Canals in West Wiltshire Policy Statement (Revised 2004)

Introduction

West Wiltshire is served by two inland waterways, the Kennet and Avon Canal, a recently restored waterway under the management of British Waterways, and the Wilts and Berks Canal, which was abandoned in 1914 and has recently begun to be restored by the Wilts and Berks Canal Amenity Group.  The canals give a fascinating insight into the social and economic history of the area, and have produced some fine architectural and engineering features, the most notable in West Wiltshire being the aqueducts at Dundas and Avoncliff.

Today the canals have great potential as a recreational resource; new marinas at Bradford on Avon and Hilperton have already shown the benefits of major new amenities for both local people and tourists; there are still opportunities for smaller scale initiatives such as picnic sites, car parks and interpretative facilities to be provided.

However, there is also a need to protect the canal environment.  Much of the waterway’s charm is in the countryside and townscape which they run through and the diversity of flora and fauna they support.  This protection can be achieved by careful control of further development, effective management of visitor pressure and positive promotion of schemes to enhance the environment and nature conservation opportunities.

Planning policies providing the basis for deciding planning applications relating to development on or affecting the Kennet and Avon or Wilts and Berks Canal are given in the West Wiltshire District Plan 1st Alteration. This Policy Statement is intended as supplementary guidance to the policies and proposals of the Plan and provides helpful guidance for those preparing planning applications.  The Policy Statement does not have any special status in deciding applications but may be taken into account as a material consideration.

The overall strategies for the canals and their continuing restoration have, where possible, been included in the following policies because the West Wiltshire stretches cannot be seen in isolation from the wider canal network within the region.

Kennet and Avon Canal

Although the Kennet and Avon Canal was officially re-opened by Her Majesty the Queen in 1990, restoration work is still ongoing.  Major relining works have taken place on parts of the “dry section” through the Limpley Stoke valley and a major back pumping scheme to ensure sufficient water supply for the whole length is currently under construction, plus a host of smaller maintenance projects required to allow the full use of the canal.  The canal is owned by British Waterways; however, they are limited by law as to the amount they can spend on the canal given its current ‘remainder waterway’ status.  Should the canal be upgraded to ‘cruise-way’ status, either by way of 21 year agreements with local authorities or by becoming self financing through development, British Waterways would then be able to carry out all necessary maintenance works required to keep the canal open and safe for boaters and all other users.  The marginal costs of upgrading the waterway to ‘cruise-way’ and maintaining at such cannot be funded by British Waterways, and must be the responsibility of the local community until such time that the marginal income matches marginal costs.  A long term agreement to meet this objective would enable reclassification to ‘cruise-way’.

The environment of the canal is very important, passing as it does through part of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the historic town of Bradford on Avon plus parts of Wiltshire’s unspoilt open countryside.  Corridor studies are a tried and tested means used on many of Britain’s canals to identify different areas along a canal’s route, including those to be protected or enhanced and those with potential for development or interpretation.

The towpath provides excellent long and short distance walks and cyclepaths, away from traffic, through towns and the surrounding countryside.  British Waterways is currently investigating which parts of the towpath are suitable for cycling, and may identify areas where paths require improvements or access arrangements need to be altered.

The canal is an important part of our industrial heritage and has many fine structures associated with it.  These range from the impressive aqueducts, such as John Rennie’s at Avoncliff, to the smaller lock keepers’ cottages and wharf related buildings.  They are all important parts of the built history of the area which should be protected.

The Government Circular requires developers to gain consent from British Waterways  prior to arranging for surface water to be discharged in to the canal, as it is not always appropriate or possible.

Policies in the West Wiltshire District Plan 1st Alteration encourage the re-use of buildings which have the benefit of conserving the built environment and accommodating uses beneficial to the local rural economy without requiring new building on greenfield sites.

Developments that occur on private and public owned land along the canal, or are clearly visible from it, will have a direct impact on the canal.  They present good opportunities to make the most of the waterside aspects through design and use of appropriate materials.

As yet, no requirement for residential moorings has been identified for West Wiltshire.  Where possible, emerging requirements should be met by provision at existing marinas.  Should a need for a new site arise, options will be evaluated in line with policies of the West Wiltshire District Plan 1st Alteration and, in particular, sites will be expected to be within or well related to existing settlements.

The Kennet and Avon Canal is already crossed by two major ‘A’ roads, A363 and A350, in West Wiltshire.  In the course of route improvements it is likely that new crossings will be required particularly south of Melksham and Bradford on Avon.  Any new bridge over the canal would have a major impact on the canal environment and it is essential that any proposals respect the canal’s historic and environmental value in terms of scale, design and materials and do not detract from its recreational value.

The District Council’s Tourism Strategy recognises the Kennet and Avon Canal as an important tourism and recreational resource and as part of the action plan identifies a need for a management plan to reduce visitor pressure/conflict and to ensure that the full potential of the canal is fulfilled.

The Council is keen to obtain sustainable tourism and, while the economic benefits of attracting visitors are clear, so are the environmental disbenefits of greater CO2 emissions, traffic congestion and overloaded car parks.  Therefore, the Council will promote the use of its very good rail and bus networks, through promotional leaflets and provision of information on timetables etc at Tourist Information Centres.

Signage is important both to guide visitors, provide information and for safety, particularly at locks.  However, a plethora of signs can detract from an otherwise attractive area and can prove confusing to those visiting.  The signage report provides guidelines for ensuring that signage is co-ordinated and provides a good basis for joint working among various interested parties.

The District Council’s Tourism Strategy identifies the opportunities for short break and specialist holidays in West Wiltshire.  The canal would make an ideal basis for specialist holidays and could offer a range of different activities, not just the obvious boating holidays.

Wilts and Berks Canal

The District Council has for some years supported the aims of the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust in restoring the canal to a navigable waterway.  There are also benefits to be had from the potential of the canal in terms of recreation and nature conservation.  The Trust has already identified possibilities for the canal towpath to act as a long distance bridlepath and/or cycleway and is promoting it as a linear park as well as a canal.

The Council supports in principle the aim of the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust to restore navigation to the canal, which will require a new cut at Melksham. The Council considers that its role at this stage should be confined to promotion of the aims of the Trust and raising of public awareness, until such time as a technically sound and agreed route is designed in detail which could then properly be considered for safeguarding. The Council will review that part of the District Plan 1st Alteration which is concerned with the canal at the earliest opportunity subject to the necessary work having been completed to demonstrate that an agreed route is technically feasible and that there is a reasonable prospect of it being delivered within the Plan period.

Although the old alignment of the canal cannot be used to restore full navigation in this part of the District, this does not imply the old alignment has no value.  There may be opportunities, whether through development or not, to provide recreational uses such as nature conservation and angling along this alignment plus interpretation of the canal as an important part of the area’s history.

The task of the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust in raising funds for the restoration of the canal is immense and publicity of current works and the aims of the trust will do much to raise public awareness.  The District Council has already assisted in the production of a leaflet tracing the old line of the canal through Melksham and will continue to support production of similar material as and when resources are available.