Pocklington Canal Audience, Conservation and Interpretation Plan December 2011
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Pocklington Canal Audience, Conservation and Interpretation Plan December 2011 Prepared by Marion Blockley - Heritage Management Pocklington Canal Audience, Conservation and Interpretation Plan Acknowledgements Image credits Contents Executive Summary and brief 5 The potential for Leisure and Tourism 1 Introduction 5.1 ‘Slow’, ‘Green’ or ‘Responsible’ Tourism 1.1 Historical Development 5.2 The profile of Slow or Responsible 1.2 Historical Significance and Designations Tourism Audience 1.3 Environmental Significance and Designations 5.3 Principles of Slow or Responsible Tourism 1.4 Amenity, Community and Social Significance 5.4 The Market for Slow Tourism in East and North Yorkshire 1.5 Ownership and Management 5.5 Segmentation of Green/Nature Tourism Market 5.6 The economic benefits of Slow Tourism 2 Issues affecting the canal 5.7 The existing visitor market for East Yorkshire 2.1 Nature Conservation Importance 5.8 Seasonality of Nature Tourism across 2.2 The Canal as part of the Buffer Zone for the Ings and East Yorkshire Lower Derwent Valley 5.9 The volume of visits to East Yorkshire 2.3 Statutory Obligations and Policies 5.10 What does this mean for Pocklington Canal? 2.4 Non- navigation factors affecting nature conservation value 5.11 How to attract the Slow/Responsible tourism audience 2.5 Influence of navigation on aquatic wildlife 5.12 Slow/Responsible tourism partners 2.6 Canal Infrastructure, dredging and weed cutting 2.7 Disturbance of birds on the Ings 6 Recommendations on agreed action 2.8 Protection of the Historic Fabric of the Canal 6.1 Develop a Visitor Management Strategy 2.9 Parking at Melbourne Arm 6.2 Prepare a Conservation Management Plan 2.10 Towpath Condition and Access 6.3 Create opportunities for community engagement and volunteering 2.11 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance 6.4 Provide formal learning opportunities 2.12 Lack of Awareness of the Canal 6.5 Rationalise future partnership management 2.13 The Canal as part of the Local Green Infrastructure Network 7 Conclusions and next steps 3 Options Appraisal-moving towards consensus Appendices 3.1 Criteria to be considered Appendix 1 Sources 3.2 Potential options (for consultation) Appendix 2 Building Consensus Appendix 3 Extract from SSSI Condition 4 Community Consultation Assessment 2010 4.1 Consultation Aims Appendix 4 Comments from specific consultees and user groups 4.2 Consultation and Engagement Methodology Appendix 5 International Environmental Legislation 4.3 Interactive Display affecting the Canal 4.4 Sample Size Appendix 6 Abbreviations 4.5 Other Consultation methods Appendix 7 Curriculum Links at Key Stage 2 4.6 Results of surveys to date Appendix 8 Activities Action Plan 4.7 Results from existing users Appendix 9 Interpretation Plan 4.8 Profile of existing users Appendix 10 Issues & Actions 4.9 Selection of detailed comments Appendix 11 Pocklington Canal Vision Statement Pocklington Canal Audience, Conservation 1 | 121 www.marionblockley.co.uk and Interpretation Plan 01952 432561 Acknowledgements The members oF the Pocklington and Wolds Gateway Partnership, many oF whom have already A huge number of people helped with the research been acknowledged, also shared their aspirations, and consultation that is summarised in this report, expertise and contacts, and I would like to thank and I apologise to all those I have Failed to Grahame Hicks who has not been mentioned so mention. far. Graham Ramsden and Judy Jones oF British Terry Weston shared his expertise on dragonflies, Waterways initially suggested that this would be a damselFlies, birds and so many other aspects of the useFul exercise and they have been a constant biodiversity of the Lower Derwent Valley. He also support throughout. Jane Thompson oF BW had led a fascinating walk along the canal with the York the difficult task of picking up the threads of this Birding group and very generously supplied the complex project towards its close. exquisite wildliFe photos For this report. The committee oF the Pocklington Canal Amenity Dennis Moor provided some entirely unexpected Society have been a huge help throughout this and remarkable anecdotes and photos oF his sub process. Especially Alistair Anderson and Dick aqua view along the Canal over several years. Watson, like chalk and cheese, but both were Angela Brown was a great help in so many ways, immensely helpFul in so many ways. Paul and I appreciate her support. Waddington, Howard and Hilary Anguish, Greg Dixon, Roger Bromley and Debbie Smith all Elinda and Martin RatcliFFe supplied inFormation provided invaluable help. and contacts, as did Sue and Chris Bond From Devonshire Mill. Kay, David and Paul West were a stalwart support throughout