More complaints for Richard

Published: Monday, 11 December 2017

MANY boaters, so concerned at the way that Canal & River Trust is progressing  are now contacting its Chief Executive Richard Parry direct, in the hope that something can be achieved, with Brian Jarrett the latest, with his email reproduced:

I worry as do many, on our direction of travel and the autocratic approach CRT appear to be taking on many matters that majority impact on itinerant boaters.

You can not blame boaters questioning the suitability of the Canal & River Trust in being custodians of our inland waterways.

Yes we hear all the spin on increased 'visitors' to our waterways but are they truly visitors or are they merely using the pathways with little or no interest in the canals?  That certainly applies to many of the cyclists that are now using what used to be towpaths

'Locks are better maintained and more dredging is being carried out'. Yet still we see vegetation strangling both sides of areas of the system reducing navigable width and bridge hole visibilities, whilst towpaths continue to be mown several times a year!

More and more mooring notices appearing restricting mooring and permit holder. Moorings increasing in length! Stupid notices being produced and installed showing a complete lack of understanding of boating.

On that point 'wide locks' were not constructed around many parts of the system to accommodate wide beam boats but to speed up the boat/butty combination! The surrounding canal is still only a narrow canal not designed for wide beam passage.

When one looks at the above is it no wonder that many would like back the bad old days of BW. Is your hidden agenda to create an 18" deep linear water park?