River Soar & Grand Union Canal

River Soar & Grand Union Canal THE STRATEGY

The River Soar and Grand Union Canal Corridor occupies a central position within the East Midlands Region, located in the north of Leicestershire. The Waterway corridor area encompasses the Districts of Charnwood, Blaby, Oadby and Wigston, 1 4 as well as running through the centre of the City of Leicester. The character 2 3 of the route and its surroundings vary signiﬁ cantly throughout the corridor, the Loughborough

Waterway ﬂ owing through urban suburbs, industrial areas, city centres, villages and 5 Barrow upon Soar open countryside. The Waterway provides an important link between the urban 6 environments and rural Leicestershire, providing an element of greenspace as well as Quorn 1 Loughborough Wharf functioning as an access route between the differing areas. 2 The Bell Foundry Sileby 3 The Great Central Railway 4 Windmill Road Development Area 5 Pillings Lock Marina 6 Barrow Boating Mountsorrel 7 Watermead Country Park Waterways are a vital component of the country’s infrastructure – encapsulating 8 Raynesway Marina, Thurmaston 9 National Space Centre 10 Abbey Park economic, social and environmental functions. They represent a part of the 11 City Wharf 12 Walkers Stadium 13 St Marys Wharf country’s public realm and a place where a broad range of activities are undertaken. 14 Aylstone Riverside Park 15 Glen Parva Wharf 16 County Arms This importance is reﬂ ected in waterways being widely adopted as the focus for 17 Crows Picnic Area Syston 18 Kilby Bridge Yard 19 Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre regeneration in both urban/rural areas throughout the UK helping to achieve balance 20 LRC Waterside Area 7 21 LRC Abbey Meadows Science Park between economic, social and environmental impacts in a sustainable way. Birstall

Thurmaston This strategy provides an assessment of the current position, issues and future 8 M1 19 opportunities for River Soar and Grand Union Canal, “the Waterway”,

9 recommending a series of short to medium term actions to secure a successful 10 21 long-term future for the Waterway. Glenfield Abbey Meadows Humberstone 11

Thurnby 20 For further information please visit: Leicester www.waterscape.com www.thewaterwaystrust.org.uk 12 13

Braunstone 14

PARTNERSHIP Aylestone Oadby KEY

Access Improvements Wigston Development & Public Increased Access Desirable 15 Realm Quality and Potential for Increased Valuing Heritage Waterway Activity 16 Key Landmark 17 Blaby Respecting the Promote Green Potential Key Landmark 18 Natural Environment Transport Enhancement Opportunity Kilby Bridge

Railway and Stations REEN

G Navigable waterway

P Non-navigable waterway

R O Motorway

I M Maximise the N

Enhancing the Secure Funding O

Visitor Experience Impact of the K A

T A Waterway for the G

I C

O Economic Benefit E C N of Leicestershire. E S E L S B S I IB IS L V Optimising E Raising the Waterway Activity Profile of the Waterway

Inspiring Interest Improving Access and Involvement

Produced by Arup and Lathams On behalf of the River Soar Steering Group

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www.waterscape.com www.thewaterwaystrust.org.uk SECURE FUNDING

THE STRATEGY AIMS TO: Deliver a coherent and realistic framework for securing funding, increasing the legitimacy, and visibility, of the Waterway as an asset to the County

RAISING THE PROFILE OF THE WATERWAY

THE STRATEGY AIMS TO: Increase the Waterway’s perception and proﬁ le by developing opportunities to publicise the Waterway.

INSPIRING INTEREST AND INVOLVEMENT

THE STRATEGY AIMS TO: Deliver a coherent identity, signage and other way ﬁ nding material for the Waterway which is user friendly. Encourage engagement at all levels through education and active participation.

www.waterscape.com www.thewaterwaystrust.org.uk VISIBLE RESPECTING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

THE STRATEGY AIMS TO: Balance increasing access to the Waterway with the need to conserve and enhance its landscape and ecological value.

