MINUTES 30.05.2012
HERITAGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
BW Office, Board Room, Paddington W2 6TT
Attending members: Neil Cossons, Laurence Newman, Nigel Crowe, John Yates, Jane
Kennedy, Peter Brown, Stephen Hughes, Alan Baxter, Edward Holland.
Robin Evans (non HAC member) also attended this first meeting.
1. Introductory remarks
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All introduced themselves. NCo & RE welcomed everyone and thanked them for
giving up their time; RE stated that heritage would be a very important part of
the new Trust’s remit.
RE gave an update on the state of play for the Trust & outlined in particular how
two areas of the Trust’s assets (infrastructure & the property endowment) would
operate.
NCo reiterated the ‘outstanding’ nature of the Trust’s legacy of waterways;
largely obsolete but now enjoying a completely new lease of life, with many user
groups involved.
2. Terms of reference for HAC
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General agreement on present mix of skills in HAC; room to expand in future if
desired.
There was some debate on the words of the TOR.
All agreed the essential purpose of the HAC was to interact with the Trust’s
management and help get things done.
HAC would help with the strategic framework & policy issues as well as wider
duties associated with looking after the waterways estate.
HAC would not just be ‘rubber stamping’ the Trust’s decisions but would help
deal with contentious issues as well as provide expert advice.
HAC would meet 3 or 4 times a year.
HAC would assist the process of ‘defining heritage value’ (this will help set
parameters for developments in the historic environment).
AB re-sated the importance of heritage to the UK’s ‘quality of life’ & suggested a
part of HAC’s role was to make the incredible heritage of the waterways work
better as a contributor to this.
3. Review of BW policies for heritage
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NC gave a brief presentation on what the Trust’s heritage consisted of & how it
was managed, resourced and measured.
ACTION – all to feed back comments on Mandatory Standard: Heritage (the
‘heritage policy’) to NC.
LN suggested that HAC could be able to assist with certain issues relating to
heritage assets/archives held by the Museums & Archives.
PB & JK suggested that the wider landscape setting of waterways should be
better recognised & there was discussion of this point & agreement on the Trust
being more pro-active in this area. NCo & SH referred to the ‘transportation
corridors’ in Canada & the USA.
JY suggested that everyday maintenance (‘stitch in time’) was an issue for the
Trust & needed some improvement.
ACTION – NC to arrange with George Ballinger (Head of Engineering) a
presentation on detailed maintenance for a future HAC meeting.
ACTION – NC agreed to circulate the Approved Standards for Heritage
management & Heritage Works.
LN gave a brief update on the Museums & Attractions Policy & described how
the Museums & Attractions were progressing.
Archives in general were discussed.
SH asked if the Ellesmere Port based Archives were inspected as a Digital
Repository & LN confirmed they were.
4. Strategic Issues
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NC confirmed he would be talking to the incoming collections manager in the
near future.
National/regional heritage partnership agreements – all agreed these were a
good thing & the Trust should continue their development.
Fundraising – all agreed the Trust should gear itself to be ‘ahead of the game’
with new/revised funding opportunities from e.g. HLF/THI.
ACTION – NC to invite Ruth Ruderham (Head of Fundraising) to present at a
future HAC meeting.
5. Future work programme
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Trust Manifesto for Heritage – all agreed a manifesto as a ‘statement of values’
(tapping into the 90% public support) of what the waterways heritage is; why it is
valuable; how it is looked after, should be produced.
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ACTION – NCo & NC to draft a manifesto & circulate for discussion.
6. AOB
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ACTION – following a question from EH, NC to circulate Heritage at Risk spreadsheet.
JY referred to Historic Boat Discounts – NC stated that this was being looked at &
could be tabled at the next HAC meeting.
7. Date of next meeting
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ACTION - NCo & NC to look at a next meeting date in late July & circulate.
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ACTION – NC to identify a venue to include site visit.
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ACTION – sequence of HAC meeting dates for remainder of year (Sept/Oct; Dec;
Spring 2013) to be agreed & confirmed by all.
30 May 2012