Memorandum submitted by Wigan Council
1. Regeneration frequently takes place in
areas where there are canals or rivers, because of the value of
the setting to property in these areas. As these properties themselves
are often of local or historical significance, BW's input will
always be valuable to local authorities.
2. The Leeds-Liverpool canal traverses Wigan
and is an important local feature, encouraging tourism and leisure
activity, as well as contributing much to the visual appearance
of many areas of the borough.
3. One point where the canal is of particular
significance is in the Wigan Pier Quarter (where Wigan Pier is
to be found). A number of significant buildings in the Pier Quarter
conservation area, including Eckersley Mills—one of the
largest complexes of its kind in the North West—are set
off by their proximity to the canal. In addition, for many years
a boat trip on the canal was an integral part of the visitor experience
for those going to the award winning Way We Were museum.
4. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that
BW have chosen to establish their regional headquarters in Wigan,
actually in the Pier Quarter. This in itself has contributed to
active use of a modern canalside building. However, for the past
four years, we have also been working with BW officers based outside
the borough to bring back two other strategic canal side sites
into active use.
5. One of these sites has been derelict
for fifteen years and the other will unlock a large mixed use
development in and around Trencherfield Mill, an iconic Grade
2 listed building. BW are working to retain a working boatyard
within a historic setting on one site, and they are also going
to improve the moorings there, both of which initiatives will
help to increase the numbers of those who can enjoy the canal,
whether they live locally, whether they are visitors or whether
they are users of the canal itself.
6. It is, therefore, fair to say our partnership
with BW is essential to the success of Wigan's regeneration strategy
for the Pier Quarter and that, without BW's investment here, regeneration
would undoubtedly stall. (We are also negotiating the reassignment
of the lease on The Way We Were with BW, who own the freehold,
to ensure that the building is re-used in the future).
7. Clearly I cannot comment directly on
BW's decision to withdraw from the Cotswold Canal Partnership.
However, it seems to me that BW has to operate with quite limited
means and with a small staff complement. This would oblige them
to adopt a strategic approach and prioritise between areas. As
they are a national organization, with a very wide ranging set
of responsibilities, this will present challenges: it must, inevitably,
mean that not everything everywhere is done at once.
8. Because of the level of demand placed
on BW officers' time, we ourselves had, in the past, some initial
difficulties developing an effective partnership. We came to appreciate,
though, that these difficulties had nothing to do with either
a lack of interest in Wigan or any lack of commitment to improving
the canal system. Once we were able to engage with BW and establish
joint objectives, such that our project process could get under
way, we have been completely satisfied with the level of professionalism
displayed. The Council looks forward to building on this existing
relationship and working with BW to maximise the use and the value
of the canal system here. This is entirely appropriate, as the
canals were part of the industrial triad—Coal, Cotton, Canals—on
which the community in Wigan once depended.
Wigan Council
March 2008
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