Should stop calling itself a charity

Published: Friday, 06 April 2018

I THINK we all will have noticed that Canal & River Trust often calls itself a charity, yet it is being hoisted by its own petard, writes James Henry.

It is playing right into the hands of the Bargees association as was well shown when the Trust removed a boat of a continuous moorer who from what I read had no mooring rights, no licence, no BSS certificate and no insurance, and the Bargees went into overdrive stating it should act as a charity and allow the boat to stay.

Tempted to do the same

The Bargees produced the usual stuff about the boater loosing his home and the Trust acting like unfeeling landlords and the like, that we now come to expect, but they don't seem to realise that should it allow boats to stay on its waters paying absolutely nothing they will quickly become packed with such boats and those that do pay their way would soon be tempted to do the same.

The Trust is no charity, and should stop calling itself such, for it is a business established for the purpose of taking care of our waterways and making sure that those that use them pay their way. I for one only hope that this is not just a 'one off' removable but means that the Trust is at last going to stand by its laurels and clear the waterways of those that have no intention of playing by the rules and paying their way.