Evesham offers improved facilities for boaters
Evesham Market Town Partnership has approved a
grant of £7,000 to dredge sections of the River Avon in Evesham
that have become a hazard to visiting boaters and problematic to
organisers of the Evesham River Festival and Angling Festival.
The grant forms part of a much larger project
worth £26,000 to improve Evesham’s offer to users of the River Avon
and encourage more boaters to overnight in the town. This will
include a new Pump-Out Facility at Evesham lock which will enable
visiting boaters to pump out waste and sewerage from the on-board
tanks that are common on modern boats. The facility will be
installed, maintained and administered by Avon Navigation Trust and
is funded by contributions from Evesham Town Council, Cllr John
Smith (from his WCC Divisional Fund), The Environment Agency and
Avon Navigation Trust.
Dredging will be undertaken by Avon Navigation
Trust in consultation with the Evesham River Festival Committee,
Evesham Angling Festival Working Group, Wychavon District Council
and Evesham and District Angling Association. This project will be
funded from contributions from Evesham Market Town Partnership and
Evesham Angling Festival Working Group.
The project has been championed from the start
by Cllr Andrew Dyke who lobbied the Environment Agency for a
contribution towards a new Pump-Out facility when they reluctantly
had to withdraw from providing this service at Hampton because of
the high maintenance costs and the fact that they are not the
Navigation Authority for the Avon.
Cllr Andrew Dyke said “I am
delighted that the funding has been secured to enable this project
to go ahead in time for the 50th Anniversary of the
opening of the Avon Navigation in 2012. The Avon is a major
attraction for visitors to Evesham and improving facilities will
encourage boaters to spend more time in the town enabling them to
visit local shops and attractions”.
Cllr Gerry O’Donnell, Chairman of
Evesham Market Town Partnership said “Evesham Market
Partnership is pleased to support this project which aligns with
our funding priorities: Support and improve the Local Economy;
Reducing health inequalities and promoting healthy lifestyles; and
Supporting people to play an active role in their communities and
to take more responsibility for improving their lives. Evesham
Market Town Partnership is in the process of preparing its 2012-13
Action Plan and is interested in hearing from other potential
project champions that, with support of the partnership, can
achieve similar success”
