Stumbling along

CANAL & River Trust (CaRT) is carrying out a consultation to review elections to its Council, writes Allan Richards.

Currently, the Council has 34 members with just seven elected. However, the Articles of Association provide for a council of up to 35 members with 50% elected and to this end a consultation seeks views on how this is to be achieved over the coming years.

The Council

According to various documents, CaRT's Trustees are responsible for determining policy and strategy, whilst the Council 'has an important role in helping to shape policy, raise and debate issues, provide guidance and perspective, and act as a sounding board for the trustees'.

In other words they are a 'talking shop' with no real power.

Whilst they do notionally have the power of appointing and, if necessary, dismissing Trustees, the reality is that the Trustees (who were appointed by government committee) are self appointing with the Council simply rubber stamping the appointments and reappointments.

Waterways Partnerships

..... and what about these Waterways Partnerships that are meant to be bringing money into the trust? Well it seems that the money is flowing in the wrong direction with CaRT giving each of its 13 Partnerships £25,000 this year to spend on undefined projects.

Indeed, few realise that the cost of the 200 plus volunteers now involved in top heavy governance of CaRT will be £665,000 this year. Where is all this money going?

Membership organisation

Rather, than just stumbling along having a consultation on the best way to get 50% of Council elected, would it not be better to amend the Articles of Association and make the Trust a proper membership organisation with slimmed down governance where membership elect officials.

Now that would be a consultation worth responding to!