Scrap them both

THE Canal and River Trust (CaRT) should take note of of the recent All Party Parliamentary Group for Waterways (APPG Waterways) report and scrap its hated moorings auctions system and its Waterway Partnerships, writes Allan Richards.

Whilst many see the report as a rather pathetic attempt by IWA to put the transfer of EA waterways to CaRT back on the agenda, the commentary and recommendations on the issues of Waterways Partnerships and moorings highlight two major problems that the Trust has failed to address.

Should be self-funding

For the second time, the APPG has suggested that the Partnerships should be self-funding by the end of 2014 and make a positive financial contribution thereafter.

However, despite some of them being in operation for three years, minutes of meetings appear to indicate that they do not have plans to be self funding by 2014, much less make a positive financial contribution to the waterways thereafter. Indeed, with many boaters wondering what these partnerships actually do (and it seems unclear from the minutes!) perhaps it would be best to simply scrap them thus saving hundreds of thousands of pounds of the £1.4 millions that CaRT spends each year on governance.

Hiding from the APPG Waterways that no plans exist for making Waterways Partnerships self funding by the end of 2014 is reprehensible.

.... and diverting waterways managers away from maintenance and into propping up failing Waterways Partnerships helps no one.

Moorings

Here is what the APPG says about moorings:

'CaRT has inherited problems with moorings from BW and needs to put in place a national strategy for tackling issues particularly around overcrowding. While local solutions are welcome they must fit into CaRT's national framework. This strategy should be developed in conjunction with stakeholders. Moorings are currently auctioned off to the highest bidder and there are concerns over the socio-economic inclusiveness of this policy. The APPG believes that this policy needs to be reviewed to encourage more diversity on the waterways. The creation of new moorings will also help alleviate the stress on current provisions and reduce the need for enforcement'.

Will not address the problem

However, rather than address the core issue, CaRT's response has been to commence a consultation which simply attempts to tinker with mooring auctions without addressing the problems.

CaRT's consultation document states:

'What are we not proposing? During 2007/8 we consulted extensively on our proposed move away from allocating moorings by waiting lists to a tender (and subsequent auction) system. We are therefore not proposing to go back to a waiting list arrangement for allocating moorings, nor open up the debate about the merits or otherwise of the auction system—we still believe that using an open auction generates independent, transparent data on the market's willingness to pay for our moorings ....'

So how does the consultation actually address concerns?

Cover up

At face value, it would appear that CaRT is attempting to cover up failure of its policy regarding governance and its moorings auction policy.

Scrap them both—neither will be missed!