Advice on writing to Assembly Members and
Ministers of Parliament
regarding access to inland waters.
As someone who faces a barrier to healthy, environmentally sound recreation it is in your interest to contact those that represent you via your home constituency. If you run a business or club that is restricted by these barriers you can highlight this issue in two strains.
A standard letter is quickly identified and carries less impact than a personal letter with issues that are described. Whilst it is more work to write your own letter, it will be considerably more effective than WCA creating a template.
Setting the scene as to why it is in the interest of AM’s/MP’s to engage is important. There are facts/questions that add significant weight that you may choose to include.
The value of water and waterside recreation: 250 million visits worth £2.5 billion (Environment Agency).
The number of individuals choosing to pursue water or water side recreation: 30 million with a desire to see this increase by 2 million people by 2011 (Environment Agency, A Better Place to Play).
Environment Agency Research and Development Paper (The effects of canoeing on fish stocks and angling, 2000) There is no empirical evidence to support a claim of effect given suitable water levels.
Public funds are used to maintain and enhance inland water yet there is no statutory right to enjoy these enhancements.
Why do barriers exist in Wales and why are Welsh rivers so different to the rest of the world?
When other countries have received devolved powers, without exception barriers to public access to water have been removed (i.e. Scotland, New Zealand, Australia etc) Will Wales follow or continue to be lead by Whitehall?
Canoeists are highlighting the issue but do not wish to be on all rivers at all times, Canoeists want to be able to go boating when it is environmentally suitable to do so.
At present there is a massive burden on Land Managers (public and private) to manage a country wide recreation. They are reliant on a weak legal precedent set in the 1860’s. How can this be right, and how can we promote Wales with this mechanism?
Why has countryside access been separated into a statutory approach i.e. CRoW and a voluntary approach, what is the justification?
How can a canoeing agreement facilitate access for other recreations and sports, some of which may not have even developed yet (Look back 20 years and imagine mountain biking being what it is today!)
Personalising the issue in your letter is important too. An example may be:
"I work at Plas y Brenin national mountain centre, we are surrounded by great rivers and bodies of water. However most of my working days are spent commuting for 1 hour at the beginning and 1 hour at the end of the day to get to a stretch of water that is 500m long. That I have to drive passed plenty of suitable rivers, leave a larger carbon footprint and detract from inspiring people young and old by being in a van for 2 hours frustrates me.
I work and play all round the world canoeing, and love the welsh rivers, however because I cannot access those bits of water by right I feel that other countries have a lot more to offer me despite not being so accessible, for that reason I tend to spend my disposable income in those other countries rather than boating at home.
I am one of 10 kayaking coaches at Plas y Brenin, there are nearly 200 centres affiliated to the WCA in Wales so this is not a unique situation to me.
I would be very interested to know what you will do to help change this issue or will Wales continue to ignore this wonderful natural asset for another 150 years?"
Remember, you are one of a whole bunch of canoeists. As an organisation the WCA has allowed recreational canoeing to become a "stealth sport". It is not something that we are proud of and we are determined to change this. But you, the individual paddler MUST help, one letter to start the ball rolling. Is that too much to ask for?
Here is the LIST OF CONTACTS>
Don’t think you can leave this until tomorrow, DO IT NOW!!!