campaigns update

CAMPAIGNING WITH YOU

The ruling over red diesel and the impact of the HS2 Phase 2b route are among some of the issues we’ve been campaigning on with your help. Here’s how we’ve been doing…

hS2 design refinement consultation

IWA has responded to the Government’s latest HS2 Phase 2b consultation, with proposed changes affecting parts of the Coventry, Erewash and Nottingham canals and the Aire & Calder Navigation. Although there are some benefits for the waterways from these changes, there are additional impacts and several earlier concerns remain unresolved.

On 21st August the Government announced a comprehensive review into the whole high-speed rail project, including its benefits, impacts, affordability, efficiency, deliverability, scope and phasing, with a report due by “the autumn” and a decision on whether or how to proceed expected by the end of the year. Meanwhile, various preparatory works continue, including archaeological digs, demolitions and utility diversions. Phase 2a has now been passed by the House of Lords, and changes to Phase 2b have also been announced.

Our response was submitted to the latest consultation on design refinement proposals for Phase 2b, Crewe to Manchester and West Midlands to Leeds, which closed on 6th September.

The proposed changes affect the Coventry Canal at Polesworth, the Erewash Canal at Sandiacre and Stanton Gate, the unrestored Nottingham Canal, and the Aire & Calder Navigation near Fishpond Lock.

At Polesworth an access road is now proposed close to the Coventry Canal and the moorings at Pooley Country Park. We have asked for the road to be set back and access to the moorings maintained; the need for more noise fencing on the viaduct and embankment has also been reiterated.

At Stanton Gate a change to the HS2 route avoids the need to divert the M1, so the motorway bridge over the Erewash Canal will no longer need to be demolished and replaced, saving much disruption. However, there will be a new road-bridge. An auto-transformer station that needs screening, concerns about the height of the viaduct, the design of two very skew canal crossings and the need for noise protection are all issues affecting the Erewash Canal that remain.

The Nottingham Canal at Trowell, although abandoned, is part of a longdistance footpath and local nature reserve, and could be restored back to Langley Mill. But the new HS2 route would sever it with a deep cutting and we have asked for an aqueduct to maintain the continuity of the towpath and the water supply.

The Aire & Calder Navigation will be affected by moving the route onto a viaduct from Woodlesford past Fishpond Lock to Rodhill Corner. We have asked that the viaduct piers should not narrow this commercial navigation, for more information on the design and visual impact, and for noise barriers to protect recreational canal users.

The full response from IWA can be viewed online at waterways.org. uk/lichfield/pdf/hs2_phase2b_dr_ response_2019.

A proposed access road will interrupt peaceful moorings at Polesworth on the Coventry Canal.

The M1 crossing over the Erewash Canal near Stanton Lock will no longer need to be demolished and rebuilt. The transition to white diesel will make red diesel pumps redundant across the network.

Response to red diesel ruling

As well as encouraging individual boatowners, boatyard operators and diesel suppliers to respond to the Government’s consultation about red diesel, IWA has now submitted its feedback to HMRC on the ‘Implementation of the Court of Justice of the European Union judgment on diesel fuel used in private pleasure craft’.

IWA’s submission outlines a number of problems which will arise as a result of the implementation of the ruling. The key concern is that boatyards on the UK’s inland waterways, most of which currently only sell red diesel, will be faced with the choice of either installing an additional tank to provide white diesel, or changing their entire supply of red diesel to white diesel.

It is likely that the majority of boatyards and marinas would continue to sell only red diesel, particularly those that operate a hire-boat fleet or have residential moorings. Consequently, owners of privately owned pleasure craft needing to refuel their boats with white diesel will struggle to find a boatyard that sells it. The likely rise in the use of portable fuel cans would present significant environmental risks arising from the inevitable spillages; the use of generators in confined spaces and in urban areas also poses a threat to the health and safety of waterways users.

