Trust will not know amount of grant until autumn

Published: Wednesday, 15 June 2022

THE government has informed Canal & River Trust it will know the outcome of the current Grant Review in the  autumn.

This is though the outcome is actually due on the 1st July, it setting the amount of money the trust will receive in funding beyond 2027.

Wrong decision

It is not understood, and thought a wrong decision, to ask for a review of spending at such a time when government money is obviously in very short supply after the three massive financial blows of the break from the European Union, the epidemic and the outcome of the war in the Ukraine that has so financially affected the country.

This especially as the review will date from 2027, when finances could be in a much better position resulting in an improved grant, with Canal & River Trust stating:

Safe and available

"Whilst we are disappointed at the delay to the Review, we are continuing to work with Defra to achieve a successful outcome that will ensure the waterways have the funding they need so that they can be cared for, and continue to be safe and available for the millions of people who enjoy and benefit from them, for years to come."

With stoppages now running at over one a day, it is difficult to see how 'safe and available' the waterways are...