BEDFORD & MILTON KEYNES January 2011 Volume 9 no 1

Transcription

1 BEDFORD & MILTON KEYNES January 2011 Volume 9 no 1 WATERWAY TRUST 199 YEARS ON AND WATERWAY BECOMES A BIG SOCIETY PROJECT Dualling of the A421 and planned Marston Innovation Park are bite size chunks that will move project forward - The first B&MK Partnership conference 1 One hundred and ninety-nine years to the day since the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway was first proposed, the Mayor of Bedford Borough, Dave Hodgson, outlined his vision of how the waterway is at the heart of plans to regenerate the locality. He said that the opening of the dualled A421 would create opportunities to attract businesses and raise public awareness along the waterway route through Marston Vale. Brian wanted to celebrate waterway heritage by reinventing canals for the 21 st century in this waterway for all, said Jane Wolfson, chair of the Trust. In a call to action to communities along the 26km missing link of waterway between the Grand Union Canal at Milton Keynes and the River Great Ouse at Bedford, Jane explained how the Trust s role in the future would be to work with the Partnership and the 300,000 people living along the route on the various projects which will ultimately link the waterway. This is a big society project - whether or not you like the label - with the community actively working to shape the locality and holding our public bodies to account. And there will be new sources of funding available. The key is to seek the opportunities at each moment in time. The economic and political climate gives us a breathing space. she said. Bedford Mayor, Dave Hodgson addresses the conference The proposed Marston Innovation Park would also bring the waterway a step closer. It would offer business headquarters alongside the improved road, just ten minutes from the M1, and the stretch of waterway through the Park would enhance the location as an attractive place to work, he said. More than 100 delegates from local authorities, agencies, business, academia, sport and leisure and local communities were present at the first B&MK Partnership conference at the Marston Vale Forest Centre in November when the 199 th anniversary of the meeting called by the then Mayor of Bedford, Charles Short, was celebrated, together with the founding of the B&MK Waterway Trust ten years ago by the late Brian Young, a Bedford resident. Earlier Jane said that the main lesson learned was that while the B&MK could, in theory, have been a 10-year project, in practice like most of the original canal schemes it was likely to take 10 to 20 years to bring it to completion. It took longer to secure the route in local plans, 8 years not 3, and it is taking longer to secure funding. The big money is still the big dilemma but every year we have made progress. We have a project which is generating its own success, even if in a slower timescale than we would have liked. said Jane. She highlighted the example of the Beeston Locks on the Shropshire Union canal, where oak trees were planted to shape the landscape of the future. That s what we want to do make our mark, make this a better place for the next generations. Ten years ago we were the acorn, today the project is a sturdy sapling which we need to nurture to the very end. It is about identity. It is about saying that this area will be better and more distinctive with the waterway at its heart. It is about the challenge of innovation and making it deliver for the generations to come. Involving young people and schools is key to this, she said. Continued on page 4

2 View From The Chair On 29 November I sat in on the second meeting of the Project Consortium. I m delighted to report that the group is working hard, under the positive and practical chairmanship of Dave Hodgson, the Mayor of Bedford, to move the project forward, deal with possible obstacles, and bid for funding. Richard Wood, the Trust s representative on the Consortium, encouraged all members to be on the front foot, promoting the possibilities that the Waterway opens up, rather being caught on the back foot, hearing about development on the route too late to influence it. The Consortium agreed to produce a briefing note and hold a seminar for planners and developers. It will also identify economic opportunities for Consortium members along the route in the new year. Everyone in the Consortium is now working to the latest version of the BM&K Waterway A-Z Status at October 2010, produced for the Trust s first Annual Partnership Conference earlier in November and very smart it looks too! Copies are available on the Trust website. The Conference was a resounding success, not just for the formal sessions but also for the informal networking and connections made. The focus was