Memorandum submitted by Del Brenner (BW
76)
REGENTS NETWORK
1. I am Del Brenner of the Regents Network.
I am also a member of the London Waterways Commission which is
the waterway advisory body for the Mayor of London.
2. The Regents Network is a waterways campaigning
set-up, and based in London. Although attention is paid to all
waterways in London, the Regents Network mainly concentrates on
the capital's canal network. The main objective is to enhance
the waterways and bring them back to life, as well as to protect
them from unsuitable and detrimental development. It is not an
organisation, but a network of interested parties, and I act as
the spokesman.
3. In the drafting of the London Plan, Regents
Network made a significant contribution, and we are currently
involved with a number of initiatives including the development
of the London Freight Plan.
4. Regents Network has been much more active
in the last few years as the threat to the canals has become more
acute. One of the main problems is the impact of property development
around the canals, which has changed the character of the waterways.
More worryingly, this has not significantly contributed to bringing
them back to life. To attract more attention to the canals themselves
and raise their profile we engage as much as we can with local
authorities throughout London as this is where many of the final
decisions are made. We are very concerned that too many decisions
seem to be made in ignorance, although we are pleased to find
there is great deal of good will in local authorities towards
London's waterways.
5. When dealing with canal issues with local
authorities and other agencies, we would like to have British
Waterways working with us at our side in London. All too often
we find that we clash head on with BW as they are working against
us. For example Tottenham Hale, City Road Basin, business barges,
Brentford, freight wharves and boat yards. For this reason we
have not had a comfortable relationship with British Waterways
at national level or with the senior management of London's canals.
We have been involved with high profile engagements with BW, and
have contributed to a number of press articles and broadcasts
on national and local canal issues. Although we deal from day
to day with BW staff, at present we have declined to an invitation
of a summit meeting with BW, and have said we will agree to meet
when they start to listen.
OUTLINE OF
EVIDENCE
6. My evidence will be following the lead
given by the Committee, and will include the following issues:
(i) BW consultation (or lack of) and User
Groups
Too few public and user meetings
BW working behind closed doors
Engage with users at a late stage with a done
deal
(ii) Waterspace strategies
A device to carry our projects without consultation
Takes away water (permanently) for a land-based
use
Invented and driven by BW London
Downgrading potential use of the canals
Reduced status of Lea Navigation (commercial
waterway)
Driven by the BW refusal to tackle dredging
Almost no attention on freight by BW until recently
Only a token regard for freight development
BW are not fit for purpose in this regard
This has to be tackled sometime in the near
future
BW in denial
(vii) Incentive and bonus schemes
For top management and executives
Bonus schemes for staff recently ended!
Targets set by BW themselves
Seems to be based on turnover rather than results
Does this result in an unbalanced operation?
(viii) Financial and commercial involvement
For management and executives
Relationship with outside commercial interests
Directorships (one executive has 14 directorships)
Information not easily revealed, requires investigation
(ix) Property development
Needs to be scaled down, it is too dominant
BW failing in their core responsibilities
Management of the canals has become secondary
(x) A water city for East London
Reopening Bow Backs is to provide setting for
property development
A new lock in Prescott Channel was planned long
before the Olympics
The lock was to raise the water level to suit
new properties
Includes property development on the water (business
barges)
(xi) Where does the responsibility lie
I raise these issues as I consider that a positive
and active future of the canals is just not going to happen.
Del Brenner
March 2007
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