1. Sustainable Development of Waterways in Wales

2. Why are we here? Role of waterways in sustainable development
What needs to be done
How we can help each other

3. The Welsh Waterways

4. The strategic importance of waterways

5. Historically they have formed natural barriers and divisions

6. Waterways link:
Geographically
Mountain to coast
North to south
Urban to rural
Town to country
Trade routes
Biodiversity routes
Cultural exchange routes

7. Where they link to the sea they are gateways to:
Trade
Leisure
The wider world
And they are multi-dimensional

8. They act as a focus for communities and are a link into a wider corridor of opportunity

9. Benefits: improving quality of life
Economic regeneration
Rural recovery
Sustainable development
Cultural vitality
Wales in the wider world

10. What’s needed to achieve this?
Clear vision
Partnerships: public, private, voluntary
Broad-based funding
Joint commitment

11. This means... Knowing what you’ve got Understanding possible effects
Access audits
Ecological appraisals
Understanding possible effects
e.g. Conservation Management Strategy - Montgomery Canal
Applying professional project management
Strategic projects
Regional and local projects
Other water assets

12. Local/regional projects: Chirk
Project elements:
Access works
Viewing area for visitors
Road safety improvements
Better access to tunnel
Information and signing
Funding: £150,000 (BW; WDA)

13. Chirk (cont.) Project results: Partners:
Better access for local community
Increased business for local shops and services
Partners:
Wrexham County Borough Council
Welsh Development Agency
British Waterways

14. How can the NAW help? By setting or influencing:
The policy context (e.g. Wales Spatial Plan)
The regulatory framework via Assembly bodies and legislation
The funding framework

15. Specifically, this means...
Recognising the importance of waterways in:
Wales Spatial Plan & Local Development Plans
Welsh tourism strategies
Using European funding
Local authorities
Stimulating the private and voluntary sector
Promoting biodiversity
Job creation

16. Also... How can our canals be linked with other water assets?
How can you help encourage a partnership approach?

17. Sustainable canal restoration Interreg IIC and IIIB projects

18. Overview What is Interreg? Project outline Benefits for Wales
Next steps

19. What is Interreg? Spatial development and cohesion in EU
Trans-national co-operation
Interreg IIC: Sustainable Canal Restoration Project
Interreg IIIB:

20. The partnership Twelve partners, led by BW
Other partners from Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland and UK
including Welsh partners and sub-partners

21. Welsh partners and sub-partners
BW leads on the Montgomery Canal
Torfaen CBC leads on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, with sub-partners:
Newport CBC
Monmouthshire CBC
British Waterways
Caerphilly CBC (proposed partner in IIIB)

22. Project aims Identification of gaps and bottlenecks
Investigation of economic, environmental, social and technical aspects of restoration
Promotion of role of historic inland waterways in sustainable development

23. Timescale and budget January 2000-December 2001
Final conference: Cwmbran, November 2001
Total project budget: £2.0m
EU funding: £1.1m (57 percent)
Value of projects in Wales: £0.4m

24. Welsh projects: Montgomery Canal
Investigation of environmental impact of restoration
Land management initiative
Funding strategy

25. Welsh projects: Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
Access study and works
Promotional walking route booklet
Ecological baseline survey and plan
Educational projects: canal boat for use by local schools; CD-ROM

26. Benefits for Wales Provides funding for real projects
Builds momentum for restoration
Promotes sustainable development
Raises profile of Wales in Europe
Enables sharing of knowledge and expertise

27. Interreg IIIB: Sustainable Development of Inland Waterways
Next steps
Interreg IIIB: Sustainable Development of Inland Waterways
Overall objective for waterways in Wales:
To establish a more coherent approach to the sustainable development of waterways

28. Actions: Montgomery Canal
Ecological restoration of canal channel
Extension of land management initiative
Conservation management plan

29. Actions: Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
Restoration of lock and bridges
Corridor study for development of Crumlin Arm
Community access and education projects