More powers?

I actually agree with James Henry that the new Trust will need extra powers, but not unlimited powers! It appears to some that British Waterways were trying to achieve the latter by the back door, using the forthcoming Public Bodies Bill, writes Ralph Freeman.

A professional approach would have been to replace all the previous Waterways Acts with a new one for 2012. If this had been constructed properly it could have removed any contradictions that exist in the present acts, and set out a simple mooring policy that all could understand. Just as importantly a grievance procedure could have been formulated, agreed with boaters organisations like National Association of Boat Owners, and included in the act.

 

All the 'old baggage'

British Waterways has a legal department and there is a waterways minister who could have put the new bill through Parliament. Instead all the 'old baggage' gets brought forward to the new Trust. Wonderful! What do we pay these people for?

Would you trust the likes of the present hierachy at British Waterways to be judge, jury and executioner in a mooring dispute? If The Public Bodies Bill had gone through unopposed that might well have been the case in 12 months time.