West Midlands Waterway User Forum April 2017 Agenda • General Update – Ian lane • Simon Turner – Direct Services Update • Paul Griffin – enforcement update • Nick Cleaver – Community roots • Questions • Networking General Update Ian Lane The year so far.. The year so far.. Total Hours Year end Total Hours Year end Volunteer Hours Target 2016/17 2015/6 2016/7 Central Shires 39,585 42,000 3,714 East Midlands 44,364 48,000 63,661 Kennet & Avon 38,631 42,494 44,316 London 28,330 32,500 30,437 Manchester & Pennine 39,723 44,000 43,252 North East 39,387 43,325 43,206 North Wales & Border 33,581 37,000 43,162 North West 39,976 44,000 56,885 South East 43,878 49,143 51,419 South Wales & Severn 29,208 32,128 33,483 West Midlands 38,706 42,576 64,971 Museums 32,176 35,071 27,489 Total 447,545 492,237 505,995 Offside Veg Clearance on the T&M Dudley Air Cadets Points to note • Monday 8th May IPL - has now been proposed to be held at 321 Bradford Street Birmingham the offices of Glen Howells near Smithfield Market /Digbeth Coach station. • Fazeley office CSF • Water Levels • Summer stoppages Waterway Business Plan - Highlights Brief Project Description Milestones / Outputs to be delivered by end of March 2018 IWA/BCNS bridge repair as part of legacy form IWA festival Refurbished bridge by volunteers of water- Pelsall junction bridge- materials needed. Material for volunteer projects - Lapworth towpath repairs Improved towpath surface and potential repeat visit from and improvement – National Trust holiday activity holiday firm wanting to offer working holidays Engagement initiatives - political, faith, education etc. increased engagament from groups & stakeholders Birmingham City & Wolverhampton Lighting - new completed lighting systems in Bham and Wolverhampton, fit maintenance following transfer for purpose and maintained by the Trust Installation of 5 canoe trails across waterway completed trails and increased canoe users to waterway Birmingham Homeless prevention works no homeless people under bridge in central Birmingham Match funding for resolution of anti social issues on towpath. resolution of ASBO issues where we have partnering part to Ie workign with LA's and police to install measures, ie play with other stakeholders to implement measures for barriers, as part of joint working project community benefit Anti slip works to visitor mooring pontoons – B’ham, reduction in slips and accidents on pontoons Walsall, Wolverhampton. Replace slippery timber anti slip boards with GRP mesh decking - Year 2’ Signage - rebranding project - continuing on from the better brand awareness and reputation current project/initiative. Tarmac ramp at Windmill end tarmac ramp that connects tarmac towpath and brick sheeted path waterside care volunteer delivery working with other organisations Canal Watch improved security for canal users Graffiti removal - match fund. Removal kit brought in B16 Potential to match fund projects with local authorities but still want ability to match fund project and target difficult projects. Litter bin trials - our bin stores are being over run by third improved facilities and stores for our customers and parties using them. We would like to trial something to look reduced costs for contract at other refuge opportunities - saving us £k's on clearing up non canal user rubbish and making it better for our customers. Purchase of promotional and events kit. New branding increased awareness of the Trust opportunities, leaflets and maps for new waterway. Also Including cycling and walking maps Major Works Programme Project description Justification GU-003-001 Bowyer Street Bowyer Street pumping station, pumps and acssociated culverts Pumping Station provide water to the GU. Loss of this facility would shut the top end of the GU. Access to pumps is poor. Pumps life expired. Culverts haven't been inspected for over 30 years. Sluice Refurbishment A number of sluices across the WM are in need of either refurbishment or abandonment. Project is being run as a pilot for a national project to review all our sluices nationally. BCN Canal Bridges Phase 2 Iconic cast iron C,D 1,2 bridges across the WM. Bridges are tired and in need of circa £50k of painting / minor refurbishment work to prevent them deterorating to a stage where each requires significant monies being spent on them. Coventry Canal Spot Dredging Dredging required at many bridge holes and winding points plus other locations where bopaters have report34ed grounding. North Stratford spot dredging 2017 Dredging required to address multiple customer reports of grounding. Fens Pools Res Vegetation and Badger WITIOS Rotton Park Reservoir WITIOS St. Thomas Bridge Repair works to bridge - Reduced weight limit that the LA are increasingly worried about, needs resaddling and realigning Brickfield Embankment Repair, repoint and replace damaged masonry and undertake lining repairs in areas of leakage TM spot dredging Woodend to Lock 14 Investigations required in advance of dredging planned for 2018/19. Bumblehole Arm Dredging Spot dredging required due to repeated customer reports of grounding TV-009 West Midlands Cuttings D4 cuttings with properties/gardens/HV pylons at top of cuttings. Bank erosion related instability. AS-004-001 Bramcote Road Bridge D grade public road bridge in poor condition RC-001-003-L Rushall Canal Emb D grade embankment. Leakage. Poor wash walls. 