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The Waterways Trust 2011 Waterways Renaissance Awards

Winners make a splash at national waterway awards

The winners of the 2011 Waterways Renaissance Awards were announced at a prestigious ceremony last night, Wednesday 25 May, in Birmingham.

Above - B&MK Waterway recognised for “outstanding achievement” - Triple winners in National Waterways Renaissance Awards 2011.

Nineteen outstanding projects along canals and rivers in the UK were recognised at the celebration. Winners include an innovative engineering and construction scheme in the Olympic Park, a pioneering environmental initiative on Merseyside and a project to promote the rich heritage of the Crinan Canal in Mid-Argyll.

The Waterways Renaissance Awards, run by The Waterways Trust, recognise exceptional projects that are using canals and rivers to enrich people’s lives across the UK.

Roger Hanbury, Chief Executive, explains: “This is the ninth year of the Waterway Renaissance Awards and it is truly inspiring to see that, even in these very challenging economic times, people and organisations are continuing to work together to realise the benefits of our canals and rivers for communities across the UK. All projects reaching the celebrated tonight should be justifiably proud of all that they have achieved.”

The winners of the 2011 Waterways Renaissance Awards, which are sponsored by CPC Civils, Halcrow, May Gurney and Morrison Construction are:

Area-Based Regeneration
• Walsall Waterfront, WEST MIDLANDS
Runner-up: Three Mills Lock & Water Control Structure, EAST LONDON

Community
• Loxwood Bridge and Lock, WEST SUSSEX
Runner-up: Union 10,EDINBURGH & FALKIRK
Commended: Hanbury Wharf, DROITWICH; ABCD Better and Safer Access Project, WOLVERHAMPTON

Design & Construction
• Three Mills Lock and Water Control Structure, EAST LONDON
Runner-up: Walsall Waterfront, WEST MIDLANDS
Commended: Loxwood Bridge & Lock, WEST SUSSEX; Weybridge 24hr Mooring, SURREY

Education & Learning
• Coffee & Crochet at the National Waterways Museum, ELLESMERE PORT and Learning is Fun, West Cheshire College, CHESHIRE (joint winners)
Commended: Mills, Mines & Malt, YORKSHIRE

Flood Risk Management
• Dearne Valley Green Heart, SOUTH YORKSHIRE
Runner-up: Three Mills Lock & Water Control Structure, EAST LONDON

Historic Environment
• Celebration of the Crinan Canal by the Dalriada Project, MID ARGYLL
Runner-up: Restoration of Ryeford Double Lock, STROUD; Linlithgow Canal Green Tourism Project, LINLITHGOW

Innovation
• Improved Search and Rescue on Inland Waterways, RIVER THAMES
Runner-up: Making Best Use of the Area’s Waterways, EAST RIDING

Partnership
• Making Best Use of the Area’s Waterways, EAST RIDING
Runner-up: Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway
Commended: Wichelstowe, SWINDON; Dearne Valley Green Heart, SOUTH YORKSHIRE; Improved Search & Rescue on Inland Waterways, RIVER THAMES

Natural Environment
• Mersey Life Portfolio Project, MERSEYSIDE
Runner-up: Dearne Valley Green Heart, SOUTH YORKSHIRE

Recreation & Tourism
• Dearne Valley Green Heart, SOUTH YORKSHIRE
Runner-up: Celebration of the Crinan Canal by the Dalriada Project, MID ARGYLL
Commended: Linlithgow Canal Green Tourism Project, LINLITHGOW

Strategy & Masterplanning
• Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway
Runner-up: Wichelstowe, SWINDON

Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway received a special Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of the visionary project and the partnership’s dedication and resilience in achieving some remarkable success and their work to sustain the project in the face of many challenges and setbacks over the years.

Outstanding Achievement Award
Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway

B&MK WATERWAY RECOGNISED FOR “OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT” - TRIPLE WINNERS IN NATIONAL WATERWAYS RENAISSANCE AWARDS 2011

The proposed Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway (B&MK) made a big splash in the Waterways Renaissance awards this week (Weds) by scooping a surprise extra award for outstanding achievement, as well as winning first place for strategy and masterplanning. The project was also runner up in the partnership category.

The awards competition, which is run by the Waterways Trust, recognises exceptional projects that are using canals and rivers to enrich people’s lives across the UK. Nineteen outstanding projects were recognised at the prestigious event in Birmingham. Jane Wolfson, former chair and newly-elected vice president, accepted the awards on behalf of the project.

Explaining why the B&MK was selected for the special award, Helen Carey, chair of the assessment panel, said: “This year we wished to give special recognition to a project that has shown considerable dedication and resilience in achieving some remarkable success and their work to sustain the project in the face of many challenges and setbacks over the years.

“This is a very inspiring project, mostly because so many people have said over the years that it couldn’t or wouldn’t ever be done. There is now a long term plan to build it and the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway is now unequivocally regarded as an established and deliverable entity.”

Accepting the awards, Jane Wolfson said: “We are delighted that the vision and achievement of the project in its first decade has been recognised as nationally significant. It is a tribute to the hard work and commitment of the volunteers and project partners, and in particular the project consortium. Over the next few years, as partners make a reality of the masterplan on the ground, we all look forward to being on or beside the waterway.”

First proposed nearly 200 years ago, the concept of a 26km waterway to create the missing link between the Grand Union Canal in Milton Keynes and the River Great Ouse at Bedford, was revived by the B&MK Trust in the 1990s. The Trust is now part of a wider consortium of local authorities, agencies and community groups who are driving the project forward in “bite-size chunks”.
The project transcends the commonly-held image of a canal and takes it firmly into the 21st century by creating a series of waterway parks to create a “waterway for all” – a green corridor for some 300,000 local people.

The B&MK appeal for £60,000 towards the cost of building a community boat to enable more local people to enjoy the river in Bedford currently stands at over £33,000. The appeal for sponsorship is aimed at individuals, community groups, schools, colleges and local businesses. It is hoped to launch the boat in summer 2012 in time for the next Bedford River Festival.