Boaters' Update July 2009
This month we bring you a reader offer for this summer’s coolest canal guide, information on how to buy short-term BW licences online and celebrate Ponty’s new world heritage status.
Reader offer – cool down this summer with the must have canal guide
Cool Canals by Phillippa Greenwood and Martine O’Callaghan is an excellent guide to exploring Britain’s inland waterways. It’s packed full of ideas, things to do, places to visit as well as some of the more quirky things you can discover on and along the canals.
And don’t just take our word that it’s an essential read, Waterways World said; "Don’t plan a holiday or day out on the canals without getting hold of a copy." and Canals & Rivers said; "If you want to explore a little further than the local canalside pub, Cool Canals will open many fascinating doors."
The authors are offering Boaters’ Update readers the chance to buy the book at the special price of £10.99 (RRP £14.99) including FREE postage and packing. To order your copy visit www.coolcanalsguides.com and enter the code BW02 to get the special offer price. Offer ends on 31 December 2009.
BW short-term licences now online
As part of BW’s push to improve licensing services for its customers, short-term BW licences for England & Wales can now be purchased online.
Once the short process is complete, you will receive an email to confirm your licence has been processed. This should be kept with your boat at all times. Although you will no longer receive a set of BW licence discs to display onboard, your details will be known to BW’s patrol staff who can check the status of your licence on their hand held computers. If there is any doubt, BW’s patrol staff may ask to see evidence and the confirmation email will suffice. BW short-term licences can be bought in advance and can start at any time, so you can plan your trips and have your paperwork in place before you set off.
BW’s Annual Report & Accounts 2008/09 published
BW published its Annual Report & Accounts this week. It recorded a year of historic milestones across the network including: the reconnection of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal with Liverpool Docks, the creation of a navigable link into London’s Olympic Park, completion of the first phase of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal reconnecting the canal with the River Irwell and receiving the go ahead for the extension of the Forth & Clyde Canal as part of the HELIX Project.
Fast facts
• Visits to BW’s canals, rivers and docks increased by 7% to 262.6m against a decline in visits to inland waterways as a whole
• Expenditure on the waterways increased by 5% to just over £100m, including £7.5m on the repair of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal which was reopened on time and to budget following the breach in 2007
• Government confirmed that BW’s property endowment, which has consistently outperformed the industry standard, would stay in the public corporation’s ownership. The investment value of the estate fell by 15% in a property market which has fallen on average by 26%. Property income over the year increased by 17% to £45.6m and other sources of income held up well against the recession
• The waterways provide £500m of public benefit to society – a six-fold return on every £1 of taxpayer money spent on the waterways
• £36.1m was invested in BW’s network by partners and local authorities
Initial feedback on BW’s proposals to become a third sector organisation by 2020 have been well received. In the report, chairman, Tony Hales said: "The Board of British Waterways now believes it is right to review the long-term governance of the waterways. We want local communities, individuals and volunteers to have a greater sense of ownership and responsibility for their waterways. We have just published our document, 2020: A Vision for the Future of our Canals and Rivers, which sets out a long-term strategy for sustainable waterways based on the gradual migration of BW from the public sector to the charitable sector. We are glad to see the public debate, which has already started on this proposed strategy, and we are encouraged by its warm reception from our stakeholders. We will continue to consult extensively and look forward to receiving views and suggestions from all interested parties."
Download BW’s Annual Report & Accounts 2008/09
Download BW’s 2020: A Vision for the Future of our Canals and Rivers
Boat checker update
BW received 152 sightings of unlicensed boats, logged up until the end of June. Of these reports 12% related to boats which had already been relicensed and a further 52% were already in BW’s enforcement process. 16% resulted in new cases being opened for action, and the remaining 20% were boats which were not identifiable through a valid boat index number but the details have been passed to BW’s enforcement teams for further investigation.
BW’s late payment charge
In April 2009 BW introduced a late payment charge to encourage boat owners to renew their licence on time. The £150 charge is applied if the boat is still on a BW waterway and if the licence is more than one month overdue.
BW’s process manager, Jenny Whitehall, said: "I am pleased to report that the percentage of licences more than one month overdue has now reduced from an average of 17% to 5%."
