Drifters appointment terminated

THE appointment of Sally Ash (ex Head of Boating) as Canal & River Trust (CaRT) nominated director for Drifters Leisure Limited has been terminated with no replacement provided, writes Allan Richards.

However,the Trust has not yet confirmed that it intends to dispose of its shareholding in the hire boat booking company which allows it to make such appointments.

Concerns

It was in April this year that a narrowboatworld article stated:

One of the concerns expressed in recent years, has been Sally Ash's connections with the hire boat industry to the possible detriment of private boaters. Ms Ash is a director of Drifters Leisure, a hire boat booking company, in which CaRT holds shares.

It has been shown that Sally Ash and other staff have received benefits in kind from this directorship in the form of free holidays. CaRT's predecessor, British Waterways, was unable to give an account as to why it continues to hold shares in a company that provides them with no income. Despite this, nothing has ever been done to surrender the shares or directorship.

With Sally Ash's imminent retirement, the CaRT appointment to the Board of Drifters Leisure becomes vacant. Time for CaRT to review its shareholding?

Perhaps someone was listening!