November 2006 - Canoeist Magazine

Anglers
dope tested
Anglers were tested for
drugs at their world
championships. This was
said to be to bring them
up to Olympic standard.
Change not
uniform
A report by the Centre
for Environment &
Hydrology for SNH
suggests that different
species are reacting to
climate fluctuations at
different rates. There is a
danger that some will
emerge earlier in the year
than their traditional food
species.
Ribble Link
locks weak
The locks on the Ribble
Link have shown signs of
weakness and are to be
investigated. The
connection, joining the
Lancaster Canal to the
River Ribble in Preston,
was opened in 2002.
Coe tree danger
A tree has fallen across
the River Coe two thirds
of the way down the
gorge section. It can be
avoided on the left at low
flows but would be
dangerous with the river
up.
Meanwhile, paddlers
have removed a fallen tree
on the Conwy.
Welsh
coastal paths
A 1,300km footpath is
to follow the Welsh
coastline from the Dee to
the Severn. This follows a
200km footpath opened
around Anglesey.
However, the Welsh
Assembly have decided
not to extend open access
to coastal areas.
Alwen study
The WCA are looking
at Pont Barker weir on the
Alwen. Currently its
design is lethal and it is
also a barrier to migrating
fish. The Rhug estate, who
made the development
plans which led to the
withdrawal of cooperation
by anglers and the current
problem on the Dee, have
approved altering the weir
if funding can be found.
With the danger removed
there will be potential for
a worthwhile stretch of
paddling.
12
DEFRA officials have been fined for late payments
to farmers via the Rural Payments Agency. Regardless
of the reasons (and there have been some very serious
allegations) a substantial fine has to be paid to the EU
and it has been decided to obtain the money by grant
cuts across DEFRA’s departments rather than footing
the bill from the Treasury. BW and the EA are
prominent victims. Scottish payments to BW will be
made in full as agreed.
The EA had already announced increased navigation
restoration this winter but are now proposing craft
licence increases which will total some 40% rise over
the next three years. This increase is expected to drive
some 1,400 to 1,800 boaters off the waterways.
BW are facing a 15% grant cut, some £9,000,000, a
figure which could total £60,000,000 by 2011. They
will push up licences by 2.7% for 2001 and are
considering much bigger increases thereafter, reduced
mooring, reduced maintenance, property sales,
postponing restoration work and closing canals. 180
staff, 10% of the workforce, are being made redundant
just as BW were recovering from when they last had to
go through this exercise, which does not come at the
start of a financial year but after they have already spent
half of their annual budget. BW’s attempts to move
from Watford to cheaper premises at Apsley have also
been foiled as they have been gazumped on the new
property.
Powered craft users are still facing having derogated
red diesel withdrawn, pushing up fuel prices, to add to
the licence increases. Boat hire businesses will become
decreasingly viable and a spiral of closures of water
related businesses will set in.
OK, so you don’t use powered craft and perhaps you
don’t use the deep water navigations so why should
you worry? Do you take part in any form of
competition or coaching for which you are forced to
pay for BCU membership? If so, that is also likely to
rise as licence charges go up.
The IWA have put £10,000 into a fighting fund and
the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities, the
Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council, the
BMF and several other interests including the BCU
have been persuaded to give their support. At the BW
AGM there was considerable anger directed at the two
officials who attended in place of Minister Barry
Gardiner. All boaters have been asked to write to their
MPs and ask them to sign Early Day Motion 2757. 40
signatures are being sought. Canoeists got way in access
of this over river access, even with opposition from
angling MPs, so there should be no problem meeting
the current target. Letters were requested by the end of
October so please add your voice as soon as possible.
Boaters campaign
against DEFRA cuts
Do not write to Ministers as this only gets a Civil
Servant reply. Write to your MP, who cannot be
ignored when he forwards it.
A Save Our Waterways petition has been set up and
you are asked to sign it even if you do not use the
canals or the towpaths yourself. Go to
saveourwaterways.org.uk.
A message being spelled out to DEFRA officials is
that the canals have been one of their greatest successes
and now all their achievements stand to be thrown
away.
Chris Tizzard, chairman of the Grantham Canal
Restoration Society Ltd, put forward the following
discussion points for the last meeting of the
Parliamentary Waterways Group:
1. Can DEFRA appeal against the fine imposed by the
EU?
2. If not, can DEFRA take a leaf out of other EU
members’ books and just refuse to pay?
3. If DEFRA have to pay the fine, can Government
withhold the equivalent money in our contributions to
the EU in protest?
4. Can Government bring pressure to bear on the EU
for its own inefficiencies, ie the refusal by EU’s own
auditors to sign off EU’s accounts due to huge
discrepancies for several years running and the EU’s
inability or reluctance to explain the discrepancies?
5. Would all the members and associate members press
other MPs and Ministers to support BW’s efforts to
replace lost grant funding from other Government
department resources in order that BW may be able to
carry out Government’s own stated policy of
waterways’ part in regeneration.
6. Are Government planning to abandon their own
policy of regeneration of the waterways? If not, how
do they propose to enable its continuation in the light
of BW’s predicament?
7. Should Government now be seeking to have
Britain’s inland waterways declared a World Heritage
Site? Our waterways are unique in that they are still
much as they were designed and built during the
period of canal mania in the middle to late 18th
century.
8. Can we risk loosing the £6,000,000,000 of
regeneration for which BW are the deliverer and
catalyst, for a comparatively few million pounds of
grant cutting to BW?
9. Can Government afford to loose the huge volunteer
force helping in this regeneration through
disillusionment?
I have also heard resentment issued against the 2012
Olympics over this issue, this being seen as a less
deserving and far more expensive cause.
Access support scheme launched
Noting that it took the Ramblers’ Association 11 full time staff members to secure the CRoW Act, the WCA
have set up the Access Supporters Scheme to raise funds to fight for access. Membership costs £20 per year and will
bring such personal benefits as Tryweryn discounts, WCA supplies discounts and the right to attend access events
and be kept informed. It does not include insurance, canal licences, voting rights or BCU reciprocal membership.
Because the money is ringfenced for access it may appeal to those who want to support access but not the BCU.
Alan Pugh, the Minister for Culture, the Welsh Language & Sport, was made the honorary first member after being
taken for a trip down the Conwy estuary by Colwyn Canoe Club. You are encouraged to sign the WCA access
petition at http://petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=2856. The Welsh Sport’ers Club has been set up
by the Welsh Sports Association to offer discount to club members when buying goods online. In addition to a
personal discount, a commission will be paid to the member’s club. The WCA have decided that any money they
receive from this source will be used for access., was made the honorary first member after being taken for a trip
down the Conwy estuary by Colwyn Canoe Club.
CANOEIST November 2006