Changes to boat licence fees

[Paul C]

A dairy farmer doesn't eliminate his herd, he milks it to maximise yield and productivity.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

10 minutes ago, Lady C said:

Absolutely.  It is ingenuous that CRT ignore all this income from boaters in their figures.

Back in the days of BW, an information request found that boating related income was over £50m pa. Despite the sale of BWML several years ago, I suspect that is still the case. 

 

[Allan(nb Albert)]

12 hours ago, David Mack said:

Except we all know that was never going to stack up, even without the recent rise in inflation.

Not sure this is true. Back in 2012 most believed that CRT was viable or were prepared to give them benefit of the doubt. 

I remember BW director Jim Stirling being given a round of applause for a presentation "proving" that CRT was viable using revised "steady state" figures. 

 

Most swallowed BW/CRT chair, Tony Hales' claim that the settlement was "tough but fair" and gave CRT "certainty of funding". 

[Tonka]

11 hours ago, gatekrash said:

I think RPI as a measure is being stopped in the next few years - the ONS aren't going to calculate it any more, so pensions that use it will have to change.

 

Mine uses RPI capped at 5% and we've all been advised it'll use CPIH at some point in the future once RPI no longer exists 

I bet if RPI is 5% CPIH will he nearer 2%

[MtB]

11 hours ago, Quattrodave said:

I wonder how much of a pay rise Parry will get this year.... I wonder how much of a bonus he'll get....

 

 

Nothing surely?

 

Goliath says he is a volunteer  

 

 

 

[Allan(nb Albert)]

20 hours ago, MtB said:

 

 

Nothing surely?

 

Goliath says he is a volunteer  

 

 

 

With a 2021/22 deficit of £8m CRT's trustees decided to award all staff a £250 bonus in March this year. No doubt Mr Parry's £250 will go some way to offset his domestic energy costs. 

[LadyG]

29 minutes ago, Allan(nb Albert) said:

With a 2021/22 deficit of £8m CRT's trustees decided to award all staff a £250 bonus in March this year. No doubt Mr Parry's £250 will go some way to offset his domestic energy costs. 

I can't imagine why he would get a bonus, he gets paid to do a difficult job, he accepted the salary advertised, presumably.

why get a bonus, the infrastructure is still failing, the funding is still inadequate, and boaters still don't support him.

 

Edited August 4, 2022 by LadyG

[Allan(nb Albert)]

27 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I can't imagine why he would get a bonus, he gets paid to do a difficult job, he accepted the salary advertised, presumably.

why get a bonus, the infrastructure is still failing, the funding is still inadequate, and boaters still don't support him.

 

He was entitled to this £250 bonus because it was awarded to all staff not because of his personal performance or indeed CRT's performance in 2021/22.

****** Edited to add -
For anyone who is wondering, CRT's mid year licence fee increase will produce income about double the bonus payout. I say "about" because the announcement does not make it clear if the increase applies to commercial licences as well as leisure. 

Edited August 4, 2022 by Allan(nb Albert)

[Bee]

If I was sitting in a nice office at CRT headquarters or the government department responsible for grants etc. I might look at the prices of new narrowboats at Crick - £100,000 and more and think that bunging up the cost of boating was justified and the market would take it. Just like the housing market that would mean that thousands of people would be unable to participate in it but so what? that's market forces for you.   I seem to have woken up somewhat cynical this morning, hopefully I will be back to my normal cheery self after walking the dog.

[Midnight]

"In order to reduce spending, the charity is scaling back on non-essential works and focusing on those which are required legally or which support navigation."

 

I wonder what Parry's definition of "non-essential" is.  

How about scaling back on blue signs, Facebook adverts, two-tone blue van livery, contractors, lock poetry, artwork, duck lanes and any other really non-essential activities. 

 

Last winter Cooper Bridge Lock was one of the cancelled projects in the winter stoppages program, it isn't in this year's draft notices so I asked C&RT why. They said something like they had reviewed it and it was that bad after all. Well I can tell you it hasn't healed up! This presumably is now classed as non-essential as I suspect so to will all those one-paddle wonder locks around the system no doubt leading to a 4% increase in stoppages (probably 40% in Yorkshire).

 

 

 

 

[frangar]

44 minutes ago, Midnight said:

"In order to reduce spending, the charity is scaling back on non-essential works and focusing on those which are required legally or which support navigation."

 

I wonder what Parry's definition of "non-essential" is.  

How about scaling back on blue signs, Facebook adverts, two-tone blue van livery, contractors, lock poetry, artwork, duck lanes and any other really non-essential activities. 

