REMINDER Canoe Launching at Glasbury: URGENT questionnaire for all SWOAPG Members and other paddlesport providers who use the Wye from Glasbury to Hay

by
Many thanks to those of you who’ve already responded, but if not…
 
We should be grateful if ALL OUR MEMBERS (whether you use the Wye or not) AND OTHER PADDLESPORT PROVIDERS WHO USE THE WYE FROM GLASBURY to HAY (including hire companies) could complete this online questionnaire by Sunday 30 January to help us move forward with the next steps towards reinstating canoe launching at Glas-y-Bont Common.
 
Powys County Council appears to have settled on the concept of a ‘concordat’ between themselves and paddlesport providers as one of the key mitigation measures that could allow them to reinstate permission for launching canoes etc. at Glas-y-Bont Common in Glasbury this year.
 
The SWOAPG Directors and Steering Group are therefore proposing to ask Powys County Council to secure funding for a project in which SWOAPG would work with them (in consultation with providers and in liaison with other interested parties including community councils, fishery owners and environmental bodies) to develop, implement and manage such a ‘concordat’ on behalf of our Members and other paddlesport providers who wished to sign-up to it – with the aim of enabling the re-opening of Glas-y-Bont for canoe launching as soon as possible.


However, before we commit to this course of action we need to know whether we have your support in doing so!

Further Information

SWOAPG is a not-for-profit company which exists specifically to represent organisations and businesses providing outdoor activity in South Wales and the Brecon Beacons, with the aim of “promoting and developing sustainable outdoor activity provision” in this area. Many organised groups and hire companies who use the Wye from Glasbury to Hay are already SWOAPG Members; and we already have over 10 years’ experience in managing an access ‘concordat’ (between activity providers and Natural Resources Wales / Brecon Beacons National Park Authority) that enables groups to undertake sustainable gorge-walking activity in Waterfall Country. SWOAPG would appear therefore to be ideally placed to negotiate and manage a similar ‘concordat’ with Powys County Council for paddlesport groups launching at Glas-y-Bont.

The details and scope of any such ‘concordat’ are yet to be defined (and will only be agreed in consultation with river users), but are likely to include restrictions required to protect the river environment (which will be defined by an environmental assessment currently being undertaken by the Council) and a Code of Conduct designed to minimise the impact on local communities and other users (covering aspects such as parking and group behaviour). NB we also anticipate that other launching sites on this stretch of the river might in due course be encouraged to take account of the terms of any ‘concordat’ that is agreed with Powys County Council, so it could potentially have implications beyond the Glas-y-Bont launch site.

Leave a comment