CaRT should stop competing with the experts

Published: Monday, 05 February 2018

OKAY so Canal & River Trust has not gained the Environmental Agency Navigations, writes Jimmy Lockwood.

That’s behind us now, so let’s look forward and suggest other ways CaRT could save its limited financial resources. How many can you suggest?

Well here are a few to start the ball rolling:

Stop competing with well established charities who have more experienced in their specialist business areas. Examples are:

Developing nature reserves—Leave responsibility to the Wild Life Trust.
Our flying or paddling friends—The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and the RSPB are the experts.
Tree planting & maintenance—The Woodland Trust have been active for years.
Canoeing—Work through the British Canoe Association.

Concentrate on the waterways

CaRT can then just concentrate on maintaining the navigable waterways and its heritage structures. OK at times paths will cross but not to the extent that CaRT involve themselves in the above areas today.

There should be a resulting cost saving from time spent on non-core business and probably some employment reduction.

I doubt the funding currently received for involvement in the above areas covers the costs incurred. Even if it does that money could be better spent on the navigations and heritage structures.