CaRT fails to publish again

THE Canal & River Trust (CaRT) is still ignoring the wishes of its Trustees and failing to publish its Board papers, writes Allan Richards.

Specifically, it has failed to publish any papers relating to a Board meeting held on 10th July 2013 at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

Failure to publish minutes

In July, narrowboatworld revealed that a formal complaint had been made that CaRT's trustees were failing to ensure that minutes of meetings and associated Board papers were being published in accordance with its wishes (Failure to publish minutes).

The complaint followed failure of the Trust to publish minutes of any of its meetings since November 2012 and other Board papers since May 2012 despite its website saying that it was the wish of the Board that they do so.

Published after 12 months

As recorded in a follow-up article (Cart publishes after 12 months), CaRT did subsequently publish some (but not all) of the information.

Despite admitting maladministration, CaRT failed to act on a suggestion that papers should be made available within two to three weeks of a meeting (a commitment made by British Waterways' Board in July 2009 but never honoured!) saying that it would publish within a few working days of the subsequent Board meeting.

The complaint was passed to the Waterways Ombudsman because, from experience, it was thought that CaRT would avoid publication in the future just as it has in the past. (Of course, British Waterways already had a three year history of failure to publish board papers according to its Board's wishes!)

Failed to publish

Sadly, experience has proved correct and once again CaRT has failed to publish.

On the 19th September, CaRT's Trustees held another Board meeting. As such they should have published the minutes and board papers from the July meeting within a few days of that date.

Over a month after its September meeting and well over three months after the July 10th meeting, CaRT has failed to publish a single document.

[Between submission and publication of Allan's article, CaRT has published the minutes from its July meeting but not the associated Board papers which are still awaited.]