Memorandum submitted by Ken Bailey
BRITISH WATERWAYS—COTSWOLD
CANALS PROJECT
1. Now 2 Years into a three year project
:
a. Only one planning application for works
submitted in that time, Six months after project HLF approval.
b. Only one project has been started, Eighteen
months after project approval.
2. Virtually no additional funding sources
has been identified by BW from the start of this project.
3. Delays in the project have resulted in
a large amount of money being lost due to inflation over the period.
A lot of straight forward dredging and lock chamber repair work
could have been carried out and paid for with limited input from
British Waterways project staff.
4. Considerable time and effort has been
spent on re-costing the project with increases each time.
5. British Waterways have generally refused
to put work out to tender, insisting on using their preferred
contractors.
6. Lack of senior Engineering Project manager
until January 2008.
7. High staff turn-over in all areas and
low morale within British Waterways project team.
8. Lack of high level (director) push behind
such a major project.
9. Reluctance to use the knowledge or information
available from long standing Cotswold Canals Trust members.
10. Reluctance to allow significant volunteer
involvement on the ground until recent months.
11. Very little progress with land owner
negotiations for other than those with Company of Proprietors
of Stroud water Navigation and also Glos County Council.
12. Response to Maintenance problems has
been some what lacking, such as a failed sluice gate which took
several weeks to repair resulting in the death of a considerable
number of fish. Volunteer offers to make either temporary and
permanent repairs were declined.
13. When BW announced that they would be
withdrawing from the project they apparently asked DEFRA "for
a one week period to notify staff and other project partners"
as reported in Hansard in response to a question asked by David
Drew MP.
a. Stroud District Council were informed
some 30 mins before press.
b. Cotswold Canals Trust 10 mins before the
press.
c. Company of Proprietors of Stroud water
Navigation have yet to be notified formally . . ..
14. A considerable number of projects, both
private and publicly funded", have been build round the "restored
canal" which may fail if the project stalls.
15. BW withdrawing may will not only result
in the loss of their own fairly small outstanding financial contribution.
but may also mean that HLF funding will not be available to others
to continue the work.
Ken Bailey
March 2008
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