IWA has asked HMRC to mitigate these problems by: • Continuing with the current arrangements, which were reached after a significant period of consultation and discussions in 2008, until the situation regarding the UK’s membership of the

European Union is clearer • Adopting the longest possible transition time to implement the ruling to allow sufficient time (including raising finance) for boatyards to install new or convert existing tanks, and for boaters to undertake any necessary modifications to their vessels • Providing written confirmation that HMRC will allow existing red dye in fuel tanks to fade naturally, and to allow time for existing stocks of red diesel purchased prior to any change to be used up without having to waste and dispose of any dyed fuel.

Spotlight on...

Historic buildings like Govilon Wharf are what we typically think of as waterways heritage.

VALUE OF WATERWAYS HERITAGE

IWA’s new campaign aims to protect and record historic assets along the UK’s canals and rivers

E d LEY LISO n Sm A

Launching this winter, IWA’s Value of Waterways Heritage campaign will look at heritage that has been lost and heritage that has been saved as well as uncovering assets that are currently causing concern. It will explore how these can be better protected and the role that planning officers at local IWA branches can play in managing any developments taking place along our inland waterways.

What is waterways heritage and what does it means for IWA?

Waterways heritage is much more than the locks, bridges and buildings that are common along any given waterway, especially the canals. It includes the signage and less noticeable canal furniture, as well as traditional skills and obscure remnants of the area’s industrial past. It is the grooves that have been worn into the side of a bridge from the ropes being drawn by the horses pulling barges; it is the metal supports across the towpath that were used to give the horses’ feet some purchase as the path went uphill; it is the pulleys and ropes inside tunnels that were used by the boatmen or ‘leggers’ to move the boats along. It is the stories that were told, the skills that were learned and the views that can be seen both from the water and the land beside the waterway.

Ivor Caplan, national chairman and member of IWA’s Heritage Advisory Group, says: “IWA takes a holistic view of heritage to include the buildings, engineering structures, working mechanisms, artefacts, boats, people and operations. This view looks at the total operating waterways system, a ‘museum without walls’ with structures and artefacts in their correct location and, where possible, working as they should.”

IWA’s Heritage Policy has been updated and now reads: “IWA considers that heritage is a vital aspect of the inland waterways and must be actively preserved for the enjoyment and understanding of present and future generations.”

IWA supports the retention of the heritage of the inland waterways system as a high priority; the organisation is looking at the value and positive contribution it can make to different areas including well-being, tourism and education. Rather than just requiring protection in its own right, heritage also deserves recognition, respect and consideration.

Conservation of heritage is always preferable to demolition.

Left: These rope marks

on the bridge at Autherley Junction on the Shropshire Union Canal tell us about the history of the waterway.

BeLow: A bridge weight limit

sign on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.

Why is IWA looking at the value of waterways heritage now?

We are always looking at the heritage of the waterways – it forms the basis of the IWA Restoration Hub, which aims to bring derelict and forgotten waterways back to life. Recently IWA has been aware of new developments and redevelopments that are changing the face of the waterways, without due consideration of the heritage that is being lost.

This was a key element of the recent Vision for London report produced by IWA London region; inappropriate and unsympathetic developments have caused waterways heritage in London to be lost. IWA is campaigning to prevent this from happening further, and will fight against any proposed developments with scale or character that will adversely impact the waterways. Derek Humphries has been appointed as Heritage Advisor for IWA London Region and also sits on the Heritage Advisory Panel. He is currently undertaking a review of the listed buildings along the waterways in the capital.

IWA West London Branch is also focusing much of its attention on protecting waterways heritage in its area. This includes the vast development at Old Oak and Park Royal where the branch is heavily involved in the planning aspect and is looking at the project from the perspective of the Grand Union Canal as it travels through the heart of the building work.

The completed bridge is sympathetic to the heritage of the area. Reconstruction of Bedford Street Bridge underway.

The replacement bridge design proposed by CRT.

Case study

Bedford Street Bridge, Caldon Canal

IWA has many examples of areas where we’ve campaigned for the protection of a heritage asset and saved the face of the waterways. Here is a recent success story from IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch.

The original Bedford Street Bridge (No 2) on the Caldon Canal had suffered years of neglect and vandalism and had become dangerous, resulting in it being closed to pedestrians.

