Waterside conference - John Best

Waterways and Wellbeing

Presentation at CCBE, University of Northampton

Claiming the Waterside

7th July 2014

Water as a place-tonic

A little about me

Placemaking, by any means

The dynamic The complexityThe politicsThe importance

Waterways can define places (but often do

not)

How can people ignore the water beside

them?

How do we ensure the place works well?

A quick typology . . . .

At least the water is an edge. Some places ignore

even that

If it is at least seen, it becomes a setting, a canvas to

describe the place

If the water is incorporated, it becomes a lever for the

place-maker, for enclosed water space, dramatic crossings, etc.

The place defines itself around water.

Beyond those, we can see the water

as a stage, where activity floats on, celebrates and

animates water and neighbourhood.

SE Waterways challenge:

20 local authorities40 towns and 130 town and parish councils . . .

. . . Do you embrace or ignore ?

Historical context - Our waterside places have all been made before, 200 years ago.Characters, script and audience changed, so . . .Reinterpret for 21st century

Romans Fosdyke from Lincoln to the Trent1425 River Lee navigation1635 Locks and weirs on the Thamesby 1760 Every town within 15 miles of a

navigable river or the sea1760-1830 Golden Age of UK canals

Economic imperative:Competitive frenzyDrove the world`s first industrial

revolutionHeralded widespread urbanisationUnderpinned GB dominance for 150

yearsSignificant social costs

The Golden Age of canals 1760-1830

Three phases of canals

Economic imperative

Heroic Engineering

5000 km of navigable waterways

Broad beam

Narrow beam

River navigation

Restoration

New canals

what`s near us?

• Wendover Arm 1797 (restoration)• Aylesbury Arm 1815 (local adoption)

• Buckingham Arm 1800 (restoration)• Northampton Arm 1815 (adoption)• Daventry Arm (new canal)• Bedford-MK Waterway (new canal)

Arms of the Grand Union Canal

Northampton Arm

From Gayton Junction On Grand Union to the River Nene at Northampton. 17 Locks

- Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Canal- Royal warrant in 1793 - Surveyed by James Barnes in 1796 - Costs overran from £18,785 to £36,000- Started August 1813, complete May 1815

Northampton Arm History

Golden Age 1760 – 1830The Railways 1830 – 1960Decline 1830 – 1950Nationalisation 1948British Waterways 1962 -2012Canal & River Trust 2012

Chronology

1962 less than 10,000 boats on network

Waterways closing down all over

2012 over 36,000 boats on network(more than at industrial peak)

3100km of waterways 72 Reservoirs 338 Aqueducts 3000 Bridges

1600 Locks 1900 Culverts 48 Pumping stations

55 Tunnels

National Treasure

National Treasure

C&RT are responsible for

50 Scheduled Monuments 2,705 listed buildings and structures

305 conservation areas

and waterways run through

5 World Heritage Sites9 Historic Battlefields

61 Historic Parks and Gardens3 National Parks

and. . . modern heroic place icons

Waterways and wellness

From economic nexus, with social cost . . .

. . . to social nexus with economic benefit

. . . and cultural nexus with health benefit

Waterways press many policy buttons . . .

Definition of Well Being

Slide courtesy of Natural England

Green space and impact

50% within 5 miles12m pa to the network20m visits by cyclists4m visits by canoeists

£500m pa value of public benefits

Health targets

tackling OBESITY and inactive lifestylesimproving MENTAL HEALTH

Study of two Scottish canals 2011:

3.9m kms travelled £6.4m paroad safety benefits £220k pareduced absenteeism £77k pareduced air pollution exposure

Health targets (and evidence)

Obesity

1.UK rates have tripled in 20 years.

2.By 2050 60% of population and 1 in 4 under 16 year olds will be obese.

3.Total cost of obesity to society will be £45 billion by 2020.

4.NI 55/56: Obesity in primary school age children in Reception and year 6**.

Slide courtesy of Natural England

Obesity and Green Space

New research from US• Children in poor areas were less

obese and put on less weight in areas of accessible Green Space compared to those in less green areas.

• This equates to less weight gain of approximately 1.6kg for girls aged 4 years (2kg for boys) and 5.1kg for girls aged 16yrs (5.9kg for boys).

Slide courtesy of Natural England

Impact at individual level

Impact at community level

C&RT 10 year ambition :

“to be regarded as an established and trusted volunteering charity, capable of attracting and retaining over 10,000 regular volunteers.”

Volunteering

Stress as a Public Health problem(Natural England)

Diabetes

Physical inactivity and Obesity

Chronic Stress

Anxiety and Depression

Raised Inflammatory Markers

Cardiovascular Disease

Lung DiseaseCancer

Reduced access to Greenspace

Social Inequalities leading to environmental injustice

Social Isolation

Slide courtesy of Natural England

Natural England`s health and wellbeing policy

Slide courtesy of Natural England

“Five Ways to Wellbeing - New applications, new ways of thinking”

Report produced by NHS Confederation and new economics foundation (nef)

Definition of Well Being

Slide courtesy of Natural England

So lets . . .

Devise places whose relationship to water moves up the hierarchy from edge, through setting, to lever, to stage

Adoptions

• Creating spaces that engage individuals and communities, and enable physical and social activity, will produce happier populations

• Spaces that draw communities together, where people give, will create social capital and a more sustainable society

• Water cannot be marginal

• The social, political and economic importance of Britain`s waterways has radically changed from the times that produced them

• Place-making must address the breadth of issues – an obligation, even – and not just make pretty waterside places

Waterways and Wellbeing

Thank youjvmbest@aol.com

07710 553862

Let water be your place-tonic

Health & Wellbeing Boards

9no. Regional Health & Wellbeing Boards:

North West - 23no. H&W Boards

North East - 12no. H&W Boards

Yorkshire & Humber - 15no. H&W Boards

East Midlands - 10no. H&W Boards

West Midlands - 14no. H&W Boards

East - 11no. H&W Boards

South West -15no. H&W Boards

South East - 18no. H&W Boards

London - 33no. H&W Boards

Waterways & Health

• Infant death• People diagnosed with

diabetes• Deprivation• Children in poverty • Homeless • Teenage pregnancy &

smoking during pregnancy

• Obese children • Physically active

children & adults

Health Indicators

STRATEGIC WATERWAY PLAN