A STUDY into the way York's waterways are used has seen them branded "uninviting, unattractive and under-utilised".

The study, aimed at finding out how York could make better use of the Ouse and Foss rivers and their riverbanks, was carried out by City of York Council's leisure scrutiny board.

It saw opinions gathered from groups and organisations, including the Foss Environmental Liaison Group (FELG), York Amateur Rowing Association and Sport England.

Public focus groups were also consulted during the survey, with a final report due to be agreed when the scrutiny board meets this week.

Scrutiny board member Brian Watson said: "The rivers in York don't get enough use. Commercially they have a bit of use, but I am more interested in getting them used for leisure purposes so York's communities can enjoy them."

One focus group response was summed up as: "The general feeling about the Ouse and Foss was that they were uninviting, unattractive and under-utilised.

"The group's expectations were that little will actually be done to make improvements to the rivers, and this was seen as disheartening."

Among the measures called for by the FELG was a recognised, continuous route along the Rivers Ouse and Foss, accessible to all pedestrians, including people using wheelchairs and buggies.

It also called for a group to be set up to co-ordinate the management of York's rivers.

"It would be beneficial to have a York Rivers Partnership, led by the city with a co-ordinating officer in place. This would lead to opportunities for matching bids for external funding," a group spokesperson said.

The suggestions from York Amateur Rowing Association included a request to be involved in any discussions on any expansion of river transport in case it caused problems for rowers or canoeists.

Sport England said it supported the principle of shared use of the river for sporting and non-sporting uses. The organisation asked to be involved in any specific proposals for the Foss and Ouse.

"Planning is the key to ensure different interests are not incompatible," a Sport England spokesperson said.

The scrutiny board is due to meet tomorrow, from 5pm, at the Guildhall.

Updated: 08:55 Tuesday, March 25, 2003