Canal & River Trust committee farcical

DESPITE claims that the newly formed Canal & Rivers Trust are expecting to hold their first meeting at the end of March 2012, they have not as yet, even applied to the Charities Commission, writes Peter Ponting.

The announcement of a committee of 35 members, is farcical. To run the UK, the Cabinet consists of 23 members. That is to run a country not 2,200 miles of canals.

Nominate ourselves

Luckily for licence paying boaters we are given the opportunity to nominate ourselves from the 12/12/11 to 18/01/12. But we must have held a valid licence for 12 months, and have 10 sponsors, who have also held a valid licence for 12 months. However the Canoe Association automatically have one member elected, as do two canal businesses. Even the chairman of the Ramblers Association is on the committee automatically.

This interim committee will be too large in number to come to any decision, unless of course those invited to join the committee are already being fed from the ailing British Waterways.