all on how together we can make the project happen by being creative and collaborative. We are grateful to all those who gave us feedback on the Conference and for all the expressions of interest in future Trust projects. The Board is now finalising the Trust s new three-year plan, which will include the setting up in January of a Projects Group. This will work alongside our well-established Communications Group, which manages an increasing number of talks, walks, events, and publications. Full details of changes in structure will be included on the website and in the next newsletter. Hilary, Claire and I enjoyed planning the Members Calendar for 2011, which mixes social events, walks and talks. A family engagement meant that I missed the chance to catch up with members at our winter social, and I look forward to see more of you throughout The AGM on 25 May will give members and supporters an update on the route and the chance to hear more about the Trust Boat, which will be one of our new projects. Don Allison is standing down after several years sterling work as Displays Manager in order to focus on this project, so please contact him if you d like to be involved. See you there! Jane Wolfson With A Little help From Our Friends Thanks to everyone attendees, organisers, sponsors etc for making such a success of the Annual Partnership Conference on 4 Nov, in particular Steve Ashton and Stephanie Radusin at URS/Scott Wilson for their fine graphics, design and printing of the conference programmes and the updated A-Z Project Status report, to David Lock Associates for enabling the Trust to have the reports bound, and to Halcrow Group Ltd, our major sponsors (as well as waterway design consultants) whose donation enabled the Trust to stage the event. Also, special thanks to Natalie Jones and Michelle Convey in the British Waterways GIS who support the Trust s many and varied mapping needs, from massive route maps of the whole 26km showing the A-Z sections and all the communities along the route, to section maps for the Project Status Report and walking routes for our guided walks. To James Clifton at British Waterways for obtaining a 5 year extension to the outline planning consent originally granted by Milton Keynes Council in To our partners at Sustrans, Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Ramblers, MK Heritage, The Parks Trust, Wyvern Shipping, Danish Camp and many more, who have collaborated with the Trust to stage displays and events over 2010 and who are already helping us with our plans for the 2011 season of events for our members and supporters. To Len Barrows, our volunteer webmaster, who manipulates and posts items to the Trust s website; often large quantities of text and pictures and hyperlinked material, to meet very tight deadlines. but who always completes these requests, and maintains the professional appearance of the website. B&MK News Published by the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust. Editor...Geoff Wheeler Proof Readers...Don & Jill Allison Photo enhancement...keith Malone Distribution...Leigh Willows Printed by...murrays Comments or articles for inclusion in the next edition should be sent to editor@b-mkwaterway.co.uk 2

3 Membership Report It s been another great year for membership. Congratulations if you have recruited anyone this year, Crick and Linslade generated many more new members than usual, and the Bedford River Festival was also useful. We always find the National IWA Festival is fertile ground. Times are tough at the moment, as we all know, and a great way to support the Trust is by finding new members. Even though it s obvious, it is also true that if every member recruited just one new member, we would double our membership! If you can do that, or if you can help out on the stand at a show, you are really helping the cause. Membership forms are on the website, at any event, or from me via the PO box A warm welcome to our new members: Keith Byatt, Hailsham Geoff Ingle, St Ives Bryan Burr, Little Paxton, Cambs Mark Jones, Bedford Derek Paul, Kempston P Archer, Newton by Frodsham Peter Norman, Luton Dan Cauldwell, Giffard Park D Hagger, Shefford Chris Raine, Bingley Mr & Mrs Juffs, Houghton Conquest Nathan Indge, Walnut Tree Sue Holder, Berkhamstead Ian Townshend. St Albans Ian Wallace, Luton G & R Milbourne, Luton J & M Butcher, South Woodham Ferrers D & J Titchmarsh, Bedford Ian Brennan, Old Weston Carol Crago, Staines John Farmborough, Diss Alan Pullen, March D W Pullen, March Ashley Dring, Wavendon Gate Sandra Braund, St Neots Judi & Neil Collier, Linslade Nick & Margaret Hughes, Brampton Kate White, Wellington Carole Sims, Brentwood Mr Bridgen, Milton Earnest The B&MK Waterway Consortium The Trust is one of 11 organisations that make up the Consortium