Further supplementary memorandum submitted
by British Waterways (BW 11c)
BW'S RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE
LGA
1. British Waterways' (BW) network of canals
and rivers extends for 2,200 miles and passes through multiple
Local Authority areas. BW's relationships with these local authorities
varies from area to area and on individual policy aspects relating
to the waterways. BW it has many productive relationships with
local authorities that meet both organisation's objectives across
a range of policy areas.
2. The Local Government Association (LGA)
" . . . exists to promote better local government . .
. ." and " . . . to put local councils at the
heart of the drive to improve public services and to work with
government to ensure that the policy, legislative and financial
context in which they operate, supports that objective."
(www.lga.gov.uk (`About us')).
3. While BW has many productive relationships
with individual local authorities, helping to deliver waterway-related
benefits to local communities, it currently has no formal relationship
with the LGA.
4. BW would be keen to see a formal, high
level relationship with the LGA emerge during 2007 since it believes
that such a relationship would have mutual benefit to each organisation
and also to the LGA's individual members.
BW believes that benefits would arise in the
following areas of Local Government policy and implementation:
— National Planning Policy:
this policy area is currently under review by central Government,
and once the review is completed, it will have a number of effects
on local planning rules and guidance. One example is the need
for more marina berths (10,000 by 2015) to cater for the forecasted
growth in leisure boating. Currently, individual planning applications
made by private developers for green field sites alongside the
canal and river network are viewed (in the majority of cases)
unfavourably by local authority Planning Committees because they
are seen as being in contradiction with current planning guidance
and policy. In reality, these sites can provide considerable benefits
in terms of jobs and local services to the rural economies through
which 75% of BW's network passes through.
— Proposed Planning Gains Supplement:
due for implementation in 2009, it is expected that individual
local authorities will have a high degree of control on how revenues
are distributed locally. BW would find it helpful, through an
active relationship with the LGA, if guidance issued centrally
by the LGA took account of the benefits of waterways to local
communities and the role BW has in maintaining and enhancing local
waterways.
— Economic Development (waterside
regeneration): BW is currently directly involved in over £6bn
of waterside regeneration, creating new and rejuvenated public
realm from which local communities benefit in terms of housing,
employment and leisure activities.
— Transport policy implementation:
BW's network of towpaths, particularly in urban areas, provide
a safe, green route for commuters and other functional-style visits.
These directly contribute to local authorities' Local Transport
Policies (LTP), and as such BW receives some monies from local
authorities for the care and upgrade of towpath surfaces. Greater
involvement at a national level with LGA representatives would
help bring more consistency to individual local authority implementation
of LTP's.
British Waterways
April 2007
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