Not quite the review of the year

I WAS tempted to write a review of the last year on the inland waterways. Then looking back through my copious notes. I came to realise that I would be writing the sequel to 'War and Peace' if only in the length of the text, writes Mick Fitzgibbons.

So I have decided to cherry pick from the very large bunch on offer. However, I'm now wondering if coconuts or bananas and the associated banana skins might have been a much better metaphor to use. 2014 was, it has to be said—something of a non event with regards to CaRT's ambitions to manage the inland waterways. Once more a poor performance has blighted even the faintest prospect that the Trust would be self sustaining this side of a major freeze over in hell.

Lost support of boaters

As one of the biggest national charities and at the same time one that will increasingly be reliant upon the giving public, more than anything else the Trust has lost the support and confidence of many boaters. The boaters are the very people who should be championing, cajoling and encouraging everyone to support it. After all, boaters have something that is seemingly lacking within the Trust and that is a vested interest in the future of the inland waterways.

Typical of the banana skin culture is the complete mayhem and discord created over moorings, when a very large sledge hammer, (which must have been fitted with a floppy rubber handle) was brought to bear. Rather than scope the issue and employ a fair, proportionate and appropriate response, the wholesale realignment of moorings on a national basis was the only answer. Then when the Trust was challenged about the proportionality and appropriateness of the actions—the CEO said it would stop forthwith. Only for other individuals at a local level within the Trust to carry on with the meddling in conjunction with the Waterways Partnerships. Chaos prevailed once again.

Akin to Willy Wonker

The eyebrow lifting and head scratching continues both inside and outside of the Waterways Partnerships. First of all it was over their role and function, which as far as I can make out is something akin to Willy Wonker. As the hump-a-lumpers carry on regardless of any appropriate direction and knowledge to meddle in what they are not supposed to meddle with.

But even more incredulity was to come from the 'bold as brass' myth, that continues to be perpetuated by CaRT. That the partnerships would be self funding by the end of 2014 and would also be topping up the CaRT coffers to the tune of £800,000 each a year. You can almost smell the bacon cooking from this latest round of porcine avionics.

The collective amnesia on display for all to witness at the 'All Party Inland Waterways Committee' was both astonishing in its depth and utterly breathtaking in its length. Though some of the MP's must have given a nod to the consummate lack of transparency on display, having at the same time picked up a few hints and tips for their next round of house flipping, moat cleaning, duck housing, expenses claims.

Maintenance

The gulf in what's needed to maintain a 'steady state' in the maintenance budget was highlighted. (The steady state is when the maintenance level gets no better and hopefully gets no worse.) The true figure was possibly unintentionally given in a statement to the high court some time ago. The figure was quoted as being £130 million a year. The funding is currently around the £80 million mark. Even with me adding to my accountancy skills and digits by taking off my shoes and socks, I am still unable to come up with any way of reconciling that a further underspend is not pushing the Trust ever closer to the brink of the tipping point into the chasm.

It does not take to many things to go wrong, such as the 'once in a decade' canal breach or lock collapses which recently happened almost every month. At least the Trust learned one salutary lesson and that was not to go running to the public shaking the begging bowl. Rather than raise funds it only raised the Joe Public's awareness to the precarious state of the waterways. One embarrassment on that score proved to be more than enough.

Then there is the next issue for the 'CaRT CaRTographer' where the Trust is going to unilaterally redraw the UK ordnance survey map. As CaRT sets about reinventing the equivalent of the wheel—to declare already known areas adjoining each other—as a whole new place.