the consultation process, not only The ladies From the Melbourne Methodist Church providing great hospitality but readily sharing their were a great help with both reFreshments and the vast network oF local contacts and knowledge. circulation oF questionnaires. They opened so many doors and their support was invaluable. Kevin DuFFy also willingly shared his Pocklington Town Council and their mayor, fount of local knowledge. Graham Perry, were very supportive oF the plans for the Canal. John Brown was a constant support at Community Consultation events, supplying cups of tea and ice The stafF at Bingley Market were a great help as cream at critical times to fuel this tiring process. He were the market traders and the staFF at Burnby also provided many useful contacts and Hall gardens. introductions through his extensive local networks. Stuart Cocker and Tony Barker From Vixen Radio deserve a special mention For their omnipresence Image credits and valuable support at community events over Figs. 1 and 3 Pocklington Canal Amenity Society the summer. They were always there, ready to record an interview, publicise the consultation and Fig. 2 British Waterways even carry out some impromptu oral history recording. Their volunteers epitomise all that is Fig. 4 Marion Blockley great about local voluntary efFort and expertise. Photos pages 15 – 17 Terry Weston Phil Gilbank and Jo Green From the Pocklington and District Historical Society were a great help Photos pages 20 middle right, Pocklington Canal willingly sharing their local knowledge and Amenity Society resources and manning their displays at local All other photos Marion Blockley events alongside the Canal consultation. Pocklington Canal Audience, Conservation 2 | 121 www.marionblockley.co.uk and Interpretation Plan 01952 432561 Executive Summary This report was prepared For British Waterways, who issued the brieF with the Full support of the Pocklington Canal Liaison Group. Funding For the report was provided by the LEADER Coast, Wolds, Wetlands and Waterways (CWWW) East Riding and North Yorkshire Waterways Partnership through East Riding oF Yorkshire Council (ERYC). The brieF For this report is challenging in that, as the title demonstrates, it conflates three different and rather separate types oF report: An Audience Development Plan; A Conservation Management Plan and an Interpretation Plan, each with a diFFerent Format, in one hybrid document. As a consequence it can only raise issues and leave British Waterways, the Pocklington Canal Liaison Group and the wider LEADER CWWW Waterways Partnership to debate and research these issues in more detail and take Forward those which it wishes to seek funding for. In addition the brieF required extensive consultation, community engagement and consensus building, as well as guidance on this process. It required an approach to consultation which enabled the wider community of local stakeholders who don’t attend meetings, Forums and special interest groups, to be heard, so that they can contribute to decisions about the Future of the Canal. This was required to inForm the development oF consensus-based approaches on other waterways in the LEADER CWWW Partnership area. The brieF also requested research (both desk-based and through Fieldwork) to inform the wider LEADER CWWW Waterways Partnership. The issues uncovered from this research are discussed in section 2. The complexity oF the brieF reFlects the challenges over reconciling community interests, conservation and access that affect the Pocklington Canal, the wider Waterways Partnership and British Waterways as it moves rapidly to become a third sector organisation in April 2012. The Format oF the report attempts to reconcile the three key elements of the title of the brief ‘Audience, Conservation and Interpretation’ and to present them as issues, options and actions informed by research, consultation and consensus. A key requirement was to consider and make recommendations on the role of the Canal in the local Green Infrastructure network. Consultation and awareness-raising with interest groups was specified For this contract and the techniques used are described in section 4 and appendix 2. The consultant was required to demonstrate an appreciation of the aims and aspirations of stakeholder groups and encourage a sense of community ownership of the Canal. One oF the key things that was articulated during the community consultation was a sense oF confusion about the bureaucracy and the overlapping roles of the different organisations involved in the management of the Canal, and accordingly these are summarised in section (1.6). The detailed speciFications oF the brieF are set out below, with the relevant sections oF the plan in brackets: Aim and Objectives The objectives of the Audience, Conservation and Interpretation Plan are to: • Engage