Plans to create
one of Britain’s biggest charities to secure the future of more
than 4,000 kilometres of canals and rivers in England and Wales
have been set out today.
The Government announced last year that the publicly-owned inland
waterways, currently managed by British Waterways and the
Environment Agency, should in future be managed by a new charity.
This would secure the waterways’ long-term, sustainable financial
future by enabling the new body to access new sources of income
and greater public support, and give local people a greater say in
their upkeep.
Now Ministers are seeking people’s views on the new charity and
proposals including:
a governance model to foster local engagement and ownership;the
charity’s constitution; andimproving the long-term financial
sustainability of the waterways.
Environment Minister Richard Benyon said:
“Our inland waterways are important pieces of
heritage, havens for wildlife, and vital for leisure, recreation,
health and well-being – enjoyed by millions of boaters, anglers,
walkers and cyclists.
“We want to unlock the true potential of the waterways, so that
they are valued and enjoyed by even more people. Creating a new
charitable body for waterways will give people the chance to have
a greater say in the running of their local canal or river.”
The Government intends to transfer waterways to the charity
subject to a special trust, which will be set out in a Trust
Declaration requiring the waterways to be protected for the
public’s benefit, in perpetuity. The Government proposes that the
Trust Declaration should include free access to the towpaths will
be protected.
Howard Pridding, Executive Director, British Marine Federation, said:
“The British Marine Federation, as the representative body of
the leisure marine industry, supports the concept of British
Waterways transforming into a civil society organisation. We are
keen to seize this opportunity to place our canals and navigable
rivers on a sustainable footing for the years to come and believe
that this model can ensure that the vital service and maintenance
responsibilities are retained at a sustainable level. The BMF will
be actively involved during the consultation process on behalf of
waterside businesses to ensure that issues important to industry
and tourism, including maintaining navigation, levels of service
and the industry’s role in governance are fully considered”
Paul Owen, Chief Executive, British Canoe Union, said:
“The British Canoe Union welcomes this consultation for the new
waterways charity. Our inland waterways are a truly special
resource and we hope that everyone with an interest in our
waterways will comment on the proposals. The NWC will provide a
great opportunity for local communities, especially young people,
to come together and get involved with managing and developing
their local waterways and the surrounding environments. We are
especially looking forward to working with the NWC to encourage
more people to get out on the water, and to build a future where
everyone can enjoy our waterways for years to come.”
Rex Walden, Chairman, Residential Boat Owners Association, said:
“We honestly believe that the chosen route and model is exactly
what the waterways of England and Wales need for them to have a
future - It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and has the
potential to genuinely place the hands of the users on the levers
of power.”
David Pearce, National Chairman, Association of
Waterways Cruising Clubs, said:.
“These are still early days, but I see the New
Waterways Charity as a splendid opportunity for the people of
this country to influence the future of our inland waterways for
the good. All the main political parties support the idea and it
builds on much preparation that we have done jointly with BW in
recent years. The Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs sees
this as the best chance to guarantee the future of a thriving
and integrated system for all to enjoy and I would ask everyone
with an interest, however slight, to participate positively in
this consultation exercise.”
Clive Henderson, Inland Waterways Association national chairman, said:
“I welcome that the Government shares our vision that there
should be a sort of ‘National Trust’ for the waterways. We have
been asking for this since the middle of the last century and we
are in no doubt that this is the right way forward for the
management of Britain’s inland waterways. With the right
governance this can lead to real, tangible, community engagement
with all the benefits that this approach can deliver. Local
‘ownership’ of waterways will incentivise more volunteering and
over time will bring new funding to the waterways.
“This consultation document has been eagerly awaited. We will
consider the proposals with great care and will aim to support the
Government in getting the process right so that we can all look
forward to a sustainable future for the waterways.”
Notes to Editors
The consultation is online at
www.defra.gov.uk/consult/waterways-1103/. Subject to the passage
of the Public Bodies Bill, the new charity is expected to be
created in April 2012.British Waterways is a public corporation
responsible for approximately 3,000 km of waterways, of which
about three-quarters are canals. The Environment Agency manages
almost 1,000 km of waterways, most of which are navigable rivers.
The two bodies are responsible for around 75 per cent of the 5000
km of waterways in England and Wales.The Government is committed
to delivering a “national trust for the waterways” that includes
the British Waterways and the Environment Agency navigations. To
give the charity the best possible start in the current tight
fiscal climate, it wishes to take a phased approach to delivery of
this vision, with British Waterways’ canals, rivers, docks and
reservoirs in England and Wales transferring into the new civil
society body, as soon parliamentary authority is gained and the
inclusion of the EA navigations into the new waterways charity,
after the next Spending Review in 2015, subject to affordability
and the agreement of the NWC Trustees.
Contacts:
Defra Press Office
Phone: 020 7238 6600
NDS.DEFRA@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Martin Deller
Phone: 020 7238 5334
martin.deller@defra.gsi.gov.uk