Comment—Not true

I HAVE been only too pleased to publish the questions and answers at the 'Meet the Boaters' sessions held by Richard Parry, Chief Executive of the Canal & River Trust, even attending one, though some boaters believe they are little more than an exercise in PR.

In publishing the latest one, I really must agree however with those boaters who see the meetings as such, as the first question asking about the state of the waterways and the answer given that they are in a 'better condition than they were five years or ten years ago', is simply not true, and can be nothing but an exercise in PR.

All boaters who regularly use the waterways must realise their decline. Over the last ten years we have undertaken 20 long cruises over most of the country's waterways, many numerous times, and have witnessed first hand their gradual deterioration through lack of maintenance.

I understand that Richard, being fairly new to the Trust, cannot of course be aware of such deterioration, and so must rely on what he is told by his various directors and managers, and this is why perhaps I understand one of them has been seconded to 'head office' to explain.

The question and answer

Here is the relevant part of the first question by a boater at the latest meeting in Leicester:

I've lived on the water for 20 years. A lot of boaters believe these meetings are just PR to smooth over the waters. The true reason that waterways are in a state is due to mismanagement rather than a lack of money. If there's a lack of money then it should not be going into arts and cycling, it should be going into improving things for boaters. The canals are deteriorating.

And Richard's reply:

I'm sorry but I don't agree on your point that the waterways are deteriorating. More people tell me it's better than not, genuinely. We have a very thorough inspection regime and the information we get from that tells us that, on average, assets are in better condition now than they were five or ten years ago.

It is acccepted that there is now an underspend of around £50 millions on yearly maintenance of the waterways, having built up over the years. So how can anyone believe that a 200 years old infrastructure, often battered by newcomers, and not properly maintained, can be in better condition than five or ten years ago when there has been less and less maintenance spending year upon year?

He should take less notice of his minions, most likely 'covering their backs' and accept the word of those that have used the waterways over those years—the boaters.

Tom Crossley