Waterways

uidance issued. Policy BN.13 Waterways South Warwickshire’s Waterways are a significant Green and Blue Infrastructure resource, that play a key role in place-making, recreation and supporting biodiversity. They are key heritage assets and treasured by the community and visitors. In order to retain their intrinsic value, they must be protected. 23 Historic England’s advice note Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency (HEAN 18) defines maladaptation as ‘changes to a building which prevent it from performing appropriately in relation to energy efficiency, carbon reduction, building performance, or the health, safety, well-being and comfort of occupants’ A. Requirements Development proposals affecting all Waterways will: 1. Positively address their relationship with the waterways where relevant, ensuring that it plays a key role in terms of design, and its contribution to creating a sense of place. 2. Not adversely affect the water quality, heritage quality, landscape and biodiversity or usability of a waterway, or any adjacent towpath or adjacent Public Right of Way, and instead seek to make improvements in these areas. 3. Incorporate measures to improve the accessibility of waterways, ensuring the use of waterways as routes for active travel and recreation. 4. Ensure that any proposed extension to or creation of new navigable waterways does not harm the quality of its natural environment, water quality and biodiversity. 5. Actively enhance the role of waterways within green and blue corridors and the wider ecological network with proposals ensuring compliance with the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and relevant policies within this plan. B. Navigable Waterways Development proposals that affect navigable waterways will 1. Be supported where they are for the provision of moorings and marinas, provided that their provision is not detrimental to the condition of the waterway, and to the character and quality of the surrounding area; or 2. Enable the regeneration of canals and their surroundings, improving accessibility and a sense of place, most notably within and adjacent to the Grand Union Canal Conservation Area; and 3. Increase the provision and accessibility of active travel links. C. Major Development 1. Proposals for major development (as defined in the NPPF) adjacent to waterways should consider the potential to provide for new moorings and facilities for boat dwellers. 2. Culverts should be permitted for access purposes only and conform to the Environment Agency’s culverting policy. Culverts must be removed unless it can be demonstrated that it is impractical to do so. 3. Ensure that strategic opportunities are taken to enhance waterways, with particular regard for the following opportunities identified in the Green and Blue Infrastructure Study : • Tach Brook Re-Naturalisation • River Avon Linear Park • Improving Access to South Warwickshire’s Canals Policy Justification 7.3.36 Waterways such as canals, rivers, and their tributaries have played a vital role in South Warwickshire’s history and continue to act as key arteries for biodiversity and active travel. They play an important role in placemaking providing a range of benefits which includes their positive effect on biodiversity, the conservation of heritage assets, and promoting health and wellbeing through increased engagement with the outdoors. 7.3.37 South Warwickshire has a network of naturalised and navigable waterways, including the River Avon, River Stour, Grand Union Canal, and Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. Given the diverse nature of these waterways, it is necessary to distinguish between them. Some aspects of this policy apply only to navigable waterways; however, other aspects must be considered in the development of any waterway. 7.3.38 Waterways play a key role in meeting the objectives of the South Warwickshire Local Plan, through their role in supporting climate resilience, their role in place-making in their settings, their ability to enable health lifestyles through active travel, and the role that they play in supporting biodiversity. 7.3.39 Whilst waterways are not directly addressed within the National Planning Policy Framework, they can play an essential role in supporting placemaking for communities, which is described as being a fundamental part of what the planning and development process should achieve. Furthermore, encouraging the maintenance and improvement of towpaths adjacent to navigable waterways aligns with the NPPF Paragraph 109 objective and the prioritisation of active travel. 7.3.40 A key consideration regarding waterways is their intrinsic biodiversity; any development proposal will have to ensure that their role in sustaining flora and fauna is maintained, and where applicable, enhanced. Furthermore, in considering development proposals, the impact of development. 7.3.41 Regarding navigable waterways, it is vital to ensure that opportunities are taken to increase the capacity of moorings for boat dwellers sustainable development. Likewise, waterways should act as both a key opportunity and constraint for development proposals that adjoin them. The Canal and River Trust require waterwise development to positively address water, integrating with the towpath a