Memorandum submitted by The Waterways
Trust
1. ROLE AND
REMIT.
1.1 The Waterways Trust is an independent
charity established at the instigation of BW in 1999. The role
and remit of the Trust was endorsed by Government in the white
paper, Waterways for Tomorrow 2000 (WfT).
1.2 The Trust has a UK-wide remit to help
realise the educational, social, economic and environmental benefits
of waterways for all sections of the community.
1.3 Our vision is to see Britain's waterways
supported, valued and enjoyed by all sections of the community.
1.4 We previously submitted evidence to
the Committee dated February 2007 which sets out a broader explanation
of our work in three areas:
— Fundraising, which yields up to £2
million per annum for waterway-based projects that enable people
and communities to enjoy, and gain benefit from their waterways
— Regeneration where in partnership
with British Waterways, we have enabled over £40 million
of new investment in Britain's waterways. We also work to bring
together the complex partnerships that underpin waterway regeneration
projects
— The National Waterways Museum and
Archive. The Trust operates the National Waterways Museum and
Archive based at three centres: Ellesmere Port, Gloucester Docks
and Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire.
1.5 Funding. The Trust has a turnover of
£4.6 million pa. The Trust's activities are currently assisted
by a funding contract with BW worth £950,000 pa.
2. COMMENTS TO
THE ENQUIRY.
2.1 The Waterways Trust convenes and chairs
the Cotswold Canals Partnership. Many of the 16 organisations
who have supported this partnership over the last 7 years will
want to submit evidence in their own right. These comments are
on behalf of the Trust rather than the partnership.
2.2 The Committee will, however, be interested
to know of the determination of the partnership to continue with
the project in the new circumstances. At a special meeting of
the partnership on 19 February, the following statement was agreed:
The Cotswold Canals Partnership today confirmed
its determination to continue the restoration project following
British Waterways' withdrawal due to other financial pressures.
Whilst the Partnership deeply regretted BW's decision, there was
a unanimous desire to sustain the momentum of the project. Detailed
discussions are now underway to ensure continuity of funding in
the new circumstances and to find ways to bridge the funding gap
created by BW's withdrawal.
The Partnership is determined to build on the
investment already made in the project and the broad base of public
support that provides a platform for its continued development
and future success.
2.3 The transformation of the waterways
network in recent years has been a remarkable story and an undoubted
policy success for Government in which BW's lead has been vital.
2.4 The Trust is pleased to have contributed
to this success, working as a partner with BW on a number of major
regeneration projects, in raising funds for community-based projects
and sustaining the National Waterways Museum.
2.5 As a result of their work, BW and its
partners have built-up a clear and detailed understanding of the
benefit of waterside regeneration and waterway restoration, to
community development and cohesion, economic development, education
and learning opportunities, as well as enhancement and protection
of the environment and heritage. BW has also developed a high
level of expertise in funding, designing, engineering and delivering
of waterside regeneration and waterway restoration.
2.6 This is a precious body of knowledge
and experience that has been acquired in the successful delivery
of urban and rural waterside regeneration (in places such as Birmingham),
as well as waterway restoration projects such as the Rochdale
Canal, Anderton Boat Lift, Ribble Link, Huddersfield Narrow, Chesterfield,
Kennet & Avon, and Lowland canals in Scotland.
2.7 As a body of work, it represents a major
accolade to BW and all organisations involved drawn from every
sector and section of the community. It now underpins new waterside
regeneration schemes like Sheffield, Gloucester, Edinburgh, Leeds,
East Manchester and East London, as well as waterway restoration
projects such as the Cotswolds and others such as, Bedford Milton
Keynes Link, Bow Back Rivers, Droitwich Canals, Manchester Bolton
and Bury, Montgomery and the Helix project in Scotland, many of
which are in development and/or moving to implementation.
2.8 The Cotswolds is a very important project,
and in particular has become an exemplar in many areas of partnership
working—particularly training and skills development and
in broadening and deepening the community participation.
2.9 Against this background, the withdrawal
from the Cotswolds is greatly regretted by the Trust and other
organisations in the voluntary, public and commercial sectors.
However, the reasons for the withdrawal need to be widely understood.
We must not let the disappointment of the moment spread into a
destructive spiral of accusation which will damage the future
prospects of other projects.
2.10 We would urge the Committee to concentrate
on the underlying policy issues so that all can understand and
respond accordingly. There appears to be three key issues which
the Committee should consider:
— Under their current constitution,
BW has to give priority to its statutory responsibilities on the
core network
— Projects like the Cotswolds are discretionary
under BW's current remit
— Under present arrangements, relatively
short-term funding pressures on one organisation can put complex
long term projects at risk. Everyone involved in waterway regeneration
will hope that the Cotswold Canal project can be sustained in
the new circumstances; this remains uncertain at present. Key
partners in the public and voluntary sectors are doing all they
can to meet the challenge.
2.11 The challenge to the Committee and
all those involved in waterway regeneration is to identify policy
improvements to help deliver these enormously powerful and influential
public projects. These could include:
— strengthened advocacy for the value
of waterways-based regeneration across all areas of public policy
so that the breadth of outputs and outcomes is fully recognised
— a broader base of cross-sectoral
funding for waterways
— a broader remit for BW beyond its
current core statutory responsibilities.
The Waterways Trust
March 2008
| 
