (BW administered). It is obvious
to everyone that we should be attempting to bring the BW rivers
up to the standards of safety manifest on the EA rivers.
I am a life member of RYA, IWA as well as a
number of restoration groups; a member of the National Association
of Boat Owners (NABO) and the Dutch Barge Association (DBA). I
hold no executive positions within any of these bodies. I am active
in the River User Group (RUG8) for the lower Thames as well as
the River Thames Waterway Working Group (WWG) and the Thames User
Group navigation (TUGn). TUGn consists of user group representing
24% of all the national navigation boating income. We are the
national waterways secondary funding group.
I am also a member of the Thames Region RFERAC.
Since retirement in 1997, I spend six months
of each year on my boat cruising about the inland waterways.
Louis Jankel
March 2007
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