responsible for taking the waterway project forward: Bedford Borough Council Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust British Waterways Central Bedfordshire Council Environment Agency Marston Vale Trust Milton Keynes Council Milton Keynes Parks Trust Milton Keynes Partnership MKSM (Milton Keynes & South Midlands) Growth Area Renaissance Bedford The Consortium meets twice a year through two steering groups which cover Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire/Bedford sections of the route. Amy Tillson, Cambridge Gordon Stewart, Hitchin Andy Hollis, Bedford Tom Baker, Ipswich Mrs P Latham, Northampton Paul & Lesley Rogers, Hartwell John Poole, Thrapston O Tansley, Brackley Daniel Drake, Brackley Lindsay Allman, Leighton Buzzard Fiona Myers, Rugby P J Cowling, Milton Keynes Mark Cranford, Tattenhoe David Green & Gill Owen, Bedford 1811 Descendants Search Latest Developments Some progress has been made since the publication of the last Newsletter. I am indebted to a Trust member who has kindly allowed me to use his Find My Past account, and has also obtained copies of some wills from the National Archives. Understanding the 1840s type of hand written document has not been easy, but they have given some positive information. The will of Charles Short, the then Mayor of Bedford, indicates that all his bequests were to his brothers and sisters and their families. Thus it is reasonable to conclude that he did not have any children of his own. The wills of Charles Bailey and John Rawlins are still under investigation, although both indicate that they each had a son. Previously, a lady from near Bedford contacted us, thinking that her family were descendants of Charles Bailey. Investigation showed that although she had Baileys in her ancestry, they did not include the Charles Bailey who signed the 1811 petition. This Charles Bailey had professional connections with the Whitbread family, one of whom was MP for Bedford at the time. The largest descendant tree is that of John Foster of Brickhill House. Contact had been made with a great great great grandson of John Foster, and he has quite a few cousins, nieces and nephews all descended from the Dawson line of the family. Another line is the Fullers, and the census returns show that they had the means to move about. Two branches, at different times, moved from Bedford to the south coast of Hampshire. One newly married couple were not registered in the 1881 census, while the 1891 and 1901 censii indicate that their 2 oldest children were born in Ceylon -- now known as Sri Lanka. If you would like to volunteer to help or have any information, please contact : Alan Mayo tel or alanjbmayo@ntlworld.com Alan J B Mayo 3

4 Our New Profile Our friends at Halcrow have revised our previous profile to show the latest position of locks along the route. We ve had to exaggerate the vertical scale to fit the page. The distance from the Grand Union to the River Great Ouse is around 24,000 metres whereas the overall difference in height is only about 60 metres. Progress So Far Over the years a number of surveys have been carried out along the route and planning permissions granted. The chart below shows progress so far. It aligns approximately with the profile above but lines are not definitive. In Local Plans Planning Permission Milton Keynes Council Central Bedfordshire Council Bedford Borough Council Outline Full Minerals and Waste Line/Level studies Detailed Outline Detailed Economic Impact survey Geological surveys Information kindly made available by Balfour Beatty/Scott Wilson as part of A421 survey Environmental Impact survey As above Big Society Continued from page 1 The Mayor, who is also chair of the eleven-strong consortium of local authorities and agencies which was set up earlier in the year to take the waterway forward, said he was committed to working with partners to help deliver the project. He emphasised how progressing with bite size chunks would make the project come alive. More chunks each year will make sure this is deliverable, he said. As an example of raising awareness he pointed to the re-routing of the National Cycle Route 51 so that it follows more closely the route of the waterway in Marston Vale. He also highlighted the progress which has already been made with the building of the underpass to span the waterway near Stewartby. The last link in the waterway would be over or under Brogborough Hill because it is the most expensive, the Mayor added. I suspect it will be entirely different from the schemes suggested so far. It will be entirely new, unique and I think this is really exciting. Left to Right: Simon Collier, David Lock Associates, Mark Seward, Halcrow, Richard Wood, B&MK, Erin Vos, Environment Agency, Drew Marchant, Renaissance Bedford, Jane