FAO Martha Louise Bailey Development Management & Wrekin Council PO Box 457 Wellington Civic Offices Telford TF2 2FH

2 March 2021

Dear Ms Bailey

British Canoeing OBJECTION to planning application TWC/2021/0165 Raft Tours, The Wharfage, Ironbridge, Telford, Shropshire

British Canoeing has been made aware of a planning application to Council for the installation of ‘1 no. double sided non illuminated sign and 2 no. non illuminated signs attached to replacement gauge’ mounting the words ‘Shropshire Raft Tours & Canoe Hire No Public Access for Watercraft Users No Fishing No Swimming’ to be mounted bankside of the and in addition said wording mounted on the river gauge post. We understand that the purpose and intention of the sign is to inform river users that there is no public access to the river Severn which holds a recognised public right of navigation. In addition there is an outstanding Definitive Map Modification Order supported by user evidence for a public footpath in the vicinity of the planning application currently lodged with Telford and Wrekin Council to record the path on the legal Definitive Map of Rights of Way reference PRW-001631.

British Canoeing objects under visual amenity of both the legally misleading content and physical presence of the signage which would have an adverse effect on the visual amenity of the area as a whole. We would also add the following:

British Canoeing is the national governing body for canoeing and represents many of the recreational canoeing interests based around the River Severn with a number of British Canoeing affiliated clubs located in the vicinity. The River Severn has a popular severncanoetrail which being delivered by Shropshire Wildlife Trust and supported by key stakeholders and part funded by Sport , the trail benefits the local community and economy immensely. Therefore, British Canoeing strongly object to the application and ask the Council to take into account the following reasons:

 The right of navigation on the River Severn is a right of way for all the public for all purposes of navigation and at common law the public have always had a right paramount to the rights of property of the Crown and its grantees to navigate over every part of a common navigable river. For that reason, if the Crown grants a portion of the bed and soil of an estuary or tidal water, the grantee takes subject to the public right of navigation and cannot, as owner of the soil, in any way interfere with the enjoyment of the public right.

 There is an active claim for a Definitive Map Modification Order under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for a public footpath to be added to the Definitive map in the vicinity of the land concerned. This is currently lodged with Telford and Wrekin Council reference PRW-001631. The evidence submitted to support the DMMO application should be reviewed, along with a review of the council’s recent land disposals in the vicinity exploring access rights for the public on the property and a decision notified by the council before any determination of the proposed planning application.

The Covid 19 crisis has brought into sharp focus, the clear need for us all to have access to places on our doorstep where we can be active and outdoors.

Places to participate in sport and physical activity are the absolute foundation to creating an active nation. Policy makers and funders must be more flexible in how they define active environments. Access to water for paddling and swimming has supported tens of thousands of new participants in 2020, but improving infrastructure and facilities to support this activity continues to be challenging.

At a local level, rarely does accessibility of waterways feature in planning. For example, Rights of Way improvement Plans favour paths and cycleways, rather than paddle trails or places to swim. While access to green space is so important, blue spaces must not be overlooked as valuable active environments, non-more so than the River Severn.

Sport and physical activity must also not be underestimated in its ability to tackle other crises within our society, such as climate change and the degradation of our natural environment

The natural world is the foundation of our health, wellbeing and prosperity. People’s personal connection to nature is declining as it becomes a less frequent part of our daily lives. Lack of access to nature is a significant factor in health inequalities.

People protect what they love, but they only love what they know. By enabling people to be active in nature, by creating places for them to be active outdoors, on our waterways and rights of way, we can increase people's understanding and appreciation of the natural world. This in turn will help support the Government’s ambitions within the 25 Year Plan for the Environment and benefit the local community.

I look forward to hearing from you to discuss matters to ensure we can work together for the benefit of all recreational rivers users who wish to continue to enjoy the beautiful environment of the River Severn and .

Yours sincerely,

Chantelle Grundy

Access and Environment Officer