Agenda item

Ben Seal, Head of Access & Environment at British Canoeing gave a presentation to the LAF on Access to Water.

Ben explained that there had been a huge surge in participation in paddlesports since the Covid lockdowns had lifted. There were now 7.5m people regularly paddling each year in the UK and whilst this was a growing area, they often felt overlooked. Of the 70,671km of inland waterways, only 6.4% of them have any statutory right of navigation. Within the Peak District National Park, there are currently no waterways where paddle sport enthusiasts can participate in their sport.

The barriers to wider access to waterways range from opposition from landowners, liability concerns and potential for pollution and environmental harm. However, the benefits of access to blue space to mind and wellbeing were huge. Ben campaigns for “fair, shared and sustainable open access to water” and shared with the LAF a promotional video put together by British Canoeing which sets out the newly established Paddlers Code.

Several members of the LAF thanked Ben Seal for sharing such an impassioned presentation and an inspiring video. Charlotte Gilbert, as Acting Chair of the LAF, reminded Ben that as a statutory advisory body, the LAF would not be able to support or recommend anything that falls outside current legislation. She did however assure Ben that the LAF would certainly bear in mind access to open water in future discussions.

Andrew McCloy spoke from an authority perspective as Chair of the PDNPA. He confirmed that the Authority was committed to opening up opportunities for access to water but stressed that it had very limited power to compel landowners to allow access or capacity to broker deals. Unfortunately, the only way to effect permanent change was via legislation. Ben Seal stated that it would be good to have the support of the Authority in their lobbying efforts. Andrew suggested that he set up a meeting with Phil Mulligan, the Authority’s new CEO, who had previously worked at the Canals and Rivers Trust.

Ben concluded by saying that whilst political will was fickle, there did currently appear to be some appetite for change which needed capitalising upon. Building trust with landowners would be key whilst also continuing to educate paddlesports members so that any damage to the environment was minimised. It was hoped that the launch of the Paddlers Code would help to improve awareness and challenge perceptions of water sports users.

Environment Land Management Schemes (ELMS) Update

Charlotte Gilbert, Acting Chair, asked Ben to give a brief update on ELMS to the LAF Members. Ben reported that he had met DEFRA  ministers this year to try and ensure that public access was embedded within ELMS as landowners can get paid for supporting public access to the countryside, but following the meeting DEFRA has confirmed that they would be supporting activities with a particular emphasis on access to farm visits, so Ben was concerned that ELMS had been watered down to just educational visits.