Vicky Martin, Waterway Manager

Bugbrooke - Tuesday 20th October 2015 Aylesbury – Thursday 22nd October 2015 • What to expect from the evening? • Meet the waterway management team! • CRT highlights • Our Waterway • Customer Service Standards – Signage • Updates • Winter Stoppages & open days • Q&A Waterway Manager Vicky Martin

Customer Customer Development Volunteer Stoke Operations Support & Development Bruerne Manager Co-ordinator Engagement Co-ordinator Canal Manager Museum Lee King Amy John Louise Stockwin McEleney Sarah Brown Highmore Stephanie Furniss • Financial performance strong : • Year end income at over £180m • £15m better than original 14/15 plan • Surplus of £5m+ generated rather than planned £6m deficit • Even allowing for additional waterway spend (c.£3m) • Good progress on other measures • Longer Term strategy in place

Over £46m of income generated last year

£26.1m income Income up by 4% to £33.8m Income up 7.5% to £7.1m (operating profit achieved) • xxxxxx

• £1.6m raised • c.10,000 active Friends at 31 March (now c.14,500) • Success with major donors, trusts & companies

• Waterway repairs/ project spend up 10% • Asset condition improving – 14.1% in D/E category, all Government targets met • Fewer unplanned closure days • xxxxxx c. £10m third party money last year • c.19m individuals visited our c. waterways£10m third during party the year money• 1 in 3 peoplelast year now aware of the Trust

Major Heritage Lottery Fund backed investment By 2025: • 75% public awareness • 50% of public willing to support us • 85% of customers satisfied • 1m volunteer hours each year • 500 miles of community adoptions • 100,000 active Friends • 500m visits each year • 1m children & young people involved

• 21 Local Authorities, including six County Councils; 135 Parish and Town Councils

• 410km of historic canals & rivers plus 15 reservoirs

• 6,500 licensed boats locally on South East waters, out of a national total of 35,000 (more than at the height of the Industrial Revolution)

• 307 Listed Buildings & Structures & 4 Scheduled Ancient Monuments

• 30 Conservation Areas, including three linear lengths of canal totaling 151km; 4 SSSIs (Sites of Specific Scientific Interest) • 100+ local canal societies, angling groups, conservation and wildlife organizations actively involved in projects on the waterway

• Four significant new and restoration projects: • Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway (new) • Daventry Canal Arm (new) • Wendover Canal Arm (restoration) • Buckingham Canal Arm (restoration)

• Volunteers • 150 Volunteer Lock Keepers • 20 Volunteer Helmsmen • 7 Lead Volunteers

• 14 Community adoptions and 1 corporate adoption • Audit & gap analysis of customer facilities in the South East • Boating Sub group • Pilot new standards next year Mystery Shopper programme for staff • Customer journey: pre arrival, facilities, signage clear and helpful, cleanliness etc • Phase 1: 8 destinations across the country including Foxton and Stoke Bruerne

Welcome Stations • Stoke Bruerne, Braunston, Hillmorton and Banbury National pilot to develop framework for DMPs

1. Agreeing the vision - where do we want to be? 2. Gathering the Evidence - where are we now? 3. Setting the direction - how do we get there? 4. Identify the Action - who will do what, and by when? 5. How they will measure progress - what will success look like? • Signage • New national signage standards • Signage audits − 14 of Top 100 destinations in the South East • Brand portal to ensure consistent design • Combine and declutter • Temporary and permanent signs • Tone of voice

• Lock 71: lock side coping replacements completed and uneven block sets lifted and levelled, also missing stone capping on lower steps completed. Towpath bank repairs undertaken. The existing concrete piles had failed along a 12 metre section. A new solution was to install bag work to prevent further erosion of the path and bank, installed approx. 4 ton of bag work topped with soil and seeded. Fencing replacement carried out

Lock 71 quadrant repairs: We collapsed the damaged area and exposed a large hole with water flowing through a crack in the paddle chamber brick work. Repairs to the cracked brick work were carried out and backfilled with puddle clay and Type1 then replaced block sets along with a number of other depressions. • Brickwork repairs were completed in the Blisworth area where water was holding in a rear garden. We had to install a 15m clay trench repair to prevent this from happening. • A high priority notification was recently carried out (Leicester Line) which included a parapet wall rebuild on the towpath side and brickwork repairs and repointing to the culvert headwall on the offside. Removal of old LB Brickwork at Somerton Common

