IWA meet Minister

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) met the Waterways Minister, Jonathan Shaw MP, yesterday (18th October) to lobby on behalf of all waterway users for a better deal for the inland waterways, boaters and those promoting waterway restoration and regeneration.  The meeting, held in the Minister's office in London, reviewed the range of pressures on navigation managers and other waterway interests, and the increasing costs being faced by waterway users. 

 

 

In an hour long meeting with John Fletcher IWA’s national chairman and Neil Edwards IWA’s chief executive, the Minister appeared sympathetic to the issues raised and impressed in his understanding that there was an intrinsic value that boats brought to the waterways through their colour and vibrancy, which attracted other users and commercial investment and made the waterways special to everybody.

 

 

A key item for discussion was the need for a sustainable funding regime for British Waterways and the Environment Agency. The Minister agreed, and whilst outlining work in progress in moving towards achieving this for British Waterways, he explained the considerable financial pressures faced by the Department following the 2007 floods and national disease outbreaks.  IWA  made its views on the priority needs for proper funding for the waterways absolutely clear, and the Minister acknowledged the pressures on its delivery bodies and the case for waterway funding, but said that the Department had a great number of competing pressures and more internal negotiation within the Department on its priorities was required before funding for British Waterways was announced resultant from the Spending Review.  He added that a decision was unlikely to be reached before mid-December.

 

 

IWA also raised concerns at British Waterways' proposals to increase revenue from boat owners, and the overall rise in costs that are beginning to force less affluent boaters, and particularly those on fixed incomes, from the waterways. IWA explained that British Waterways was coming in for a great deal of criticism from many waterway users as a result of the manner in which proposals for swingeing increases in boat licence fees and the  imposition of a moorings tender trial had been conducted. The Minister was aware of this friction and announced that he was planning a series of waterside visits next year, and would be holding regular meetings with representatives of waterway user groups, the first of which would take place before Christmas.

 

 

IWA briefed the Minister on the importance of the voluntary sector in initiating waterway restoration and regeneration, as well its vital role in running many smaller navigations - all without regular government support.  The 2007 floods had been particularly challenging for many, and cutbacks in discreet support for many restoration promoters from British Waterways risked future regeneration potential.  The Minister was sympathetic to these concerns and explained that rural regeneration was particularly important to him.  The Minister also shared IWA's concern that marina and moorings developments, particularly in rural areas, should include small-scale lower priced moorings, such as lay byes and community / boat-club operations, as well as the more glamorous multi-facility marinas.  The Minister was made aware that IWA has asked British Waterways to promote such opportunities to waterside landowners, and not solely concentrate on the larger-scale marinas that can be more difficult to achieve planning approval for.

 

 

The Minister explained that he had begun the process of forming an inter-departmental group for waterways issues, as recommended in the recent Select Committee inquiry into British Waterways. The group would ensure that government departments would  not work in isolation on the waterways, as many aspects were now seen to cross government department boundaries, such as heritage, regeneration and  the carriage of freight by water,

 

 

John Fletcher

IWA national chairman said "The hour-long meeting provided a good opportunity to personally brief the Minister on IWA’s concerns. He is clearly well-briefed on the issues and recognises the considerable challenges to be faced.  I particularly welcome the Minister's readiness to engage with waterway users and his frank and straight-forward explanations”.

 

 

 

 

Neil Edwards IWA chief executive commented that; “The Minister was very responsive to IWA’s concern to ensure that the waterways remained accessible to all and that they did not become the sole preserve of the affluent. He appears to be a man who we can do business with."