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| IWA discusses proposed Rochdale
Canal designation with English Nature. |
Part of the Rochdale Canal is under consideration as a Special
Area of Conservation (SAC) according to a statement issued this week by the
Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions, listing 81 such sites.
This is therefore an opportunity not only to restore the Canal but also to
protect and enhance its conservation value.
Inland waterways are an important recreational resource enjoyed
by millions of users every year. They are also important for wildlife and its
enjoyment, especially in and around our towns. This is particularly so in areas
where wetland habitats have been affected by water pollution or flood
protection measures or have been lost to development.
The restoration of
the Rochdale Canal is a multi-million pound project to restore to full
navigation an historic Pennine waterway. The project also offers great
potential for improving the quality of life for local people and visitors and
will become a catalyst for socio-economic regeneration along the corridor,
providing a common focus for a wide range of user groups.
The Rochdale
Canal supports a diverse assemblage of aquatic plants. English Nature (EN)
believes that it contains the best population in Britain of floating water
plantain, a nationally scarce plant protected by UK and European legislation.
For this reason a length of the Canal is being notified as a Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is being considered as a possible Special Area
of Convservation (SAC) by the Government. In addition to this special plant
this length of the Canal provides an important haven for wildlife in a largely
built-up area.
The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) and the Rochdale
Canal Society have supported the restoration of the Rochdale Canal for some 30
years. IWA promotes and encourages the restoration of derelict waterways and
associated structures in a manner which gives consideration to environmental
and heritage issues. It encourages dialogue with other interested conservation
and user organisations to ensure that natural and built environments are
safeguarded or enhanced where possible. IWA and EN agree that the objective of
restoration should be to create an operational canal that integrates the
attractiveness of the waterway for boating, walking, angling and wildlife. It
will become a valued local amenity, which is of national importance as a
navigation and for its nature conservation interest.
English Nature, on
behalf of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR),
will be consulting widely about the proposed SAC designation. EN will also be
consulting IWA - in addition to owners and occupiers - before it decides
whether to confirm the notification of the Canal as an SSSI. In the meantime EN
has held an informal meeting with IWA which allowed the organisations to
explore each other's position on these matters in a positive and constructive
manner. Now that formal consultation procedures have been started IWA will be
consulting its committees and experts so that it can engage in formal dialogue
with EN, and with British Waterways which is restoring the Canal for The
Waterways Trust.
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