Memorandum submitted by City of Westminster
(BW 93)
Ed Fox, British Waterways Corporate Affairs
Manager has suggested that the EFRA Select Committee might be
interested in the City Council's experience of British Waterways
in respect of the regeneration of the Paddington Basin area which
has been underway for almost 20 years.
The attached note, and the accompanying factsheet,[7]
gives an officer level view of the role British Waterways has
played in this complex and comments on the nature of the working
relationship and of the continuing nature of the tasks to be undertaken.
BRITISH WATERWAY'S
ROLE IN
REGENERATION OF
PADDINGTON BASIN
1. The City of Westminster contains parts
of the Grand Union Canal (Ladbroke Grove—Little Venice),
Regents Canal (Little Venice—London Zoo) and from Little
Venice the `arm' and basin that serves Paddington.
2. Following the decline of commercial traffic
in the mid twentieth century the Little Venice area saw the start
of leisure trips from 1949 onwards. The existence of significant
areas of residential moorings, canal cavalcade at Little Venice
for 25 years and the high amenity value of boat trips from the
pool at Little Venice to London Zoo has established this part
of the London canal system as a major public amenity with a significant
recreational and tourism role.
3. However the arm and basin south of Little
Venice, principally bordered by BW freehold land, had by the mid
1980's ceased to have any public access (by foot, road or canal)
either to or across it.
A variety of highly speculative piecemeal post
war development proposals had not brought forward the development
of the area which was by the mid 1980's derelict and of poor amenity
value.
4. The City Council, following discussions
with BW and their advisors, reviewed its planning policies to
encourage the comprehensive mixed use development of the area
around the canal basin and the adjacent derelict format railway
goods yard. The progress of the developments is set out in the
attached factsheet.
The last twenty years have involved close collaboration
between BW and the City Council over a range of programmes and
activities alongside the consideration of various planning applications
promoted by BW developers. Actions include:
— first canal corridor study of urban
area
— guidelines for development of sites
alongside canal
— establishment of London Waterways
SRB(3) partnership 1997-2003.
— Improvements in and around Little
Venice pool,
— New mooring arrangements at Little
Venice & Lisson Grove
— Improving links to adjacent areas
— Joint environmental projects with
Ground Work Trust
— Setting standards and materials for
public realm developing joint project for re-erection of the recently
salvaged Brunel Bridge for reuse as a footbridge at Paddington
— Provision of two new footbridges
on Grand Union Canal to replace outworn structures
— Provision of three new footbridges
at Paddington Basin
— Construction of new Paddington Bridge
— Establishment of regeneration partnership
— Provision of UDP policy
— Input to GLA London Plan Blue Ribbon
strategies
5. Arising from those experiences the following
officer level comments are put forward for EFRA Select Committee's
consideration.
1. In order to undertake an effective role
both within the local communities it serves and in pursuance of
its own operational activities and any development activities
BW require sufficient revenue and capital funding for engagement
with the local authority, the private sector and the voluntary
community sector.
The issue of shouldering the financial burden
of maintaining public areas to the towpath, including maintenance
and patrolling falls to Westminster whereas it can be acquired
it is a BW core duty.
2. Given the emergent roles of the local
authority through a range of recent central government initiatives
(Local Strategic Partnership; Local Area Agreements; Local Area
Renewal Partnerships (-4 of the City's LARPS include the canal)
and the reinforcement of this role as set out in the recent Lyon's
Review—it seems clear that a BW's role and resources need
to be suitably aligned to assist in delivering the agenda set
by central and local government.
3. The historic nature of the canal, its
generally high amenity value requires BW to have sufficient resources
to ensure that the attractive high quality character and function
of the water spaces, and their associated areas, requires investment,
continued maintenance and adherence to the environmental standards,
initially set by BW and now set out formally in the City Council's
Unitary Development Plan and for example in guidance from English
Heritage.
Furthermore BW needs to be resourced to satisfactorily
engage with a range of local interests, residents, boat users
and all these activities take time and staff but are essential
for BW to provide as inclusive service and maximise the opportunities
for a wide range of activities and interests.
4. The range of BW's functions and responsibilities
stretches across a range of central government departments, for
example:
DCLG—planning, communities
Defra—sustainability, water managers
DCMS—tourism, culture, conservation
DfT—transport
However, these agendas and resources can often
at local level seem misaligned or acting in ignorance of each
other.
5. The canals are highly regarded by many
different groups of residents, business sectors, boat users, tourists
and water itself is highly regarded as a desirable place to locate
alongside and use.
Therefore high value returns on investment can
be expected from waterside locations but to start regeneration
the informal phase investment is required to bring together commercially
viable sites and then to ensure that the environmental quality
and character is maintained. Today this environmental quality
was to include sustainability, wildlife and biodiversity and an
ability to carry out both the effective management of the waterways
in respect of conservation and regeneration agendas. Therefore
a strategic and long-term view of seeing resources is required
not only to bring development forward but to ensure the integration
of that development with the existing and new communities alongside
and on the canal.
Graham King
Head of City Planning Group
Planning and City Development Department
City of Westminster
April 2007
7 Not printed. Back
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