9 and 10 BC-012 New Mainline Waterway Waterway walls in poor state of repair. High CoF embankments. Walls Priority embankments from Breach Risk Modelling. UI-002-001 Lower Gailey Reservoir WITIOS BF-011 Minworth Embank and High CoF embankments with very poor waterway walls. History of Waterway Wall leakage. High pressure gas main in towpath. Two failures of embankment in last five years. Direct Services Simon Turner Regional Construction Manager B16 Review • A Total of 222 Works Packages Completed • 136 High Priority Works (HPW) • 58 Stoppages • 24 Arising Works B16 Review • HPW’s B16 Review B16 Review • Stoppages • 56 gate leaves replaced • 2 composite gate refurbishments completed • 10 summer stoppages completed • Various gate refits, masonry & landing repairs completed B17 Plan B17 - No of Package Types Per Area Work Package Type Midlands North South West Grand Total High Priority Works - Non Stoppage 105 374 86 239 804 Other Stoppage 40 40 42 69 191 Gate Stoppage 31 15 20 20 86* Grand Total 176 429 148 328 1081 24 B16 Review B16 Review B17 Plan Gate Stoppages - No of Leaves Per Waterway 38 32 30 18 12 12 9 8 8 8 NW NE EM MP WB SW WM SE KA LO B17 Plan B17 - Spend Per Waterway - Direct Services & Kier Minor Works Waterway Total (£) EM 1,026,495 KA 1,079,252 LO 396,425 MP 3,936,690 NE 1,448,021 NW 1,782,555 SE 2,061,745 SW 850,917 WB 1,446,634 WM 3,279,694 Grand Total 17,308,428 Summer Stoppages • 15 stoppages planned between April – October • 13 of these will see new gates being installed • Alternate routes have been identified for all sites Summer Stoppages • Lock 3 Factory – April/May • Lock 4 Oldbury – July/Aug • Lock 2 Factory – April/May • Lock 5 Oldbury – July/Aug • Lock 6 Aston – April/May • Lock 4 Ashted - August • Lock 2 Brades - May/June • Lock 1 Ryders – Aug/Sep • Lock 1 Brades - May/June • Lock 5 Walsall – Sep/Oct • Lock 1 Garrison - June/July • Lock 4 Rushall - Oct • Lock 3 Garrison - June/July • Lock 4 Garrison - June/July • Lock 5 Garrison - June/July Enforcement Paul Griffin Community Roots Birmingham Nick Cleaver Community Roots Project Leader 2015 - 2017 What is the Community Roots Project? • The Community Roots project began in May 2015 funded by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, its aim is to diversify the type of people who use and enjoy our waterways • We’re reaching out beyond boaters and canal enthusiasts by engaging communities who live or work near, the waterway • In order to achieve this we have attended or supported community events • Run our own events for groups • Introduced people to boating and canal life and encouraged people to explore our history and nature. • Ultimately our aim is to find new groups of volunteers who have never worked with us before and who are willing to adopt canals in the heart of Birmingham. Community Roots Birmingham What have we achieved since May 2015 in numbers We have worked with 1417 people from diverse community backgrounds We have trained 41 members of the community in a variety of practical skills including leadership training Volunteers have given us the equivalent of 1569 days of their time We have set up or are in the process of setting up and supporting 9 new community adoptions of canals in central Birmingham Approximately 14 km of urban canals have regular community volunteering taking place throughout the year or have been adopted by groups 10 large community and waterway events supported by the project to attract new volunteers, and share the heritage and history of our canal network in central Birmingham Community Roots, community Adoptions Community Roots Developing Volunteers Volunteers have helped carry out waterway improvements, planned events to share their new interest in canals, and learned new skills and developed a new interest in the heritage and environment of their city Community Roots helping promote well being and improving the environment Working with local residents and organisations such as the Good Gym, we have tidied and cleaned towpaths and begun to plant an urban orchard through the heart of Birmingham from Ladywood to Aston. Community Roots Getting the Message Out We have spread the word that our canals are assets that every community can enjoy, help improve and preserve for future generations. Using the radio, the press and in person. We have supported major community events that encourage the people of this diverse city to see the canals as a valuable asset to their lives.