Softbank Protection x 4 at Somerton Mill • Access Steps at Somerton Mill • Bank repair below Pigeons Lock • Leak stopping Opposite Kirtlington Stud • Bank Repair Immediately S Br 207 • Failed Bank and exposed tie rods at Lower Lock approach Lock 15, Marston Doles National 4.7% SE region 2.4

Licensed boats registered without a home mooring 5000

• Increase in number of 4500

boats registered without 4000

a home mooring 3500

3000

2500 Mar-10 Mar-11 Mar-12 Mar-13 Mar-14 Mar-15

• Increase pressure from Stakeholders to address the issue of perceived non compliance • Review sightings to see if there is concern • Where there is concern – licence renewal restricted to 3 or 6 months (provide a further opportunity to show a compliant movement pattern) • If they don’t renew, enforcement action continues (boat is unlicensed). • If they renew – movement monitored and further reminders sent half way through licence. • Final decision at end of restricted licence - renew for further period to maintain pattern - no further licence offered on the basis that the boat will continuously cruise 120 Number of Restricted Licenses Issued - as at mid Sept 15 100

80

60

40

20

0 May June July Aug Sept Oct 3 mth 6 mth Distribution of Restricted Licences Issued - as at mid Sept 2015 Central East, 6% South West, 13%

South East, 21%

London, 45%

NW & Mids, 5%

North, 11% Volunteering update James Clifton Enterprise Manager October 2015 • Grand Union Canal • Soulbury pumping station − Grade II, restore for rental. £107k. • Stoke Bruerne interpretation − Interpretation panels being installed now • Tringford pumping station interpretation − “keeping boats afloat from 1817 til today” • Kings Langley 2.4km ? • Wendover Arm − c£2m joint Heritage Lottery bid • Buckingham Arm • Daventry Arm • Towcester Arm • Aylesbury Arm - towpath • Arla − c£400k. • Aylesbury East − £200k • Aylesbury Woodland − ? • Oxford Canal • Frenchay Road − 300m £115k. • Oxford Cycleway − 3km, OxLEP

• Other projects • Mental Health Benefits of Waterways • Sport England – Two Arms on Two Legs 11/09/16 • B&MK – Campbell Park / Bedford Head of Navigation

Sport Development Manager The Sports Development Manager is tasked with raising sports participation on the Trust’s estate, drawing resources across the wider CRT central and regional teams including fundraising, marketing, PR and communications, consumer insights, volunteering and community engagement. The role also facilitates the Trust’s wider national strategy around sports participation. The Post is jointly funded by Sport England and the People’s Postcode Lottery. Recent Events: Since March a number of initiatives have been delivered:

6 week canoeing project for Young Carers at Bulbourne:

Two Canal & Park Activity Days (below) in Aylesbury & Banbury (canoeing, angling, cycling and fun run):

Paddleboarding on the Weston Turville Reservoir: • Regular ‘Canal Runs’ (similar format to Park Run) in Aylesbury, Milton Keynes and Birmingham

• Regular Paddle boarding and Canoeing Sessions in Aylesbury and Banbury

• Northampton Canal & Park Activity Day

• Inclusive Angling Days in Aylesbury & Northampton One for the diary… Half Marathon: Sarah Brown • Adoptions and Canal Partnerships • Volunteering • Youth Engagement • Taster days and events • Parish Councils and Local Authorities • Customer groups and corporates  40,000 hours contributed by volunteers. (Thankyou to everyone who has contributed!)

