DEVELOPING A PLAN FOR SOUTH EAST S WATERWAYS

Transcription

1 LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT 10 YEARS DEVELOPING A PLAN FOR SOUTH EAST S WATERWAYS Oxford Canal Corridor John Best, Chair South East Waterway Partnership

2 Welcome Banbury / Oxford Canal Programme Partnership Introduction Our Approach & Vision Our Aims People Places Prosperity Proposed Priorities Workshop discussion Feedback

3 Partnership Members Governance / Chair John Best Ken Atack Ann Davies Cath Fincher Kerry Foster Lynda Payton Dick Pilkinton Chris Stanley Andrew Taylor Graham Warland

4 Our Approach

5 Where we are Heading

6 The Waterways Our Vision: For all our waterside cities, towns and villages within the South East to embrace their waterway as defining a and distinctive local feature of their community

7 Overarching Aims For People For Places For prosperity

8 For People

9 For People Develop a stronger sense of community pride, ownership and responsibility and raise awareness of the canals and rivers. Make the canals & rivers accessible and relevant to all communities so that they become highly valued forms of green infrastructure Use the waterways to improve the health and well-being of people living along the canal.

10 For Prosperity

11 For Prosperity Encourage and help facilitate greater use and activity on and along the waterways to support economic well-being and growth Work with others to realise the full economic and regeneration potential that waterways can deliver to the benefit of local communities, businesses and the Trust Attract investment into canal and river corridors and instil a strong sense of ownership and responsibility by waterside businesses, landowners and potential investors

12 For Places

13 For Places Make the canals welcoming and interesting places to visit, live, work, use and enjoy Make the canals and rivers accessible, safe, clean and well-connected places for all visitors, users and local communities Cherish, conserve and enhance, key heritage, environmental qualities and landscape character of the diverse network of waterways which make them locally distinctive and special

14 Our Objectives Build community engagement, volunteering and ownership. This means increasing the number of community based and business adoptions, volunteer days, visitor numbers and partnerships Improve the perception of people living and working in the area, including community engagement and social investment. This means reducing anti-social behaviour, improving the condition of our structures and increasing the sense of ownership by waterside owners Use canals for open-air lifelong learning activities. This means promoting the waterways as outdoor classrooms. Drive support of newly formed Banbury Canal Partnership Increase community & business adoptions particularly Banbury, Oxford, and Cropredy Target existing youth organisations in Banbury and Oxford specifically. Connect with waterside businesses at each village and town Define anti-social behaviour hotspots for action Target key locations for the Explorers educational offer Enhance skills capability of all volunteer groups Utilise Sector Skills Councils to promote greater interest in canal heritage skills

15 Promote the waterways as part of a natural health service. This means helping improve the health and wellbeing of boaters and towpath users with physical activities and pastoral care. Maintain and improve the safe working condition of the waterway infrastructure including reliability of water supply. This means reducing the number of poor assets, improving safety by reducing visitor incidents, tackling water reliability, supporting sustainable boating, water based tourism, and waterway dependant activities. Improve existing canal destinations and link the waterways to existing tourism destinations. This means strengthening the visitor offer in urban and rural areas, growing visitor numbers, including repeat visits, working with even organisers to increase the number and diversity of celebrations and events. Develop network of angling youth coaching schemes across the SE Improve understanding and opportunities for increased canoe /kayak activity Progress target location for pilot blue gym Ensure water management resilience is improved through pump upgrade and SCADA investment Focus on worst sections of towpath e.g. central Oxford for external funding Focus on Oxford, Banbury, Thrupp and Cropredy to improve the visitor experience Welcome centres at Thrupp and Banbury Encourage new canalside events

16 Our Objectives Tackle issues of mooring demand and overstaying This means increasing the number and quality of off-line residential and leisure moorings and enhancing the experience at visitor moorings, especially at peak times at key locations. Work in Partnership to make waterside developments waterway embracing. This means working with others to make waterside cities, towns and villages waterway embracing places by cherishing local distinctiveness and enhancing the key qualities of the waterway network. Connect the waterways and towpaths to other routes and trails. This means connecting the waterways and their towpath to other routes within and through neighbouring areas and getting the waterways recognised as part of the green infrastructure network Support & encourage marina developments on the South Oxford Towpath mooring improvements Banbury, Oxford, Cropredy Encouraging strategic development in Banbury including the shopping centre Jericho boatyard development Seek willing local partners to develop local improvement plans. target 2 locations Optimise investment into the canal network through canalside development. Work closely with local activity groups particularly the Ramblers Association and Cyclists Touring Club to develop, map and promote new existing trails. Target 5 LA s / Parishes to progress development in this area over the next 3 years Develop SE Waterway priorities with

17 Our Objectives Sustainability. Promoting energy conservation maintaining a health ecosystem and developing sustainable solutions. Promote wind turbines to power pumping stations Continue to promote vole habitat and soft bank enhancements Expand recycling along the canal corridor working with LA s in Partnership

18 Workshop Do you think the Overarching Aims are about right? Have we missed any overarching aims? Have we missed any actions or big ideas? What are they? How can you / your organisation help deliver the actions?

19 1. Absorb feedback and send summary to all participants / stakeholders 2. Follow up directly with relevant partners as appropriate e.g. 1 to 1 meetings 3. Publish / circulate final draft (Jan 2014) 4. Commence implementation of priorities 5. Feedback progress at Annual Partnership Meeting (Sept / Oct 2014)

20 Thank You John Best and the South East Waterway Partnership