BW's 2012 Vision

[Allan(nb Albert)]

Regular visitors to this forum may remember that Narrowboatworld refused to publish an article from me because I had copied a director of British Waterways so that they could provide a response prior to publication.

 

My experience since then is that British Waterways has absolutely no intention of engaging boaters in debate via Canal World Discussion Forums or Narrowboatworld (I guess that any attempt to engage with the public left with Eugene Baston!).

 

I have managed to heal the rift with NbW and they have published an article.

 

Despite the animosity that a minority of posters feel towards NbW, I would welcome any comment on this forum.

 

Regards

 

Allan

Edited June 5, 2009 by Allan(nb Albert)

[seaandland]

Allan.

 

I take everything Robin Evans says with a pinch of salt, his vision is a waste of time, always have been and always will be. He is the worst leader that B/W have ever had and he holds no respect amongst most of his work force, his directors are faceless and hardly know what a canal is, never mind manage them, Don’t be fooled they do look at the forums and discuss them, i know that for a fact. The whole board are to visit the new visitor centre and Westport Lake on the T & M Stoke on July 15th pm, the vision that the directors will see is 20 ops litter picking on the day.

B/W was a wonderful place to work a few years ago and then came the Robin Evans era.

[Malarky]

Liked the pictures, didn't read as I find the subject of government sanctioned thieves like BWB too upsetting, except when enveloped in the wild diverse and pleasant company on this forum!

Cheers everyone

[sueb]

I thought you were very restrained. When I look at narrowboat world I check the author before reading. Tom/Victor I take with a very large pinch of salt.

Sue

[Allan(nb Albert)]

I thought you were very restrained. When I look at narrowboat world I check the author before reading. