Doesn't see the point of the latest consultation

Published: Monday, 20 November 2017

LIKE, it would seem many other boaters, I don't see the point of the new licensing consultation [by Canal & River Trust] as it is, as another of your contributors told, pre-formatted and not open to suggestions, writes James Henry.

We are told that 6,000 people have responded which is not many out of 35/37,000 boaters (whichever you believe) and even then realising the predilection for exaggeration (there will be 630 visitors today to every mile of waterway!) I firmly believe that boaters knowing their views will have no effect whatsoever, a good guess would be around a 1,000 have actually bothered to respond. I haven't as there is no point.

Little desire for change

Of course the new Acting Head of Boating, John Horsfall, crows there 'has been a great response', but if I remember correctly, CaRT has ignored the first two stages of its consultation that shows it has little desire for change, only perhaps to be able to 'up' the charges for broadbeams, there now being many more of them on the waterways, that perhaps is the whole point of the exercise.

Perhaps it is all just to show the government that it is taking in the views of its licence payers.  And that lot will believe anything.