BATH AVON River Corridor Group BATH AVON RIVER ECONOMY FIRST REPORT OF BATH & NORTH EAST SOMERSET COUNCIL ADVISORY GROUP SUMMER 2011 Group Members The Bath Avon River Corridor Economy Advisory Group held its Inaugural Meeting in the Guildhall in Bath on 29th October 2010. Group members were nominated by Councillor Terry Gazzard or John Betty, Director of Development and Major Projects and North East Somerset Council, for their particular skills and relevant experience. Those present were: Michael Davis For experience in restoring the Kennet and Avon Canal Edward Nash For experience in urban regeneration and design management Jeremy Douch For experience in transport planning David Laming For experience in using the river for boating James Hurley Representing Low Carbon South West and for experience in resource efficiency Steve Tomlin For experience in reclamation of materials John Webb Representing Inland Waterways Association and the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust and experienced in Waterways management Nikki Wood For experience in water ecology Councillor Bryan Chalker For experience in Bath’s heritage and representing the Conservative Political Group Councillor Ian Gilchrist For experience in sustainability issues and representing the Liberal Democrats Political Group Melanie Birwe/ Tom Blackman For Bath and North East Somerset Council – liaison with Major Projects Office Steve Tomlin stood down in early 2011. CONTENTS 1. Introduction 9. The Role of the River in Flood Resilience 2. Executive Summary 10. Renewable Energy and Spatial Sustainability 3. The Problem and Its History 11. Creating Growth Points for Change a) The Geographic History b) The Challenges and Opportunities Now 12. Drivers of Economic Development c) The Regeneration Model • The Visitor Offer • University Sector 4. A Natural River • The Sports Economy • Creative and Consultancy 5. What Rivers can do for Towns, Cities and their • Healthy Urban Living Hinterlands • Servicing the Settlements • The Waste Recovery Economy 6. Current Issues driving change • The Rural Economy • The Need for a New Economy Regeneration • Keynsham • Flood Management 13. What a New River Focussed Economy can do • Low Carbon Living for us. • Biodiversity 14. A Programme for Delivery 7. The Regulatory Regime • A - Engagement • The European Water Directive • B - Perception Changing - The Easy Wins • C - The Regeneration Model 8. Aspects of the River Initiative • D - Setting Strategic Goals through Policy • Changing Perceptions and Creating Values for the • E - The Watering Management Section River • Recovering and Creating Character and Identity • Along the River 15. Conclusion - Seen from the Air - Seen from the Bank APPENDICES • New Uses for the River - Validating the River - Its role in Connectability (i) Identity for Keynsham (i) Summary of Consultations - Transportation Issues (ii) The River Map - Building the River Corridor Transportation (iii) Illustration Credits Modes - Making the River Relevant 1. INTRODUCTION The River Avon extends for a distance of 30 km as it Avon could bring around its magnificent weir and other meanders through our borders the 570 km sq. that evidence of its history as a navigation. comprises the administrative area of the Bath and North East Somerset Council. From the point it enters Stimulated by such concerns from many quarters, and the District at Dundas to the east of Bath and leaves as other key steps in the future Economic, Social and at Hanham to the west of Keynsham, the Avon Valley Cultural life of the District have progressed, Southgate, and its tributary water courses of The Bybrook, The Western Riverside, in the Vision Statements and Core Frome, The Mells, the Somer, The Chew, The Boyd, Strategy, the Council have resolved that it is important The Newton, The Sistor define the District through to bring a particular focus now on making the Avon catchment areas and watersheds. River Corridor, both urban and rural, the subject of particular regeneration study so that the potential of Although the World Heritage City of Bath lies draped on the river’s future role and its potential as a generator of the hill slopes above one of the Avon’s many meanders, positive change and is fully recognised and written into those who value and are concerned about the City all future policy and regeneration delivery plans. have become increasingly aware how very far short the City’s relationship with the river falls from what it could and should be. There is a point around Pulteney Weir Terms of Reference within the view from North Parade Bridge where the From an initiative by former Councillor Terry Gazzard, results of several centuries of developmental history the Council’s Directorate of Development and Major have produced a magnificent vista where townscape, Projects Economic Development Team has convened architecture, landscape public open space and the a Group of individuals