MESSING ABOUT ON THE WATER TRADITIONALLY WATER has carried bulky
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loads which are not time-sensitive. Some of these cargos have disappeared as the economy shifted towards imports, but water still has a role to play in moving refuse, recycling and aggregates,
Richard Rutter, British Waterways regeneration manager for London, says: "We've forgotten how to use the waterways. We need to build a new business case for our canals."
He says councils and operators should take advantage of the many cities with riverside developments although as Hookham points out, these are often environmentally sensitive sites.
Rutter says planning is the g ateway to success: "Local authorities need to plan effectively because as soon as connections are 150m away from the wharf, product must be double-handled and the price shoots up."