The Fens Waterways' Link project is being part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, Lincolnshire County Council, and the Environment Agency. Other funding partners include Boston Borough Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, East Anglian Waterways Association, Fenland District Council, The Inland Waterways Association and South Holland District Council, with significant support from Fens Tourism.

The Environment Agency in the UK says the project will provide a focus for economic regeneration in an area, and will ultimately involve five major economic centres consisting of a major navigation hub with extensive moorings, boat repair yards, shopping opportunities, restaurants and bars, media centres and accommodation along with six 'intermediate hubs' consisting of a minor navigation hub with moorings for between 20 and 40 boats and 10 minor hubs with secure mooring facilities for up to 10 boats, with washout facilities.

Described by the Environment Agency as 'the most exciting new waterway project in the UK for two centuries', the whole project would take at least a decade to complete.

As Candy Reed, a recreation officer closely involved with the project explained, the aim is to complete The Link in stages, complementing other waterways projects in the region, forging new links between the existing stretches of navigable waterway.

'The Link will provide a focus for new investment and provide employment opportunities in an area in need of diversification, both in a rural and urban context, said the EA in a recent statement, noting that what it called a 'network of desirable waterside locations will be created, attractive and suitable for mixed residential development and business alike.'

The resulting focal points will often be marina orientated and include boat repair yards, retail opportunities, restaurants and bars, media centres and accommodation. The sites will vary in size, and be influenced by their location and proximity to centres of population.

Through combined increases in the number of boating visitors and those attracted to the waterside for activities such as bird watching, jogging, photography, picnicking and general relaxation, £14m per annum in revenue generation is expected, and the Agency believes that the Link has the potential to attract as many as one million visitors per annum.

John Adams, the Environment Agency's Waterways Development Manager in the Anglian region, explained that the project was "moving ahead quite quickly' and that in the immediate future the aim was to get work underway on the initial phases of the overall project in order to gain the credibility needed to bring subsequent phases of the project along.

The project that will form the first phase of the Fens Waterways' Link will be the Boston Link, a project which has synergies with the strategic options that are being considered as part of the Boston Haven Flood Management Strategy. All of the options being considered for this project at the moment provide a navigable link between the River Witham and South Forty Foot drain in Boston.

Around £8m will be required to carry out this part of the project initially, with the funds likely to come from the Environment Agency, local authorities, and from Europe.

'Early next year we should have a lot more feedback on the project, and hope we will be in a position to let a contract for elements of the work involved towards the end of 2006. The initial phases of the Boston project could take until 2008 to complete, with the combined strategy, including the flood defences, taking around five years to complete', said Mr Adams.

The Implementation Plan for the Fens Waterways' Link has been published and is available on a CD, booklet or the web. The technical reports that sit behind the plan are only available on CD or the web. Collectively the suite of information explores in detail the feasibility of the Link and establish in which direction the scheme needs to be taken.

To access the information on the web, go to www. fenswaterways. com or you can email: waterwayslink@ environment-agency. gov. uk, or write to: Fens Waterways Link, c/o The Waterways Team, Kingfisher House, Goldhay Way, Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, PE2 5ZR.