Is anyone aware of a DEFRA announcement ?

[Alan de Enfield]

This has just 'popped up' on Reddit (13 hours ago)

 

I didn't think the (delayed) announcement was due yet.

 

 

level 1

tommy_dakota

·13 hr. ago

 

Oh, and the canal trust has just been defunded.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

This has just 'popped up' on Reddit (13 hours ago)

 

 

level 1

tommy_dakota

·13 hr. ago

 

Oh, and the canal trust has just been defunded.

 

 

I had to fight my way through multiple warnings about sexual content and click buttons to confirm I'm 18 to load and read your link. 

 

What DO you spend your time googling for?!! 

 

 

[Ianws]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

 

I had to fight my way through multiple warnings about sexual content and click buttons to confirm I'm 18 to load and read your link. 

 

What DO you spend your time googling for?!! 

 

 

I took a sweve and avoided it. 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

 

I had to fight my way through multiple warnings about sexual content and click buttons to confirm I'm 18 to load and read your link. 

 

What DO you spend your time googling for?!! 

 

 

 

I don't, any news or press releases about the canals pop up into my Google news feed.

 

I just click on it and no warnings or buttons to click - straight thru to the article.

[MtB]

Just now, Ianws said:

I took a sweve and avoided it. 

 

Sensible bloke.

 

I took a chance as it was Reddit and unlikely to be seriously dangerous.

 

 

[Mad Harold]

15 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

This has just 'popped up' on Reddit (13 hours ago)

 

I didn't think the (delayed) announcement was due yet.

 

 

level 1

tommy_dakota

·13 hr. ago

 

Oh, and the canal trust has just been defunded.

Can you expand please.

Tried clicking on the link and it said, 'warning,adult content'

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

Can you expand please.

Tried clicking on the link and it said, 'warning,adult content'

 

Same here. I clicked OK vaguely expecting to see whatever porn Alan was posting!! 

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

There is nothing extra - it is just a "one liner"

 

"Oh, and the canal trust has just been defunded".

[MtB]

11 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

There is nothing extra - it is just a "one liner"

 

"Oh, and the canal trust has just been defunded".

 

That's very worrying, but the bod does seem like a total fruitloop. 

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

6 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

That's very worrying, but the bod does seem like a total fruitloop. 

 

 

 

Being a London boater he is probably a Baton-Twirler so anything is possible.

[MtB]

Look at it from the guvvermints point of view.

 

CRT owns thousands acres of prime building land (just needs filling in) worth perhaps £1m an acre.  

 

What should they do? 

 

1) Continue to subsidise a bunch of wealthy and troublesome boaters (along with a load of <not a pot to piss in> troublesome loser CMers)? 

 

2) Withdraw canal funding, fill them in and sell the land for several £bn?

 

Now lemme think, what would I do....

 

 

[billh]

9 hours ago, MtB said:

Look at it from the guvvermints point of view.

 

CRT owns thousands acres of prime building land (just needs filling in) worth perhaps £1m an acre.  

 

What should they do? 

 

1) Continue to subsidise a bunch of wealthy and troublesome boaters (along with a load of <not a pot to piss in> troublesome loser CMers)? 

 

2) Withdraw canal funding, fill them in and sell the land for several £bn?

 

Now lemme think, what would I do....

 

 

You would do 1), because you are a boater IIRC.

[magnetman]

Isn't it 2027 when the funding stops? 

 

 

I don't know anything about it but the address change on here is interesting.

Published 30 May 2022. 

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/canal-and-river-trust-amendments-to-the-grant-agreement-with-defra/canal-and-river-trust-amendment-of-grant-agreement

 

 

Change of registered address

Previous address

First Floor, North Station House
500 Elder Gate
Milton Keynes
MK9 1BB

New address

National Waterways Museum
Ellesmere Port
South Pier Road
Ellesmere Port
Cheshire
CH65 4FW

Edited March 23, 2023 by magnetman
minor alterations

[MtB]

15 hours ago, magnetman said:

Isn't it 2027 when the funding stops? 

 

 

I think you're right. 

 

From the stream of unconnected drivel in the thread containing the throwaway comment, I'd suggest the chap making it had only just discovered that funding is to stop, it's a big shock to him and he didn't notice the date.

 

He'd just took on board that funding has an end date and as such, made his throwaway comment that Alan saw.

 

He is about ten years behind the curve. Tommy Dakota that is, not Alan.

 

 

Edited March 24, 2023 by MtB

[dmr]

14 minutes ago, magnetman said:

 

 

I don't know anything about it but the address change on here is interesting.

 

 

New address

National Waterways Museum
Ellesmere Port
South Pier Road
Ellesmere Port
Cheshire
CH65 4FW

 

Yes, they have been using the Ellesmere Port address for a while now. It does make sense to have a boating organisation based in a boating place.... and maybe grants are available as its a run down area?

[Alan de Enfield]

43 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Isn't it 2027 when the funding stops? 

 

Yes it is, but in the agreement that DEFRA can cease payment at any time if C&RT are not 'playing fair and honest'.

There was a scheduled review easrly last year to determine if DEFRA should keep paying, and, if they should extend the grant past 2027.

 

C&RT have been found to have been a bit naughty by inflating figures (KPIs) and have actually amended their annual accounts AFTER they were passed by the Board.

 

The review conclusions should have been announced in July 2022, they said there would be a delay whilst they considered 'stuff' and the conclusions would be announced by Christmas - again the announcement was further delayed due to still investigating 'things' and the fact DEFRA needed more information. The latest date is now "Spring 2023"

 

 

[magnetman]

Ah. Interesting !

[Allan(nb Albert)]

6 hours ago, magnetman said:

Isn't it 2027 when the funding stops? 

 

Not quite. It is when the current grant agreement between Defra and CRT runs out. The current grant agreement runs from 28 June 2012 to 31 March 2027.

A review of the grant agreement should have been published by 1 July 2022 at the latest. It would have considered -

Quote

"whether, and if so, the extent to which there is a case to continue grant support of the public benefits provided by the waterways under the Canal & River Trust’s stewardship beyond the end of the current grant period."

... but we are still waiting some nine months later and no new timescale has been given.

The Waterways Minister, Rebecca Pow, suggested in a parliamentary debate last November that grant would be tapered off or reduced -

 

Quote

 .... the team in DEFRA is working so closely with the trust to iron out what is required and what would be the right tapering or reduction of rates.

... and Richard Parrry suggested similar two weeks ago -

 

Quote

Beyond 2027, it now seems very likely that the Government will seek to reduce its annual grant contribution ...

 

[tree monkey]

22 hours ago, dmr said:

 

Yes, they have been using the Ellesmere Port address for a while now. It does make sense to have a boating organisation based in a boating place.... and maybe grants are available as its a run down area?

This is the point where I should step in and defend Ellesmere Port being a Portite born and bred...

 

But nope I can't, place is a shit hole best thing about the Port is the A41 to Chester