 

Last winter Cooper Bridge Lock was one of the cancelled projects in the winter stoppages program, it isn't in this year's draft notices so I asked C&RT why. They said something like they had reviewed it and it was that bad after all. Well I can tell you it hasn't healed up! This presumably is now classed as non-essential as I suspect so to will all those one-paddle wonder locks around the system no doubt leading to a 4% increase in stoppages (probably 40% in Yorkshire).

 

 

 

 

I’ve suggested the same in some strongly worded comms to CRT management. I urge other boaters to  do the same rather than just posting on social media. Sadly acceptance and apathy seem to be the order of the day. 

[MrsM]

.

Edited August 4, 2022 by MrsM
Posted in wrong thread

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, frangar said:

I’ve suggested the same in some strongly worded comms to CRT management. I urge other boaters to  do the same rather than just posting on social media. Sadly acceptance and apathy seem to be the order of the day. 

Consultants will say that the blue signs etc increase awareness of CRT and the system they manage, so they're cost effective etc etc. And consultants get paid a lot  so they must be right, or you've wasted your money.

Repairing one bust paddle out of four is obviously unnecessary, especially if you are a business consultant who knows buggerall about boats.

Knowing it is pointless complaining to a management bloke in an office isn't apathy, it's realism. The purpose of CRT, like all such things, is to maintain the structure of the charitable company, not that of the canals. It's a shame, but there it is.

 

[frangar]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Consultants will say that the blue signs etc increase awareness of CRT and the system they manage, so they're cost effective etc etc. And consultants get paid a lot  so they must be right, or you've wasted your money.

Repairing one bust paddle out of four is obviously unnecessary, especially if you are a business consultant who knows buggerall about boats.

Knowing it is pointless complaining to a management bloke in an office isn't apathy, it's realism. The purpose of CRT, like all such things, is to maintain the structure of the charitable company, not that of the canals. It's a shame, but there it is.

 

I disagree…if no one complains then the powers that be have no reason to think that their ideas aren’t keeping the “customers” happy….it’s a bit like those that never vote then complain they aren’t represented….

 

If those of us that actually cruise and (try to) use the network don’t make an effort to point out the failings of the present management then we may as well buy a caravan…and I’m not about to do that…but I will do all I can to keep boating…and travelling.  

Edited August 4, 2022 by frangar
typo

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, MrsM said:

A housing background - good news for continuous moorers?

Or bad

[MrsM]

8 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Or bad

Sorry about that - I meant to comment on the proposed new Chair of CRT, not in this thread. (Multi-tasking failure). Hope your leak repair is holding up ok Jo. X

[ditchcrawler]

5 hours ago, Bee said:

If I was sitting in a nice office at CRT headquarters or the government department responsible for grants etc. I might look at the prices of new narrowboats at Crick - £100,000 and more and think that bunging up the cost of boating was justified and the market would take it. Just like the housing market that would mean that thousands of people would be unable to participate in it but so what? that's market forces for you.   I seem to have woken up somewhat cynical this morning, hopefully I will be back to my normal cheery self after walking the dog.

And I think you are right

[Arthur Marshall]

6 hours ago, frangar said:

I disagree…if no one complains then the powers that be have no reason to think that their ideas aren’t keeping the “customers” happy….it’s a bit like those that never vote then complain they aren’t represented….

 

If those of us that actually cruise and (try to) use the network don’t make an effort to point out the failings of the present management then we may as well buy a caravan…and I’m not about to do that…but I will do all I can to keep boating…and travelling.  

You have a point. And I'll follow it up with an official complaint when I get home. My innate cynicism, however, leaves me convinced it will have no effect. But sometimes banging your head against a brick wall is all you can do ,  though the wall doesn't care and you just get a headache. But you are right, and we should at least raise a voice.

I'm in the process of writing and recording a set of canal themed songs so something may well appear there too, though I don't expect that'll have any effect at all, on anything (including my income, these days!).

[frangar]

4 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

You have a point. And I'll follow it up with an official complaint when I get home. My innate cynicism, however, leaves me convinced it will have no effect. But sometimes banging your head against a brick wall is all you can do ,  though the wall doesn't care and you just get a headache. But you are right, and we should at least raise a voice.

I'm in the process of writing and recording a set of canal themed songs so something may well appear there too, though I don't expect that'll have any effect at all, on anything (including my income, these days!).

I often feel the same way but as someone once said to me “Imagine how much worse it might be if nobody did anything”….that was from a high up member of a cruising club in relation to how CRT were looking after the navigation his club were on….