Canal governance change proposed to retain public services
BASINGSTOKE Canal Authority (BCA) will continue to operate leisure activities under Surrey County Council management, it has been confirmed.
The Basingstoke Canal Partnership was established to fund the canal operation following restoration in the late-1980s. In 1990, as land-owning authorities, county councils for Hampshire and Surrey created the BCA. Under the arrangement, Hampshire employed staff, provided IT and finance support to the authority, and Surrey managed the visitor centre at Mytchett.
A recent report, however, indicates the current arrangement was not financially sustainable. Therefore, a proposal to change governance arrangements was approved on Monday to provide a more efficient solution. This aims to retain the BCA to continue delivering statutory requirements and leisure navigation. According to officers at Hampshire County Council, the change involves the Mytchett Centre – which provides boat hire, a cafeteria and community activities – no longer being managed by the BCA, but instead will be transferred to the direct management of Surrey County Council.
It was previously suggested the change could end leisure activities on the canal. However, in response, Hampshire council officers clarified and confirmed Surrey is committed to continuing with the services.
They said: “In effect, the public won’t see any change to the way that services are delivered. Surrey [County Council] is committed to continuity of the services and they will be making a decision later this month. To this effect, we would transfer the staff responsible for providing the visitor centre services to Surrey.”
Surrey County Council owns Mytchett Centre and its future will be in the authority’s hands. Executive member for the countryside and regulatory services, Cllr Russell Oppenheimer, indicated the proposal involves a change in governance arrangements to save money, make it more efficient and ensure its continuation, not to cut services to the public.
He said: “There’s not going to be cuts to services to the man or woman on the street. They will see no change. Everything will continue. This is a change to the governance arrangements to try and streamline saving money, make it more efficient and make sure we can continue to let navigation in the short term. So I’m pleased about that.”
Cllr Oppenheimer also indicated the canal is a valuable asset for Hampshire, a legacy from the Victorian era that the council wants to treasure.
Car parking fees could be introduced as part of the proposal, which is already being consulted on in the Savings Plan to 2025 public consultation, which ends on March 31.