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WAG Letter on Access
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Ein cyf/Our ref AT/JG/05231/11 |
To Mr XXXXXXXXXXXX |
| 28th June 2011 |
In the first instance I would disagree with Rhodri Glyn Thomas’ assessment of the action taken by the former Minister, Jane Davidson, following the publication of the Sustainability Committee report. The recommendations largely endorsed the Welsh Government’s policies, which includes encouraging local access agreements as a means of securing increased access to water for recreation.
To this end we are working with the Environment Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales, the Sports Council for Wales and British Waterways to implement a Water Recreation Action Plan. As a result the Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development will be launching the new e-map on access to water, as well as a code of conduct for water users at the Royal Welsh Show on Tuesday, 19 July. The former will show where there is legitimate access to inland water in Wales. It is hoped that the amount of information we can make available will grow but in the meantime this will hopefully help to provide some clarity on the ground.
The code of conduct to be launched in July will include “Countryside Code” style guidance for all users of inland waters. This will be the over-arching code while a suite of user specific codes will be published later in the year.
The Welsh Government has also increased its Splash grant fund for 2011/12 from £410,000 (2010/11) to £460,000. This fund, administered by the Environment Agency provides monies for projects to increase opportunities for access to water. Projects include the Wye and Usk Angling Passport Scheme and British Waterways’ Canoe for Canals project. More recently Splash funding was provided to Resources 4 Change to hold workshops to help facilitate voluntary local access agreements. We are looking at the possibility of funding more of these workshops but looking at specific rivers, their users and riparian owners.
I hope this helps to reassure you that the Welsh Government is working with its partners to take this matter forward.
Yours sincerely
Ieuan Llyr Jones,
Access and National Parks Policy Branch