DEVELOPMENT & PUBLIC REALM QUALITY AND VALUING HERITAGE

THE STRATEGY AIMS TO: Value the importance of the Waterway’s heritage and ensuring new development makes a positive contribution to the waterside.

PROMOTE GREEN TRANSPORT

THE STRATEGY AIMS TO: Encourage increased use of the Waterway corridor by providing a high quality green open space.

www.waterscape.com www.thewaterwaystrust.org.uk GREEN IMPROVING ACCESS

THE STRATEGY AIMS TO: Provide safe and improved access along the Waterway and enhance gateways to enable access to the Waterway by a range of transport modes.

OPTIMISING WATERWAY ACTIVITY

THE STRATEGY AIMS TO: Optimise the use of the Waterway for leisure based short trip travel and the accommodation of business where compatible.

ENHANCING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

THE STRATEGY AIMS TO: Raise the proﬁ le of the Waterway as a feature which connects together existing historic, natural and leisure assets, providing an overall enhanced experience for all users and visitors.

www.waterscape.com www.thewaterwaystrust.org.uk ACCESSIBLE River Soar & Grand Union Canal THE WAY FORWARD

It is recommended that the following set of actions should be delivered as a priority: 1) Form a strong, Waterway Partnership consisting of the local authorities and key agencies. This Partnership should champion and take responsibility for ensuring 7 the delivery of this Strategy. Loughborough 2) Develop a destination management plan for the Waterway. 6 Barrow upon Soar 3) Draft an Access strategy to identify which areas need to be improved, secure agreement / funding and commence access upgrades. Quorn 4) Compile a funding strategy and promote the Waterway’s potential to deliver Sileby

other funding related objectives. Mountsorrel 5) Undertake an area wide desk study to deﬁ ne the signiﬁ cance of the environmental resource.

6) Develop masterplans for the “hubs”. Syston 5 7) Promote the Waterway with strong and attractive image through all literature

and marketing material. Birstall 8) Support the development of a new visitor centre at Watermead focusing on Thurmaston USP – nature, eco-energy etc. M1

9) Establish a “Friends of the Waterway” volunteer group. 4

Glenfield 10) Prepare a design aid for the Waterway as a source of inspiration for new Abbey Meadows Humberstone

waterside and public development. Thurnby Leicester

PARTNERSHIP 2

Value the importance of Braunstone the Waterway’s heritage and ensuring new development makes a positive contribution to Aylestone Oadby Balance increasing access the waterside. Encourage increased use to the Waterway with the of the Waterway corridor need to conserve and by providing a high HUBS enhance its landscape and quality green open space. ecological value. Railway and Stations Wigston GREEN Navigable waterway Non-navigable waterway Raise the profile of the

P Deliver a coherent and Motorway

R Waterway as a feature realistic framework for Blaby 1

O which connects together securing funding, L

existing historic, natural I

M Maximise the 1 Kilby Bridge, South Wigston and Blaby increasing the legitimacy, N and leisure assets, Kilby Bridge

O Impact of the and visibility, of the providing an overall K 2 Aylestone

Waterway as an asset to A T enhanced experience for Waterway for the 3 Leicester City Centre

C the County G I O all users and visitors. Economic Benefit 4 Belgrave and Abbey Meadows

C E E

N of Leicestershire. S E L 5 Watermead Country Park and Environs S IB 6 Barrow on Soar S Increase the Waterway’s Optimise the use of the I IS B perception and profile 7 Loughborough and Environs Waterway for leisure L V by developing based short trip travel E opportunities to and the accommoda- publicise the Waterway. tion of business where compatible. Deliver a coherent Provide safe and identity, signage and improved access along other way finding the Waterway and material for the Waterway enhance gateways to which is user friendly. enable access to the Encourage engagement Waterway by a range of at all levels through transport modes. education and active participation.

HUBS

Produced by Arup and Lathams On behalf of the River Soar Steering Group