Worth watching

[Ianws]

Management can't magically deal with underlying underfunding, yet managers and their salaries are criticised. Managers should be paid a reasonable salary and removed if not performing, but they need the tools to do the job. In the grand scheme of things a few extra millions wouldn't be missed from the national budget (every cause would like a few thousands or millions but how many billions now get wasted elsewhere).  A few years back I'd have thought differently but it now seems to cost a million to provide a temporary fix to potholes on a couple of roads in a town, let alone fix all of them properly. A few million doesn't seem like much these days, at least to the people spending it. 

[Jon57]

11 hours ago, Peanut said:

The canals are a bit like dentistry, now in, "managed neglect."

And a pain at times. But great when used. 😁

[Rob-M]

In the 80's Alvechurch moved their hire boats to Earlswood for a period because Wast Hill tunnel was closed and then had to fight with BW to have it repaired as they were going to abandon it.  Then the M42 was planned and again the Worcester Birmingham was going to be lost when the motorway crossed the canal, campaigning to have a diversion to the canal built kept the canal open.  Just a couple of examples that were local to me at the time of where BW would have let a canal go.  I don't think any political party would make any difference to funding and I'm not convinced CRT are any worse than BW but the infrastructure is older, more costly to maintain and there is more of it with some recent restorations.

[Bargebuilder]

The funding issue has just featured on BBC Breakfast news: they show video of the canals to accompany the news feature, but it's locks and narrowboats that they concentrate on, not walkers, cyclists and fisherfolk. Viewers are likely to be thinking, why should taxpayers subsidise the tiny minority who can afford to buy and run a boat, not, what a loss towpaths would be to walkers. The government say that the CRT must look for alternative sources of funding and I suspect that the majority of the population are likely to agree.

 

Would any political party be forgiven by the majority of people for allocating millions to keeping canals dredged and locks operational whilst so many other demands exist for the limited funds available, not least the current huge wage demands?

 

 

[magnetman]

5 minutes ago, Bargebuilder said:

Viewers are likely to be thinking, why should taxpayers subsidise the tiny minority who can afford to buy and run a boat, not, what a loss towpaths would be to walkers. 

Why would towpaths be "lost" if canals were closed? 

 

 

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Why would towpaths be "lost" if canals were closed? 

 

 

Because when a canal is filled in and the land re-used for other things, the towpath vanishes along with the water.

 

 

 

[Bargebuilder]

1 minute ago, magnetman said:

Why would towpaths be "lost" if canals were closed? 

 

 

That's partly my point: why would the non boat owning population think spending taxpayer's money on keeping waterways navigable be more important than paying nurses a bit more, when their own enjoyment of the towpath may not be affected either way.

[magnetman]

5 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Because when a canal is filled in and the land re-used for other things, the towpath vanishes along with the water.

 

 

 

Is there any suggestion of canals being filled and the land used for other purposes? 

 

It seems to me that they provide other functions like drainage and perhaps water supply as well as being a linear park. If the canal consisted of derelict locks converted to weirs (concrete slabs in the stop plank groove irons for example) there would still be a towpath and a waterways just without great big metal boxes going around with people who have Harold Shipman beards on the back of them. 

 

It could actually be very pleasant and accessible for small craft such as punts and canoes in the local pound. 

 

More egalitarian. 

 

 

 

 

Old locks could be open air lidos. 

I realise this is rather a bold suggestion. 

Edited July 18, 2023 by magnetman
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[Bargebuilder]

6 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Is there any suggestion of canals being filled and the land used for other purposes?

History suggests that this might very well happen.

 

Marinas could be turned into house boat estates and canals into liveaboard streets, but I hope not.

[magnetman]

I still think it unlikely the towpaths would be 'lost'. 

[Midnight]

On 17/07/2023 at 06:22, Mike Hurley said:

CTC

David actually did well in this one.

[magnetman]

I've never seen the person before as do not watch any youtube channels. One can see how some may find him annoying (not to put too fine a point on it). 

I listened to this as audio on the phone not looking at the screen as am not that interested in people's faces when it comes to this sort of topic. 

 

He did alright with the questions. 

 

 

[wandering snail]

58 minutes ago, Bargebuilder said:

The funding issue has just featured on BBC Breakfast news: they show video of the canals to accompany the news feature, but it's locks and narrowboats that they concentrate on, not walkers, cyclists and fisherfolk.

 

 

Can you provide roughly when this came on please.

[Bargebuilder]

15 minutes ago, wandering snail said:

Can you provide roughly when this came on please.

It was roughly when I was eating my crunchy nut cornflakes this morning.