Head
Office Press Office - 3-Oct-2006 - A two-year
study by the Environment Agency into how landowners
can open up more rivers across England for canoeing
has been completed and the findings released today
(October 3, 2006).
The Minister for Biodiversity,
Landscape and Rural Affairs, Barry Gardiner, and
the Minister for Sport, Richard Caborn, will hear
about the successful conclusion of the project,
and be handed the final report, on October 3,
2006, at the Riverside Centre, on the River Waveney,
Bungay, Suffolk.
"The Voluntary Canoe Access
Agreements report sets the watermark for future
voluntary access agreements across the country,"
explained Environment Agency Acting Chief Executive
Dr. Paul Leinster.
"The Environment Agency
has a statutory duty to promote the use of water
and watersides for recreation, at the same time
balancing the needs of the competing water users
and the environment. The popularity of canoeing
is increasing and if more water is made available,
more people will be encouraged to take part."
Over 30% of the major rivers
and canals in England provide access for various
canoeing activities such as canoe touring and
white-water paddling, and thereby generate additional
income for local riverside communities and provide
opportunities for physical recreation. The Environment
Agency’s study involved putting voluntary access
agreements in place on four rivers and looking
at how they worked in practice and could be used
elsewhere.
"These voluntary agreements
show what can be achieved when we all work together,
and this spirit of cooperation between enthusiasts,
landowners and government is the most effective
way to reach our common goal - improved river
access," said Barry Gardiner, Minister for
Biodiversity, Landscape, and Rural Affairs.
"We want to encourage people
to pursue healthy activities like canoeing and
other water sports and recreation, backed by agreements
which let all concerned know what their rights
and responsibilities are."
More than 70 kilometres of canoe
access have been created as part of the pilot
projects, including the River Mersey between Stockport
City Centre to Carrington; the River Teme near
Ludlow; the River Waveney from Brockdish to Ellingham;
and the River Wear north and south of Durham from
Houghall to the Sands.
"Canoeing is becoming an
increasingly popular sport at both grass root
and elite levels," added Minister for Sport
Richard Caborn.
"The voluntary access pilot
projects, like the one in Bungay, have shown how
valuable the inland waterways are for recreational
activities. By making access to these waterways
easier more people will have the opportunity to
enjoy canoeing and other water-based activities
helping to drive up participation in sport."
The potential benefits of the
scheme, including help to manage health and safety
and using rivers for the social and economic well
being of all, were explained beforehand to 400
local landowners. Nearly 99% of them consequently
agreed to consider access to rivers running through
their land. Although concerns were raised, the
pilot projects proved it was possible to develop
practical solutions to meet them.
"From this work we now
have new methods and a better understanding of
what is needed. We have learnt from setting up
the pilot projects there is no overwhelming reason
why landowners, with the right advice and guidance,
should not voluntarily allow access to canoeists.
In return the canoeists need to respect the agreements
and codes of conduct that are put in place,"
continued Dr. Leinster.
Based upon our experiences across
the pilot rivers the Environment Agency has produced
a toolkit giving advice and information on voluntary
access agreements, including:-
Basic access rights as they
now stand;
What sort of voluntary agreements can be put in
place with landowners;
How to find out who owns the land and water;
How to approach different owners;
Codes of conduct;
Risk assessments;
Details of other organisations which can help
The on-line Voluntary Canoe Access Agreements
Toolkit will be available soon. It includes details
of funding opportunities, plus data on social
and economic benefits of canoeing.
"The value of water-related
recreation is huge. Some 250 million leisure trips
are made to water venues each year, resulting
in about £2.5 billion being spent. In the
following five years it is expected that an extra
two million people will take part in water-related
activities," added Dr. Leinster.
"To help meet this growing
demand the Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs has asked us to explore the development
of a strategic approach to water-related sport
and recreation, searching for the best places
to provide new opportunities and facilities that
encompass social as well as economic benefits.
"Our next step will
be to look for opportunities across our South
West and Anglian regions. Working with all stakeholders
we will create a plan that shows where new opportunities
can be created and identify the social and economic
benefits these can bring."
