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Following the success of the first protest weekend in
November 2006, a nationwide series of Waterways Community Days were held on the
weekend of 3rd and 4th March. The aim was to promote Britain's inland waterways
and demonstrate how communities value their waterways - in support of the
campaign to urge government to reinstate the funding cuts imposed upon British
Waterways and the Environment Agency and ensure long-term funding for inland
waterways.
Despite very poor weather on the Sunday, hundreds of people
turned out to most of the locations with protests and there was an
exceptionally good attendance from politicians at local and national level.
Full reports and photos of all the weekend’s activities are available
here.
At its meeting on 10th March, the
Association’s Council resolved to continue IWA’s campaign for
improved funding for the inland waterways, and in particular to restore the
level of Grant-in-aid received from central government for British Waterways
and the Environment Agency’s navigations. Members of Council also
expressed their appreciation of the very considerable practical support
demonstrated by such a 4 wide range of members and supporters, particularly in
the activities over the weekend 3rd and 4th March. Council concluded that the
inland waterways had achieved a very significant profile and goodwill with the
vast majority of Members of Parliament, but that there was a need to maintain
this through the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review, which will affect
the budgets for all areas of government over the next few years, and in any
re-juggling of departmental responsibilities for the election of a successor
prime minister, when it is possible that the inland waterways, and British
Waterways in particular, could find itself reporting to, and funded by, a
different part of government.
In considering the need for continued communication to
politicians; in particular writing letters to MPs, the Association’s
Council was deeply conscious that waterway supporters cannot afford to be
complacent with the success to date, and must continue to remind the ministers
that Government’s Waterways for Tomorrow commitments are now being broken.
Council was concerned that this winter’s reductions in maintenance were in
danger of being the thin end of a wedge that could undermine the multitude of
benefits that the inland waterways so clearly bring to many communities.
IWA is to continue to encourage members and other waterway
supporters to write yet again to their constituency MP, and also the MPs who
cover the areas in which they use canals and rivers. This time, MPs should be
encouraged to ask the Waterways Minister, Barry Gardiner, how he equates the
document Waterways for Tomorrow with the recent actions of the Department for
Environment Food and Rural Affairs, and to request that he addresses an area of
the document that they are concerned about, illustrated by examples relevant in
their community – such as wildlife, regeneration, freight, etc. If
supporters ask about specific issues that are important to them, it helps avoid
junior civil servants churning out standard replies.
Council believes that the civil servants and politicians
need to be reminded of government’s stated vision in Waterways for
Tomorrow (available here), published in June 2000, which said:
“A vision for the inland waterways: The inland waterways are an
important asset for future generations to enjoy and the Government is keen to
see them maintained and developed in a sustainable way so that they fulfil
their social, economic and environmental potential. We want to ensure that the
many benefits and opportunities they provide are used to the full…. The
government want to ensure that the many benefits and opportunities they provide
are fully, imaginatively and adventurously used by all.”
It was stated in 2000 that “inland waterways are to
be looked at as whole”, listing the areas that cross government’s
full agenda: heritage, innovative uses (e.g. water transfer,
telecommunications), regeneration and urban renaissance, environmental and
educational benefits, freight and leisure. IWA believes that Government needs
to be reminded that it is their remit to champion waterways across all
departments, and that an innovative approach to secure long-term funding is
needed to enable waterways to continue to deliver against all aspects of
Government’s agenda. This requires the attention of a range of government
departments, and provides opportunities for campaigning direct to many senior
politicians and ministers.
A short article in The Times on 22nd March - the
day after the budget - which intimated that the government intends to force
British Waterways to sell its property assets appears to be entirely press
speculation, rather than based on any announcement or informed source. There
was no specific mention in the Budget and the speculation appears to be based
solely on a continuation of a current process which is part of the negotiations
with Government departments during the Comprehensive Spending Review process.
The press articles have looked at the range of public bodies with assets and
lumped British Waterways in with the rest. In British Waterways' case, the
assets enable it to earn income that directly reduces the requirement for
grant-in-aid; so selling the assets would increase the call on public funds,
rather than reduce it. |
