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An evening with the Waterways Minister
Jonathan Shaw MP, the Government Minister with responsibility for Waterways was an official visitor and special guest at a fund raising and awareness raising evening hosted by Bedford MP Patrick Hall to highlight and promote the work of Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust.
‘I’m still fizzing’ and ‘What an inspiring evening’ were just some of the comments of guests in aid of Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust on 17 July. Patrick Hall had invited Waterways Minister Jonathan Shaw, the Mayors of Bedford and Kempston, other local dignitaries and senior staff in private and public bodies, such as British Waterways, Renaissance Bedford and Nirah, and Trust volunteers, to hear the latest news about the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway.
Patrick Hall’s support in holding the event for the Trust and the level of attendance at the meeting was evidence for the Waterways Minister of fervent local support for the project. In his talk Jonathan Shaw defended the government’s record on the waterways and assured the meeting of his personal support. He spoke of the need for co-ordination between organisations including government departments. He himself chairs a new interdepartmental committee where he will be pressing for support for inspirational national projects that cross departmental and organisational boundaries, such as the proposed Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway.
On behalf of the Trust, the Chair Jane Wolfson, presented a DVD narrated by Kevin Whately. This showed the project’s enticing vision for the transformation by water of a landscape blighted by landfill, clay pit and the embers of the brick industry.
Jane used the example of the Trust, driven by the commitment of volunteers and working in partnership with many organisations as one to be supported by government. Every 1% of public funding would pay dividends backed by the strength of volunteers and project partners and supporters.
The meeting closed with the compliments of the Minister for the inspiring presentation, endorsed by those present.
Waterway FAQs
How long will the Waterway be?
24 km from the junction with the Grand Union canal in MK to the junction with the Great Ouse at Kempston. The 6 km of the Great Ouse from Kempston into Bedford will be brought up to full boating standard.
How wide and deep and what size of boats?
It will be a broad canal with a navigation channel 9 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep, but the total width will be 15 metres where possible. The locks will accommodate boats up to 22 metres (72 feet) long, 4 metres (13 feet) wide and 1.3 metres (4 feet) deep (draft). Boats up to 9 feet high above water level at their highest point will be able to pass through the bridges which will have a 3 metre clearance above the water level.
The canal will be the focus of a string of waterway parks which will be as wide as planning space allows with paths; planting; leisure space; attractions and facilities on either or both sides of the water. It is a current plan to have a “multi-use” path about 3 metres wide on one side of the waterway which can be set back from the water’s edge in some places to allow anglers to fish without obstructing the pathway for other users.
When will it be built?
This will be done in stages as funds are raised, over the coming 10-20 years. The Trust and its partners are securing the route in local plans and seeking such funds.How will the canal cross the M1?
The canal will pass under the M1 through a tunnel, using the disused Cattle Creep (20 ft wide and 20 ft high) under the M1 just south of Junction 13 and just north of the Bletchley to Bedford railway tunnel. Negotiations with the Highways Agency have led to the Agency giving a memorandum of understanding that the planned modifications of Junction 13 will not preclude this solution.
June 2008
B&MK Waterway Trust Launch New DVD on YouTube
The Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust have released a new DVD which is available to view on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/BMKWT
It is narrated by local Milton Keynes TV Actor Kevin Whately (Detective Sergeant Lewis in the popular “Morse” series) and features endorsements from:
- Richard Arthur, Chairman of Renaissance Bedford,
- Clifton Ibbett, Founder of the Bedfordia Group,
- Tony Talbot, Director of the Forest of Marston Vale.
The video highlights the proposed route of the waterway leaving Bedford near the Kempston Weir, alongside the new developments at Wootton, through Berry Wood, under the new A421 through a new 30m purpose built tunnel, the design of which, and funding for, has already been agreed, into the Forest of Marston Vale, over Brogborough Hill, under the M1 and into Milton Keynes.
Also highlighted are the regeneration opportunities surrounding the waterway through Marston Vale, and improved leisure use of the River Great Ouse at Bedford.
Last year a similar DVD was released on You Tube featuring the proposed Milton Keynes Waterway Park development. This has had in excess of 860 showings. http://www.youtube.co.uk/mkwp
B&MK Waterway Trust Project Director Jane Wolfson (who is also featured on the DVD) says: “We are making great progress – the first section of the waterway through a 30m tunnel under the new A421 has already been designed and is fully funded. The Waterway is in all the local plans, and in Milton Keynes we have planning permission.”
The DVD has been produced by volunteers of the B&MK Waterway Trust with support from local businesses and partners.June 2008
Awards for All
Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust has been given the grant to provide signposts and interpretation boards along a section of the proposed waterway which will link the Grand Union canal at Milton Keynes to the Great Ouse at Bedford. Two years ago the Milton Keynes group from The Trust obtained similar funding for a section of the route in Milton Keynes.
Since last August Richard Wood, seconded from the Dept of Communities and Local Government, has been working with landowners and councils to create a permissive path along the rest of the route. This award will allow The Trust to mark out a section of the path from The Forest Centre, Marston Vale to Wootton.
The photograph illustrates an interpretation board already in place in Milton Keynes. The Trust always welcomes new volunteers and will be seeking support and exhibiting at Bedford River Festival so look out for the stand.
The Trust will also been seeking support from schools and pupils along the route as it would like their help in writing information for the interpretation boards.
January 2008
Waterway makes it into the plans!
The preferred route of the Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway has been included in the latest land use plans drawn up by Mid Bedfordshire District Council. Known as the Local Development Framework the inclusion in the plans safeguards the route for the future and planning applications for new development will not be permitted to prejudice the future of the proposal.
The Waterway is planned to go underneath the M1 via an existing “cattle creep” and over Brogborough Hill via what will constitute an innovative, high profile engineering attraction akin to (but significantly different from) the Falkirk Wheel), and across the Marston Vale through to the River Great Ouse in Kempston. Linking Milton Keynes and Bedford and the Grand Union Canal with the Eastern waterways via a series of waterway parks, it will create a permanent green/blue corridor through the heart of the growth area, enhancing and preserving the best of the natural environment en route.
October 2007
Government Support for the Waterway
The Department for Communities and Local Government are supporting the project for a new waterway between Bedford and Milton Keynes by providing a Senior Implementation Officer on an eighteen month secondment to push forward the scheme for a Bedford and a Marston Waterway Park. The Senior Implementation Officer is Richard Woods who is based at County Hall, Bedford. The appointment is also co-funded by Bedfordshire County Council and the B&MK Waterway Trust.
Commenting on his appointment, Richard Woods said:
"I am excited to be working on this project. The Waterway Parks will be of great benefit to Bedford and the Marston Vale both economically in terms of creating jobs and encouraging tourism by widening the access to the countryside, but also environmentally by creating a continuous green corridor as well as a waterway from Bedford to Milton Keynes. This will encourage new wild life habitats, footpaths, and cycleway in partnership with SUSTRANS, and other forms of environmentally friendly leisure pursuits."
Richard's main objectives will be:
- to secure the route in all relevant local and regional plans
- develop a strategy to secure the land
- lead the development of studies which will result in a successful
planning application
