Issue - meetings

To receive a presentation from the Director of Culture, Communities and Business Services with an update on the future management options for Basingstoke Canal.

The Committee considered a report and presentation from the Director of Culture, Communities and Business Services regarding the options for the future management of the Basingstoke Canal.

Members were informed that the Canal was jointly owned by Hampshire County Council (HCC) and Surrey County Council (SCC) and spanned 32 miles across both counties. It was noted that, since 1990, the Canal had been managed by local authority partnership (namely 6 local borough and district councils, local parishes and a town council).

The item sought Members’ support in producing a future investment strategy, with SCC, to explore options for the upkeep of the Canal and generating income to fund maintenance responsibilities.

In response to Members’ questions, it was confirmed that:

• Out of the partner authorities, Surrey Heath Borough Council and Runnymede Borough Council did not contribute financially in full according to the funding formula in contrast to all other partners.
• That Option 1 – the transfer of the Canal to the Canal and River Trust was not a financially viable option for either landowning authority.
• The Basingstoke Canal Joint Management Committee, including elected Councillors from both HCC and SCC, had established a working group to begin exploring future management alternatives.
• The amount of power boat movements allowed on the Canal annually (1300 boat movements) could not be increased. This was due to the designation of the Canal as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and that power boat movements would negatively impact the population of aquatic species.

• SCC had planned capital contributions of £150,000 per annum from 2017-2020. This contrasted with £500,000 from HCC for the next 3 years. The mismatch in capital investment in the Canal assets would be addressed as part of the future discussions with SCC.

RESOLVED:

That the Culture and Communities Select Committee recommends to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage that he:

1. Supports the decision not to pursue an asset transfer to the Canal and River Trust at this time.

2. Supports the proposal to produce a strategy for investment in partnership with Surrey County Council and to consider potential investments for the benefit of the Canal operation beyond the Hampshire county boundary.

3. Approves the continuation of revenue funding contributions at the same level, as set out in section 3.8 of this report, for the next three years.

4. Fully endorses the ongoing 3 year capital investment programme orientated at tacking the asset maintenance backlog and managing associated risks in a prioritised manner.