IWA North Staffs & South Cheshire Branch discovered that the original bridge had been cast in the ironworks in nearby Hanley. This local connection was important to both waterways heritage and the industrial history of the area.

In 2014 (before it was closed), repair of the bridge had been included in a City Council funded project. Canal & River Trust initially said it would look to fund a like-for-like replacement but when this proved too expensive, came up with another suggestion. The modern, generic-looking bridge design it put forward looked like it belonged in a European city. If used as a replacement, the history and local connection of the original bridge would be lost.

IWA North Staffs & South Cheshire Branch, led by Steve Wood, met with the project managers and advised that IWA would have to oppose such a proposal. IWA had been involved in the conservation area review in 2012, where the local importance of the bridge had been specifically discussed and agreed.

After IWA voiced its concerns and opposed the proposal, CRT managed to find the additional funding and the bridge has now been restored to look just like the original. The story remains in place for future generations.

You might look at Bedford Street Bridge and think that it isn’t the prettiest, and, in fact, you might prefer the look of the proposed modern bridge, but the historical value of this structure, in this location, with its local links to Hanley and the now non-existent ironworks, is more important than the look of the bridge itself.

It is this that IWA will be fighting for in its Value of Waterways Heritage campaign. We need your help to make this a success. Do you know of any bridges that are in a similar situation to the Bedford Street Bridge on the Caldon Canal? Do you know of any heritage that is being threatened? IWA wants to hear from you.

Research

IWA Trustee Nicki Schiessel Harvey recently published The Value of Inland Waterways. In this report, Nicki researched the vast amount of information that is available regarding waterways and heritage, but uncovered a gap in knowledge about the specific value of waterways heritage. Off the back of this report, IWA is planning to undertake further research to look at assigning a monetary ‘value’ to waterways heritage that quantifies the benefit it brings to the region.

Importance of views and visual character

Sometimes it’s not the tangible things that need protecting; waterways heritage also covers views. The Mayor of London makes specific reference to the importance of protecting heritage assets and riverscapes in his New London Plan. IWA wants to take this a step further and protect waterscapes across London and beyond, taking into consideration the wider impact of development on the visual character of the waterway. This is not just the view in terms of the buildings that you see (whether newly built or redeveloped) but also things like hedges, railings, bridges, trees and pathways. Each of these has an impact on the heritage of the area.

Managing the change

Where possible, IWA supports the principle of waterside buildings being used in a way that is compatible with their original function, e.g. boat-building and boating services. However, this is not always feasible. In these cases, IWA appreciates the need for sympathetic and appropriate restoration and conversion, for example into residential property. Local IWA branches, through their planning officers (where available), need to be aware of these proposals and get involved in early discussions to ensure the waterways heritage is not lost.

Ivor Caplan comments: “Sometimes there needs to be change on the waterways, but IWA wants to be at the forefront of managing that change and working with local authorities to ensure they make informed and conscious decisions when looking at development plans and to acknowledge the value of waterways heritage in their area.”

Speaking for heritage before it's lost

IWA recognises that navigation authorities and other owners cannot be expected to maintain unused buildings indefinitely purely because of their historical significance and appreciates that sometimes the only decision may be destruction. Demolition should only be considered as a last resort and when the building or structure is not a rare example of its type. IWA expects a full heritage and photographical survey to be carried out and archived, and that, where possible, artefacts associated with the building are conserved.

Canal conservation areas

IWA’s Heritage Advisory Panel supports listing on the Historic England register as the means of ensuring the retention of significant buildings and structures, but has discovered that this protection brings with it a whole host of difficulties and restrictions. The panel is recommending that IWA looks at conservation areas as a way of affording a level of protection to waterways heritage. IWA will be encouraging local authorities to designate conservation areas covering the whole entity of related waterways assets, for example a lock flight or a complex of canal basins and warehouses or even the whole waterway.

Online Heritage Tracker

We would like to find out how you feel about waterways heritage and its importance, and we have launched an online survey to discover your views. Please visit: waterways.org.uk/ heritagetracker to fill out the form.