The Partnership consists of all those organisations who are supporting or playing a role in driving forward the provision of a Waterway for All, from Bedford to Milton Keynes. It is a vital part of the organisation to deliver the Waterway.
Its purpose is to keep all interested organisations (partners) informed of progress, to generate ideas about best ways to progress the project, and to seek from the partners assistance appropriate to the role that each partner can play in delivering the project.
The partnership meets every four months for a formal Partnership Meeting, at which presentations are given to partners on progress being made and we take the opportunity to discuss current issues and options.
Who are the partners, and what can they do for the Waterway?
There are 26 organisations involved in total. These include the following (click name for web link):
- user groups such as Bedford River User Group (no weblink available), Great Ouse Boating Association
- statutory bodies such as the Environment Agency, the Bedford Group of Drainage Boards
- local interest groups and organisations as diverse as Country Land & Business Association, The Forest of Marston Vale Centre, Cranfield University
- regional organisations such as the South East of England Development Agency, the East of England Development Agency, the East of England Tourist Board
- national bodies such as Sport England, Sustrans, Natural England, Inland Waterways Association
- and very importantly the Local Authorities: Bedford Borough Council, Bedfordshire County Council, Mid Beds District Council, Milton Keynes Council all of whom provide officer and councillor support. The support of the local authorities is vital in delivering the waterway because they can, for example: reserve a route in all the planning development frameworks and associated documents - agree to let their land be used for a part of the waterway - offer planning guidance and advice - fund studies – fund various tasks - work with developers to make the waterway a reality
And finally the body who for over two years provided initial project management and funding: British Waterways – who provide the technical support by using their consultants – share with us their experiences and offer their expertise – provide us with a meeting place and a workspace and facilities for our Project Manager.
All of the Partners have something special to contribute and their continued participation is essential to project success.
Graham Mabbutt
Trust Director & Chair of the Partnership
Top of page Trust and Partners form 'SPV' - June 2007
The Milton Keynes Waterway Park, the first 6 km of the whole project, is being taken forward by what is known as a ‘Single Purpose Vehicle’ (or SPV) which is a kind of consortium of organisations with the special skills and resources required for such a big project.
After more than 10 years of working with local communities and gaining unanimous support from partners, a powerful partnership has been formed with 4 organisations to bring the vision of Milton Keynes Waterway Park into a reality. The partners include:
- Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust
- British Waterways
- Milton Keynes Council
- Milton Keynes Parks Trust
The SPV is a company, limited by guarantee, with each of the four partners acting as guarantors to take the project forward. The partners share both the vision and the management of risk, with each one contributing their particular expertise to ensure excellence in new waterway design and construction. The four partners have signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ as the first step in progressing the project.
Since its formation in the mid 1990s the Trust has always prided itself in working with other organisation as partners but this new SPV will now put these relationships on a more formal footing.
B&MK Trust Chair, Ian Clifton signs the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’
