Memorandum submitted by blocKilmartin
1. WHO WE
ARE
blocKilmartin is the urban regeneration arm
of the Kilmartin Property Group and I am Managing Director of
the regeneration division of this business. The Kilmartin Property
Group is an international property development investment and
regeneration business with its major trading activities undertaken
throughout the UK. The Kilmartin Property Group is 50% owned by
the Bank of Scotland.
2. OUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH BRITISH
WATERWAYS
I personally have a 13 year working relationship
with British Waterways and was the principal instigator together
with the Head of Property for BW of the multi-award winning Edinburgh
Quay development which forms the terminus of the millennium link
canal between Edinburgh and Glasgow. More recently we have a successful
and active ongoing joint venture with British Waterways instigated
over four years ago titled H2O Urban Limited. This company provides
a classic blend of public and private sector skills providing
projects which allow profitable reinvestment in the canal network
in addition to other valuable outputs including enhancement of
the canal environment and setting and encouragement of additional
interaction and use of the waterway network.
3. FUTURE STRATEGY
We are committed to working with British Waterways
in order to ensure the continued regeneration and restoration
of the elements of the canal network that H2O Urban can directly
influence and feel proud that the reinvestment of a significant
proportion of H2O profits further enhances the upkeep of the canal
network outside our own operational remit. The network is both
a national treasure and asset and the superb work that BW undertake
should be commended in terms of the efficiency of its operation
and effective use of public resources and finance.
4. BW'S OPERATION
Although BW operates within a regulatory budgetary
environment, the key attributes which set this organisation apart
from all other public sector bodies that I have engaged with in
over 20 years of property development and partnership is that
it has an efficiency of commercial operation and a quality of
key personnel that is in my experience second to none in the public
sector. Public bodies and local authorities who I have engaged
with in the past sometimes have an effective management structure
or one dynamic individual who can act as a leader and influencer
for beneficial change. Unfortunately some public(and private)
bodies I have come across have also been myopic, inward looking
bureaucracies which can lead to a systemic failure in their ability
to act efficiently and commercially for the benefit of the public
purse. In my experience British Waterways stand alone in its general
commercial effectiveness and efficiency together with its high
quality key individuals in maximising the benefit to both the
public purse and the other key regeneration and restoration outputs
which are part of British Waterway's Charter.
I am more than happy to be a taxpayer contributor
in the work that British Waterways undertake, particularly given
the wastage I have seen in other bodies. In fact, I would go as
far as to say that other parts of the public/LA sector would significantly
benefit from copying the BW management/decision making structure.
5. CONCLUSION
I would appreciate the Committee's continued
support for BW and its work, both as a partner and as a taxpayer.
Richard Page
blocKilmartin
March 2008
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