with particular relevant river all come together. Otherwise in only just a handful professional and practical experience, which includes of places where the river passes through the City do representation by the main political parties. The Group occasional coincidences of historic built environment, are independent of the Council and are charged with geography and landscape suggest anything of the advising Members and key Council Officers and same quality. For the most part, the river is perceived departments on all aspects of a river led regeneration as an engineered drain, something the city’s life economy and engaging with all relevant consultees and does not connect to or value, irrelevant to people’s interests to do so. perceptions of the World Heritage City, when it should be one of the glories. This document, issued in in the summer of 2011 is the Group’s first report and seeks to set in place a This problem is not confined within Bath’s urban framework of understanding for how significant the river boundaries. Those who do know the river, how it led regeneration envisaged in the Core Strategy can be, meanders across the broad Avon Valley between the challenges, the opportunities and the mechanisms Newbridge and Keynsham, know how different that needed to achieve the best long-term solution in the experience is from the impression of continuous ribbon most pragmatic ways. development that the main road link through Saltford and Keynsham suggests. Keynsham has problems of We request the director of the Economic Development its own, in needing new economic, social and cultural Team to present and commend the Report to the identity, but bizarrely not before now has it embraced council Cabinet as a necessary conceptual framework the potential of the relationship its proximity to the River from which a chain of engagement and executive action can be planned. SM 4 OP EN JD EN EN OP EN OP JW JW EN OP 5 2. EXECUTIVE Summary 6 EN 2. EXECUTIVE Summary Within the boundaries of Bath and North East Somerset History Council’s District the River Avon runs for a distance of Rivers pass through many physical states as they 30 km. It enters at the dramatic gateway of Dundas become modified by human activity and development. Aqueduct, passing through the ravishing scenery of the The Bath Avon became a navigation in the early18th Limpley Stoke Valley. Upstream of Pulteney Bridge it century, allowing Bath to become an inland port, finds Bath discreetly, the grandeur of Cleveland Bridge producing a history of industrial activity all along its largely unknown. Passing through the great arches of banks, much of it now neglected and misunderstood. Pulteney Bridge and onto Pulteney Weir it seems, for a As, for many years, the river has been viewed as a moment as if the river and the historic identity of Bath drainage feature engineered to accommodate water are at one, as if this river might be the defining feature in peak rainfall, we currently do not ascribe any other of the World Heritage Site. But then it disappears south values to it. It is under-appreciated as an aspect of of North Parade Bridge, and although passing through environment, as a generator of economic life, as part of a further 5 km of the developed City it is seen as an our cultural identity or our social engagement. Ways engineered canal lacking economic, environmental, need to be found of bringing all these values back to social or cultural value, something we are ashamed of the river so that they become generators for change and do not want to see, celebrate, and certainly to use. and investment. West of Bath, the river meanders for many miles Lessons from Elsewhere through the broad Avon Valley offering stretches of So used have we become to Bath’s and Keynsham’s superb quality and wildlife interest, before coming to river being irrelevant to our lives and perceptions that life with boating activity in Saltford. So beautiful is this it is easy to under appreciate just how different things stretch of river that it is hard to believe when travelling could be. A wealth of examples of river- based towns by road from Bath to Keynsham that the journey is and cities throughout the UK and Europe show just how between the same places. diverse riverscape environments are in contributing to the unique character of such places. River corridor The town of Keynsham, despite being built largely regenerations have taken place over the last 30 or around employment offered in the former chocolate 40 years; notably in Bristol Harbour and London factory which sits on the river’s banks, barely connects Southbank that reveal just how radically economic, with the Avon despite the magnificent weir, great views environmental, social and cultural activity has changed and a wealth of past industrial and social history to by capitalising on the assets rivers and their frontages draw on. offer as a back-drop to human activity of many kinds.