Wolfson, B&MK, James Clifton, British Waterways 4 5 Funding Mr Hodgson shared Jane Wolfson s view that the economic downturn would not be long lasting, but that funding for the project would not be sourced from local authorities. I think the three local authorities involved (Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes) will lose over 100 million per annum of funding over the next few years. This meant that plans for funding would need to be more creative and more determined in order to make the waterway happen. In subsequent discussion, Richard Rutter, of British Waterways, was optimistic that new streams of funding would become available, such as the Big Society Bank which might draw on dormant bank and building society accounts. Waterspace Strategy Erin Vos, of the Environment Agency, outlined progress on the this strategy which is jointly funded by Bedford Borough and is focusing on the stretch of the Great Ouse through Bedford from Bromham Bridge to Willington Lock. (More of this in our next edition)

5 Waterways Renaissance Awards On the back of the enthusiastic response to the waterway project s bite-sized approach and steady progress on the ground, reported at the Annual Partnership Conference of 4 th November, the Trust are working on an entry for the Annual Waterways Renaissance Awards 2011, on behalf of the Project Consortium. The competition is organised by The Waterways Trust and has awarded prizes to many illustrious projects in recent years (the Liverpool Canal Link, Action Outdoors at Falkirk, Mersey Waterfront, Great Glen Ways, Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane, to name a few). Waterway Park Planning Permission Extended British Waterways have successfully extended the planning consent for MK Waterway Park for another 5 years, effective as of 11 November We plan to submit entries in the Partnership and in the Strategy & Masterplanning categories, as these are where we can demonstrate our major strengths: the breadth, variety and longstanding support of our partner organisations and the locking up this year to the new Consortium organisation. We have emphasised our bite-sized A-Z approach, with work and plans for each section progressed and tracked by the Consortium members. The plans are reported via presentations and appear in the Project Status report to the Annual Partnership Conference. They are also of course discussed at meetings of the Consortium and its Steering Groups. Even if we don t attain the highest accolade a win in one or these categories, there are still plenty of opportunities for commendations, plus boosting recognition of the project to attract funding and investment. Photo Competition The cattle creep before the M1 The cattle creep as it is today Congratulations to Len Barrows who wins a 25 M&S voucher for correctly identifying the photo in our last issue. It was of course the cattle creep which was built to allow farmers to move animals and machinery under the M1. It is hoped that the tunnel which is just south of junction 13, will carry the Waterway under the motorway. Len s was one of 11 correct entries and was drawn from a hat by Jane Wolfson. The photo was taken by member, David Barrow s (no relation to our winner!) father Ken in 1958 as an entry for a photographic competition. He captioned it There s beauty here. We are grateful to David for allowing us to use it. - It will of course, be even more beautiful when the waterway runs through it! 6

6 Donation From Down Under The Australian Canal society holds meetings once a quarter in Sydney. They are quite a small group and members regularly visit the UK to enjoy our canals. At a recent meeting their president Ian Roden spoke about the B&MK and showed our DVD. The group were so impressed that they sent us a 40 donation for which we are very grateful. Gerry Pauley Gift Aid The Trust received in Gift Aid. This is the 25% which Inland Revenue adds to donations made to the Trust by UK taxpayers Talks Report Last year our noble band of speakers, David Fowler, Hilary Goldsmith and Roger Crews, gave 17 talks to various groups comprising about 600 interested listeners and receiving about 500 in donations to the Trust. Our speakers deserve the Trust s grateful thanks. We already have six bookings for 2011 including one to the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust which Hilary will kindly undertake. Our fame is spreading as we also hope to include Birmingham IWA as a venue. We have received many complimentary remarks about the knowledgeable and skilled presentations of our speakers and we would add our thanks for their continued support. If your association/group would like a talk on the latest developments of the waterway please contact us: John & Sally Gunning (Talks Organisers) tel B&MK Members