If you were in charge of the Canal & River Trust for a week, what one or two things would you change about the Trust?

[Orwellian]

I agree but the big problem that CRT have to overcome to secure the continuation of this taxpayer contribution is contained in the Memorandum of Understanding they and DEFRA completed alongside the Grant Agreement. DEFRA's objectives are set out in the attached extract from that MOU.

[David Mack]

"To move the long term cost of maintaining the inland waterways ... from the public sector to civil society"

 

Does the document anywhere define what "civil society" is, and how and why it might fund a higher proportion of the waterways' costs?

CRT's efforts to raise money from Friends have failed, as was widely predicted at the time. Why would the interested public pay for what they get for free anyway?

Other charities perhaps? Philanthropists? Most are targeted towards other social goals.

Local authorities? Apart from the fact they are cash-strapped, that is public sector money by another route, so hardly in line with the objectives.

So what next?

[Orwellian]

The essential meaning is non state or non governmental ie not taxpayers. It was essentially David Cameron's 'Big Society' policy which he implemented after becoming prime minister of coalition government in 2010 and why DEFRA were so keen to support the Evans/Hales trust proposal put forward at roughly the same time.

[cuthound]

22 hours ago, Orwellian said:

I agree but the big problem that CRT have to overcome to secure the continuation of this taxpayer contribution is contained in the Memorandum of Understanding they and DEFRA completed alongside the Grant Agreement. DEFRA's objectives are set out in the attached extract from that MOU.

 

Looks like "pay to enter turnstiles" on every public access point is the only way left to get Joe Public to contribute then...

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, cuthound said:

 

Looks like "pay to enter turnstiles" on every public access point is the only way left to get Joe Public to contribute then...

But that is not compatible with:

"To safeguard: ... free pedestrian access to the towpaths".

 

(Although I note that says nothing about free access for cyclists).

[cuthound]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

But that is not compatible with:

"To safeguard: ... free pedestrian access to the towpaths".

 

(Although I note that says nothing about free access for cyclists).

 

OK, how about "pay to leave turnstiles" on every exit point? 🤣😂😅

[David Mack]

2 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

OK, how about "pay to leave turnstiles" on every exit point? 🤣😂😅

The "Hotel California" option!