1-Aug-2006
- Encouraging more people to get out on our rivers
and opening up new navigable waters to boaters
are just some of the Environment Agency’s new
National Navigation Manager’s targets.
Stuart Taylor fills the role
previously held by Francis Power, who stepped
down earlier this year to pursue his first love
of ocean yachting.
Stuart joined the Environment
Agency in 1991 and after specialising in fisheries
science and regulation eventually switched to
navigation.
Prior to his latest appointment,
the 38-year-old held the post of Lower Thames
Operations Manager for two years during which
time he was responsible for ensuring the smooth
running of the non-tidal stretch of the river.
Stuart, who was born in Chatham,
Kent, but now lives in North Hampshire with his
young family, said he made the switch to navigation
to promote better use of the environment.
"Boating is one of the
best ways to enjoy the natural world and rivers
are great places to escape today’s fast-paced
lifestyle and relax," he said.
Julia Simpson, the Environment
Agency’s head of Recreation, Navigation and Marine,
said: "Stuart is committed to making the
rivers a better place to play, and more sustainable,
and I am confident we will all benefit from his
determination to achieve that."
As well as increasing access,
Stuart will help progress an ambitious 20-year
development plan for the waterways, funded through
a range of partnerships and European money, which
includes:
Continuing the rejuvenation
of the Thames
Developing the Fens Waterway Link, which will
connect the cathedral cities of Lincoln, Peterborough
and Ely and lead to the opening up 240 km of new
waterway
Creating more recreation opportunities on the
River Wye
Supporting increased movement of freight by water
He will also help see through a £30 million
programme of restoration and repairs to sites
and structures, such as locks and landing bays,
along the 1,000km of Environment Agency-managed
rivers.
Stuart’s biggest challenge will
be how to tackle the maintenance backlog the Environment
Agency inherited when it took over the role previously
filled by the National Rivers Authority in 1996.
The Environment Agency has ploughed
more than £5m from boat registration fees
back into river works every year for the past
few years but despite that, and the Defra grant,
the backlog has continued to grow and a further
£30m is now needed to clear it.
Stuart said: "The harsh
reality is the current amount of income we receive
from boat registration fees and Defra is not enough
to sustain our navigation infrastructure.
"Defra has also made it
clear it wants boaters to contribute more than
the current 30% to the upkeep of the rivers and
we have no assurances it will continue to help
fund works at the level it does now.
"One of my first jobs has
been to look at the how to start to address these
difficult issues and to work out ways to soften
the impact of any rises on the boating community.
"We have also consulted
widely and expect to announce our final proposal
for registration fee rates for 2007-2010 in late
September.
Head Office Press Office
