Email: A sustainable future

I am volunteering as a Trustee of the Canal & River Trust to try to create a sustainable future for the waterways network I've loved and fought for for over 40 years.

I am sure Allan Richards too has his own motivations for his own online activity relating to waterways, but he might have waited for my reply to his message on the Boaters' Manifesto blog before writing.

He actually knows by email that I've been busy on other Canal & River Trust matters, and that I and the other Trustees know about the All Party Parliamentary Waterway Group's report on funding; the KMPG report, the views of Inland Waterways Association (who sensibly, have put the trustees on their mailing list) and the views of the Inland Waterways Advisory Council as well as the views of many others who have written to us or met us.

We have had our own look at the figures and have formed our own view. We have publicly said we need to persuade Defra to increase their £39m offer. We are now in the midst of discussions with Defra.

I think Allan may have misunderstood my asking Peter Underwood about his mention of some of British Waterways/Defra projections which concerned him; I wanted to know which British Waterways/Defra ones Peter had in mind. I don't think Peter meant the ones Allan mentions as those are not from British Waterways/Defra.

As Allan knows, I've offered to travel to meet him to discuss matters and await hearing from him about where and when. This may help to avoid jumping to conclusions. As Alan Wildman of Residential Boat Owners Association said: "Let's talk, not fight."

John Dodwell