Completely crazy

THOUGH money is not available for proper maintenance of the Mon & Brec, money is being spent on completely unconnected stretches, that seems completely crazy, as David Davis explains:

Allan Richards' piece on the perilous state of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal's future makes depressing reading. Maintenance spending appears to be only 1/60th of that which has been identified!

Funds being found

I'd like to make a further point: at the same time when money clearly is not available to keep the current navigation open, further funds are being spent attempting to reopen further derelict stretches!

Millions have been spent restoring some of the 'Fourteen locks' (pictured) on the Monmouthshire, despite the fact that these are many miles from any navigable section, and their new lock gates will likely be rotting long before any connection can be made (if ever). (http://www.fourteenlocks.co.uk/).

More allocated

And as if that were not enough, just under £1 million was allocated in 2012 for restoration of the Ty Coch lock flight on the Monmouthshire Canal (http://iloapp.tycochrestoration.com/)

On the face of it, this seems completely crazy. These schemes are pursued when 'funding becomes available', but there is no view of the big picture. It's like buying new tyres for a car that has just failed its MoT, needs a new engine and is due to be scrapped!