Events Calendar 2011 We have a great programme of events for the coming year. Please put the dates below into your diary. To kick the year off, join us to dust off the winter blues for our Broughton circular walk or if you prefer, join us in the pub afterwards! Details of later events will be published nearer the time in the newsletter and on our website. For more information in the meantime, contact Claire on or info@b-mkwaterway.co.uk. Date Event Location Description 6 March MK Winter walk Broughton, Pineham and Willen Exploring a potential alternative route and starting and finishing at the Broughton Hotel MK10 9AA. Please join us at 10am for the walk or meet the walkers afterwards at Broughton Hotel from 12pm. 13 April Talks evening Lidlington Hear the B&MK talk from the talks team. This is also an opportunity to get up to speed and prepare for exhibition stand manning during our 2011 exhibition season. 25 May AGM Newport Pagnell 25 June Bedford walk Kempston to Forest Centre 11 September Barbecue at the Old Rectory 4 November Partnership conference and Bicentenary Celebration 6 January th night winter party Broughton To be confirmed Bedford Guest speaker from one of the waterway restoration groups about owning and running a trip boat, plus a virtual walk through the route with Richard to hear the latest progress. An opportunity to explore the potential permissive path and cycle way, bringing national cycling Route 51 off-road. Bring a picnic, or if you re not walking with us, join us for the picnic at the Forest Centre. Walk in association with Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC) and Sustrans. Focus on history and heritage a warm-up for our bicentenary. In association with MK Heritage. Join us to hear the latest progress on the route, and to celebrate the bicentenary of the waterway scheme. A casual get-together to chase away the post- Christmas blues 7

7 Weekly and Short Break Holiday Hire 4-8 berth self drive Luxury Narrow Boats Excellent Boats on a Beautiful Canal Cruise through the waterside parks of Milton Keynes Our base at Linslade is within weekend reach of the Waterways Museum at Stoke Bruerne or the Chiltern Hills and Aylesbury. Choice of exciting one or two week cruises including the River Thames. Also Waterside Cottage (sleeps up to 11) set in the boatyard grounds The Wyvern Shipping Co Ltd Rothschild Road, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, LU7 2TF Tel: Fax: James@canalholidays.co.uk Much progress has been made in all aspects of planning the B&MK and support from local politicians and the general public has never been higher. With so many battles already won, the big challenge for the future is how to find the estimated 170 million to fund it. It was never envisaged that any government would grant this kind of money to the project and in the current financial crisis it s unrealistic to think that public money will be easy to come by. What s needed is a radical approach to fundraising. Most of our present canal system was built by private funding and it s clear that the UK still has some very wealthy individuals. The sort of people who might have a few odd million left at the end of the month. In return for a major donation we could offer them something that normally money can t buy, a living legacy carrying the family name which will last for many centuries. Fortune and Fame the money. Nor does he do it to find an apprentice. He takes part because he likes the fame and recognition that comes with appearing regularly on television. Nothing wrong with that. The same is true of the Dragons who appear on Dragon s Den. We could capitalise on this desire for fame by getting the extremely well healed to sponsor part of the waterway and naming a bit of it after them. Thus a section might be the Alan Sugar Stream, the Deborah Meaden Meander or the Bannatyne Brook. If this doesn t work how about the James Dyson Ditch (or Dyke) or the Beckham Beck? A big structure like a boat lift could attract Eddie Stobart as Eddie s edifice. Anne Robinson might be persuaded to sponsor The Strongest Link Waterway or there s Lewis Hamilton s Slow Lane. The possibilities in the UK are endless but of course for the locks we would have to look across the Atlantic and offer them to Bill Gates. Take for example Lord Alan Sugar. He doesn t appear on The Apprentice because he needs Other suggestions please to editor@b-mkwaterway.com Geoff Wheeler B&MK WATERWAY NEWS is published by the Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust, a non profit-making company limited by guarantee (No ). Registered office 16 Cuthberts Street, Bedford MK40 3JG and a Registered Charity (No ). Contact us at enquiries@b-mkwaterway.co.uk or B&MK Waterway Trust, PO Box 3611, Newport Pagnell, MK16 OXN Tel (mornings)