Policy of abject neglect

Published: Saturday, 03 September 2011

DAVID Hymers is simply reporting a situation that I have been convinced is deliberate.

It is my belief that British Waterways is operating a policy of abject neglect of our waterways. It is following a systematic policy of allowing the system to degrade to a point where boaters cease to bother cruising certain canals rather than suffer the problems of mooring and even in some cases navigating—especially if their draught is over 18 inches, writes John Hall.

The philosophy

The philosophy behind this is that it can then declare that so few boaters cruise these stretches that it is not realistic to spend limited funds on maintaining them to 'cruiseway' standard.

I am also concerned that this policy will worsen after the change to the waterways trust next year. I can envisage a situation where only the major cruising routes such as the Four Counties Ring, the Llangollen, Grand Union, to give three examples will be maintained to cruiseway standard, whilst the lesser routes—Upper Peak Forest, Caldon, Ashby, Erewash, and many others will not continue to receive any maintenance at all, and as a consequence will revert to the sorry state they were in when the enthusiasts stepped in to save them.

Problems securing funding

I do believe that this situation will occur as much as anything due to problems in securing funding to keep the whole system up to standard.

It is also of concern to me at least, to find that many of the people appointed to the trust are ex British Waterways executives who have overseen the sorry situation which now pertains.

John Hall (a long-time and very concerned boater)