Countryside Agency Project
Canoe (l-r) Richard Caborn MP, Barry Gardiner MP, Tim Bacon, Waveney Valley Canoe Club. And members of Waveney Valley Canoe Club
Project title:
Improving Access to Inland Waterways for Canoeing
Project client:
Countryside Agency
Project team:
Dr Neil Ravenscroft, Paul Gilchrist, Gill Rogers and colleagues from the School of Environment
Brief Description:
A feasibility study of voluntary access agreements to increase water-based sport and recreational opportunities on inland waterways in England . The research involved a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methodologies and fieldwork in four case studies across England . During the spring colleagues from the School of Environment used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in order to determine appropriate case studies of rivers and river systems. Over the summer and autumn work was conducted in four selected case study areas (The Rivers Mersey, Teme, Waveney and Weir) to gauge issues relating to access and the potential for negotiating agreements. The report has been submitted to the Countryside Agency and the Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality. The findings are to be written up into high-quality peer reviewed publications.
Further information: /http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Recreation/index.asp