 150 Volunteer Lock Keepers assisting our local Customer Operations teams to provide effective customer service

 15 Community Adoption Agreements – communities undertaking a range of maintenance and restoration projects on a regular basis

 11 Lead Volunteers have supported the Waterway team to deliver a range of projects

 3 ‘Towpath Taskforce’ - Aylesbury, Hawkesbury Junction and Oxford. These are regular volunteering days which take place each month which anyone is welcome to attend (more details on the Canal & River Trust website). A national partnership project led by the Scouts Association that the Trust is involved in. The Trust work alongside a number of well-established and highly regarded partners to engage with up to half a million young people across our network. It will help to: • Increase community engagement across our network • Deliver our vision: Living waterways transform places and enrich lives

A Million Hands will tackle four social issues with support from other national charity partners: • Improving the lives of those affected by dementia with Alzheimer’s Society • Improving the lives of those with additional needs with Leonard Cheshire Disability and Guide Dogs • Improving mental wellbeing and resilience with Mind • Ensuring everyone, everywhere has access to clean water and sanitation with WaterAid

Share the space: Drop the pace: It’s a special place: Towpaths are popular Pedestrians have priority Our waterways are living places to be enjoyed by on our towpaths so be heritage with boats, working everyone. Please be ready to slow down; if locks and low bridges. So mindful of others, keep you’re in a hurry, please give way to waterway dogs under control and consider using an users and be extra careful clean up after them. alternative route for your where visibility is limited. journey.

What’s next? • Define our local priorities • Implement better signage – better tone of voice • ‘Maplets’ to engage with waterway users • Events to continue the campaign John Ellis BSc(Hons) MIFM C Biol MRSB • CRT Canal Pairs Championship Final Sat 24th October. Birmingham & Fazeley • Otter Mortality GU Leicester Line. VBS. • Possible 2016 CRT Fish Campaign • Two New Funding opportunities. Angling Trust Fisheries Improvement Fund plus Angling Participation Fund • National Angling Development Manager. Internal Promotion. • Roach appeal and zander management plan. GU Braunston to MK • Formation of community angling club at Hemel Hempstead. • Participation Programme with clubs and at CRT events. • Crucian carp conservation project Wolvercote Pool. FRED – Fish Rescue Education Day Stoke Bruene, February 2016

CANAL PAIRS CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 Come along and watch some expert canal anglers. More details at the Spring Forums Lee King – Customer Operations Manager Grand Union North (GUN) Lock 10 – 12Long Buckby Gate replacement works (Grand Union Canal) 2 November - 20 December

Lock 6,10 & 11, Northampton Arm Gate replacement works plus various (Grand Union Canal) associated repairs 4 January - 28 February

Lock 14-17, Northampton Arm Gate replacement works and other (Grand Union Canal) associated repairs 4 January - 28 February

Stoke Bruerne Repairs to be undertaken (Grand Union Canal) 8th February - 18 March Grand Union South (GUS) Lock 10, Aylesbury Arm Gate replacement works (Grand Union Canal) 2 November - 20 November

Lock 14,15 and Bridge 16, Aylesbury Arm Leak related lock work and bridge related (Grand Union Canal) brickwork 2 November - 2 December Lock 31, Horton Lock to Lock 34, Gate Relining works Seabrook Lock, Aylesbury Arm Junction 11 January - 26 February (Grand Union Canal) Bridge 87 To carry out repairs and stabilisation works to (Grand Union Canal) a brick arch bridge. Works to bridge and piling operations lead to the requirement of a stoppage rather than a restriction. 18 January - 26 February Lock 82, Stockers Lock Gate replacement works (Grand Union Canal) 8 February - 26 February

Lock 58 Gate relining works (Grand Union Canal) 20 February - 11 March Lock 75, Cassiobury Park Gate relining works (Grand Union Canal) 7 March - 9 March South Oxford (SOX)

Lock 42, Roundham Lock Gate refit works 2 November - 13 November Somerton Deep Lock 34 Gate relining works 16th -27th November Lock 30, Grants Lock Gate relining works 30 November – 7 December Lock 29, Banbury Lock Gate reline works 30 November – 7 December Lock 27, Little Bourton Gate relining 10 December – 18 December Lock 12, Shop Lock Gate and Lock ladder replacement 11 January - 29th January Radford Bottom Lock to Stockton Flight 9 Cill, fenders, and reline works Lock 23 Radford Bottom Lock-Lock 6 11 January - 11 March We will be holding two open lock weekends this Winter in the South East.

• Banbury Lock 29 - 5th & 6th December 2015

• Stoke Bruerne 13th-14th February 2016