Wendy Makepeace-Browne (Hart District Council) arrived at
10:45am.
Witnesses:
Fiona Shipp, Canal Manager-
Basingstoke Canal Authority (BCA)
James Taylor, Strategic
Manager- Basingstoke Canal (SCC/HCC)
Key
points raised during the discussion:
-
The Canal Manager (BCA) provided a summary of the
completed planned maintenance and length inspection works which
included lock gate replacement and winter flail towpath cutting. It
was explained that there was an increase in visitor numbers to
various events on the Canal and a greater social media
following.
-
The Canal Manager (BCA) also stated that there was a
fully volunteer crewed Patrol Boat which checked people’s
licences particularly unpowered boats and issued licences as an
extra source of revenue. A new smaller patrol boat donated to the
Basingstoke Canal Authority and Basingstoke Canal Society by the
Boys Brigade, would now be used as a second patrol boat in
Odiham.
-
The Canal Manager (BCA) praised the support from
volunteers which equated to 23,982 work hours last year. Two
volunteer-led work boats cleared rubbish and Floating Pennywortand
a regular weekly group of 30 volunteers carried out minor
maintenance and vegetation clearance.
Special recognition of volunteers was noted
including Mike Gordon the Head Lengthsman and crew manager for Rosebud, was awarded the Chairman’s Award. Ken Sankey
of the BCS was a runner up of the Volunteer of the Year Award and
Steve Livsey-Bennett the Canal Ranger
BCA was awarded runner up of the Volunteer Leader
Award.
-
As part of the Capital Works programme 2018,
the Strategic Manager remarked that contractors had been working on a prioritised
system of bank protection throughout the Canal and lock repairs in
Surrey. To save money the same contractor was
used throughout. It was also reported that Woking Town wharf had
been completed and had been officially opened at the end of May. In
Hampshire, the complex issue of Swan
“cutting” was being addressed by Hampshire County
Council engineers who contacted residents for greater access along
this narrow area to carry out further monitoring works. Work was
postponed until late 2019/2020 at Crookham Deeps to re-line a section of the canal
bed due to planning permission being required for a silt drying
lagoon.
-
The Strategic Manager asked
the Committee to approve the Campsite Business Plan with revised
figures since November 2017, this followed a more detailed plan
from the architects and was included in the Supplementary Agenda.
The Campsite Business Plan included an increased draw on reserves
of approximately £57,000, calculated from the revised BCA
match funding draw of reserves of £141,029 minus the original
£84,000 costing. The non-matched grant draw on reserves of
£35,000 was also included in the plan as a specific item
covering preparation work which could not be claimed for. The
Strategic Manager and Honorary Treasurer noted that the BCA’s
portion of the investment would be paid back in under four
years.
-
The Strategic Manager informed
the Committee of the joint collaboration with Woking Borough
Council and Surrey County Council project on Chobham Road turnover bridge funded by EM3. The
planning application was recently granted by Woking Borough Council
scheduled to commence this winter, the bridge would avoid
pedestrians and cyclists needing to negotiate the traffic in Woking
town centre.
-
The Committee expressed disappointment that the
Basingstoke Canal Authority did not achieve the Water Environment
Grant (WEG) from Natural England of £250,000 to
aid tree thinning and invasive species removal
policies. The Committee sought to ask the
representative from Natural England at this meeting to provide an
explanation but no one was present. The Strategic Manager had
received a verbal update from Natural England before the Committee,
which was that the second point’s threshold had not been met,
however the promised detailed written explanation had not been
provided. Officers agreed upon further
communication with Natural England, for a detailed
explanation.
-
Members were very concerned with the inconsistency
of Natural England’s view that the Canal is a nationally
important habitat, which restricted the ability to do certain
income generating operations, whilst not provide funding to
compensate for this. The Vice-Chairman of the Committee would
contact Rt Hon. Michael Gove the Member
of Parliament for Surrey Heath and Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the
matter.
-
The Strategic Manager explained that abstraction licensing had changed in 2018 by the
Environment Agency (EA), which had highlighted inconsistencies over
the licences required for the Canal.Legal
Counsel had been consulted and concluded that the EA were incorrect
in not recognising the County Councils as navigation authorities,
not permitting them access to the concessions available. The EA on
reviewing Counsel’s opinion had reversed their previous
stance. Two volunteers from the Basingstoke Canal Society Martin
Leech and John How, were thanked for their role in helping the
Strategic Manager with this issue.
-
Officers reported that the Basingstoke Canal
Authority’s Conservation Management Plan was approved by
Natural England and had been adopted for the next ten
years.
Actions/ further information to be provided:
- A5/19:
The Committee agreed upon further communication with
Natural England on the issue of not receiving the Water Environment
Grant (WEG), led by the Strategic Manager.
The
Vice-Chairman of the Committee would contact Michael Gove the
Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath and Secretary of State
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on
the matter of funding.
RESOLVED:
- The Committee noted
the report.
- The Committee
approved the Campsite Business Plan which showed the revised
figures of increased funding required by the Basingstoke Canal
Authority of approximately £57,000.