Select committee

IWA Welcomes Select Committee Inquiry into British Waterways’ Withdrawal from the Cotswold Canals Partnership.

IWA Press Release

Issue Date:  22 February 2008

IWA Welcomes Select Committee Inquiry into British Waterways’ Withdrawal from the Cotswold Canals Partnership.

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has welcomed the announcement today that following direct representations by IWA to the chairman of the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, the Select Committee is to hold a one-off evidence session on British Waterways, to examine BW’s regeneration and restoration role, with particular reference to BW’s recent decision to withdraw from the Cotswold Canal Partnership.

IWA has been particularly critical of BW dropping out of the Cotswold restoration project, and creating a £4.5 million gap in the funding package, which had been painstakingly put together. IWA is concerned that BW’s actions could lessen confidence in other funding providers as well as regional and local government and its agencies for waterways projects in general. IWA has therefore called upon BW to reconsider its actions.

IWA called a meeting of supportive MPs at Westminster, which was held on 18th February, and briefed them on the Association’s concerns for current funding of the waterways, and in particular BW’s decisions concerning the Cotswold Canals.  The following day, Neil Edwards, IWA chief executive wrote to Michael Jack MP, chairman of the Select Committee, expressing the Association’s concerns and urging him to re-open the inquiry into British Waterways, with particular reference to the position of the Cotswold Canals, how the decision came about and its future implications.  The swift move by the Select Committee to reopen its inquiry appears to indicate that it shares these concerns.

IWA intends to provide written evidence to the Committee and encourages other interested parties, including waterway restoration interests, to consider making their own submissions, particularly in the light of potential impacts that BW’s withdrawal from the Cotswold Canals Partnership could have on their own scheme.

Speaking on behalf of IWA John Fletcher, national chairman, said;

“IWA welcomes the rapid response by the Select Committee and those MPs that IWA has contacted in response to BW’s sudden and ill-judged withdrawal from the Cotswold Canals Partnership. Not withstanding BW’s acute financial difficulties, funding commitments for restoration projects need to be honoured if the waterways sector is to retain financial credibility for future partnerships.”

“We welcome the news from the Cotswold Partnership that they are actively seeking alternative funding sources and that they remain optimistic for a positive outcome.”

“Despite the unfortunate publicity caused by BW’s decision to withdraw, IWA remains positive that the situation can be resolved, and consider that it is not too late for BW to reverse its decision. We believe that BW needs to make a stronger case for additional funding to support the repairs to the Brecon and Abergavenny Canal breach, the cost of which is BW’s stated reason for withdrawing funding from the Cotswold Canals.”

Ends

Notes for Editors

For further information please contact
Jo Gilbertson 01923 711 114

Details of the Select Committee and how to give evidence can be found at:
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/environment__food_and_rural_affairs/efra_pn19_080221.cfm

The Inland Waterways Association

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) is a registered charity, founded in 1946, which advocates the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the inland waterways for public benefit.

IWA has about 18,000 members whose interests include boating, towing path walking, industrial archaeology, nature conservation and many other activities associated with the inland waterways.  Information provided by 188 corporate members with their own membership structures has revealed that they, in themselves, have a combined membership of at least 59,500 in support of IWA's voice.  IWA works closely with navigation authorities, other waterway bodies, a wide range of national and local authorities, voluntary, private and public sector organisations to raise funds, lobby for support and encourage public participation in the inland waterways.

More than 500 miles of canals and navigable rivers have been re-opened to public use since the Association was founded in 1946.  Currently another 500 miles of derelict inland waterways are the subject of restoration plans.

The Cotswold Canals

 In the 1950s, having escaped nationalisation, its owners - the original company of proprietors who built it - allowed the Stroudwater Navigation to fall derelict.  Stroudwater, Thames & Severn Canal Trust (now renamed as Cotswold Canals Trust) later persuaded the Company that the Navigation should be restored, along with the Thames & Severn Canal.  Serious restoration work on the Navigation between Stroud and the M5 started in the early 1980s with a series of job creation schemes, supported by local volunteers, and was followed up through the early 1990s with more volunteer work, including support from the Waterway Recovery Group. 

In 2006, the Heritage Lottery Fund gave approval for an £11.3 million grant towards the restoration of the Cotswold Canals, supported by funding from South West Regional Development Agencies, local authorities, BW and Cotswold Canals Trust.  The funding package is to enable complete restoration of the six-mile waterways from The Ocean at Stonehouse on the Stroudwater Navigation in the west to Brimscombe Port on the Thames & Severn Canal east of Stroud, and major civil engineering works are now underway.  The partnership is also working to ensure the protection of the historic structures of the waterways between Stonehouse and Saul Junction, open a 10-mile multi-user trail and prepare the way for connecting the restored phase one section with the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.

The Cotswold Canals Partnership narrowly missed out on a major grant from the Big Lottery Fund in late 2007, which would have enabled restoration of the remainder of the Stroudwater Navigation through to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal at Saul Junction.  However, £250,000 funding was provided to enable the completion of further studies that will be vital for future funding applications.

As part of an arrangement to finalise funding for the restoration of the Cotswold Canals between Stonehouse and Brimscombe, Stroud District Council has undertaken to redevelop the area around Brimscombe Port separate from BW’s management of the main restoration works.  In late 2007, Gloucestershire County Council transferred its ownership of the canal between Stroud and Brimscombe to British Waterways, but on 4th February, British Waterways announced that it intended to withdraw from the Partnership in April 2008 leaving a £4.5 million funding gap.