Jenny urges boat owners to use the relevant change of details form to avoid the need for extra correspondence with the boat licensing office, or having the late payment charge applied.
"Please help us keep our records up to date by using the relevant change notification form which you’ll find listed at www.britishwaterways.co.uk/license-it/downloads. Be sure to complete and send us this form if you sell your boat or move it away from BW waters."
BW mooring vacancies
BW would like to say a big thank you to the volunteers who have come forward to test its new auction style mooring vacancies website. The development of the revamped site is progressing well and BW plans to send the first round of tests out this week.
For updates about the new system please go to www.bwmooringvacancies.co.uk
TV historian backs mill restoration
Dan Cruickshank, one of Britain’s leading architectural and historic building experts, is fronting a campaign to restore the machinery in a historic watermill located on the outskirts of the Olympic park in Bromley-by-Bow, east London.
Dan said: "The House Mill is the largest remaining tidal mill in the world and is a hidden gem in a deprived area of east London. The building is hugely important both for its heritage value and its future potential to generate hydro-electricity. I am delighted to support the campaign to see it restored and we are launching a partnership, the Three Mills Partnership, to secure the future of this fantastic building."
As a first step, the Partnership has submitted an application to English Heritage and other bodies to raise funds for an options appraisal which would help determine sustainable solutions for the House Mill and site. The options appraisal will tell the Partnership what is practically and technically feasible. The Partnership will then launch a fundraising campaign to restore the mill’s wheels and interior adaptations.
Read more about the history of the mills and the Three Mills Partnership
Blisworth Tunnel 25 years on
Local waterway organisations, history groups and businesses have joined forces to organise a day of special events on Saturday 22 August to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the re-opening of Blisworth Tunnel following major construction work in the 1980s.
There will be special guided tunnel trips between Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne with the opportunity to make the return journey by vintage bus. There will also be an exhibition of rare archive material related to the tunnel and an opportunity to hear first hand from the engineers and construction workers about how the tunnel restoration was carried out.
During the 1980s restoration, Blisworth historian, George Freeston, walked the tunnel recording the day-to-day progress of the complex engineering task and material from his archive will form the basis of a new temporary exhibition for the occasion. The National Waterways Museum at Stoke Bruerne also has a new tunnel exhibition entitled 'Through the Hill' and this will form part of the day's attractions.
Read more about Blisworth Tunnel 25 years on
IWA National Festival & Boat Show
The countdown is well under way to the IWA’s 2009 National Festival & Boat Show held over the August Bank Holiday weekend (29 - 31 August 2009) at Red Hill, near Ratcliffe on Soar, on the Soar Navigation.
And a date for your 2010 calendar, the IWA has announced its 2010 National Festival will return to Beale Park on the River Thames at Pangbourne, near Reading. It will coincide with the centenary of the birth of one of IWA’s founders - Tom Rolt and the festival will be held in his honour over the August Bank Holiday weekend in 2010.
For further information about the IWA’s National Festival & Boat Show
Climate change will have impact on inland waterways
The Inland Waterways Advisory Council (IWAC) has published its latest report showing how inland waterways can assist in lessening and adapting to the effects of climate change.
John Edmonds, who chairs IWAC, said: "Some degree of climate change is now inevitable. Action is required by everyone, including the inland waterway sector, to achieve the 80% cut required in all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050."
The report identifies a number of ways in which canals and rivers can contribute to lessening the effects of climate change through: increasing the amount of freight transported on waterways, using waterways as a more sustainable source for cooling adjacent buildings, developing renewable energy sources, such as hydropower, and reducing vessel emissions through improved boater education on engine use and speed.
Read more about IWAC’s Climate change report
Awesome aqueduct attains world heritage site status
And finally, BW, council chiefs and local communities are celebrating the news that Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and canal has been given World Heritage Site status.
The journey began in the 1999 when the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was put on the UK’s list of potential World Heritage Sites and concluded in Seville when UNESCO granted the Thomas Telford masterpiece equal status with the Great Barrier Reef, the Taj Mahal and the Acropolis.
BW’s Wales & Border Counties general manager, Julie Sharman, said: "Achieving this status means this wonderful leisure destination has achieved the recognition it deserves and bringing with it opportunities for increased economic prosperity to local communities."
Read more information about Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and canal World Heritage Site status.
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