Councillor calls for Council to fight for local canals.

6.25.00pm GMT Wed 13th Dec 2006

Councillor Ann Denham is calling on fellow Councillors to lobby the Government to make sure that Huddersfield’s canals are properly funded.

Councillor Ann Denham is calling on fellow Councillors to lobby the Government to make sure that Huddersfield's canals are properly funded. She is calling for a debate at the next Council meeting following the announcement that the money being given to British Waterways is being cut due to bungling by another government department.

"The effect on British Waterways is that that 180 jobs will have to go. These 180 employees are paying the price of someone else's mess up! British Waterways will have to cancel important projects. There are 432 kilometres of waterways and this will affect many communities across the country" says Councillor Denham. "There could be problems maintaining Huddersfield Narrow Canal with its 74 locks, this was only opened in 2001 after an investment of £32m. Other canals such as the Huddersfield Broad and the Aire and Calder could also be affected. I would urge everyone to write to their MP and ask them to lobby the government to make sure that the government find the money to pay the fine and not put our canals at risk."

"Local people are proud of the canals . They are a unique local and national asset that provide an important contribution to the quality of life for people in Kirklees. Not only do they provide a valuable tourist resource but they are an important part of the economy providing jobs for local people" says Councillor Ann Denham. "I am deeply concerned that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has seen fit to reduce British Waterways' grant by some £60 million over the next 5 years and that of the Environment Agency by over £20 million in this financial year. I believe that these cuts will have a devastating effect on the tremendous work that has been done on local canals and put at risk important health and safety work programmes."

"DEFRA is in a hole because it messed up on the single farm payment (1) and is now being faced with a large fine (2)" says Councillor Denham. "The Government is refusing to pay the fine from its contingency budget and is making across-the-board cuts in all departments of DEFRA spending which includes the Environmental Agency which has nothing to do with farms and farm subsidies."

Liberal Democrat Motion for debate at the next meeting of Council.

Mover of the motion Councillor Ann Denham

This Council believes that:

1. People in Huddersfield are proud of their local canals.

2. Huddersfields canals are unique local and national assets that provide an important contribution to the quality of life for people in Kirklees.

3. Our canals provide a valuable tourist resource and are an important part of the economy providing jobs for local people.

This council notes:

1. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has seen fit to reduce British Waterways' grant by some £60 million over the next 5 years and that of the Environment Agency by over £20 million in this financial year.

2. That this has occurred due to DEFRA's problem facing a fine from the European Union for failing properly to deliver on the single farm payment scheme.

This Council therefore resolves to:

1. Write to the Government reminding them of the important contribution our canals make to the quality of life for people in Kirklees.

2. Urge the government to take action to quickly resolve the problems at DEFRA.

3. Urge the Treasury to pay the fine from the Treasury resources and not cut from departments unrelated to the Rural Payments Agency.

4. Write to all local Members of Parliament and ask them to lobby the Government not to cut funding to inland waterways.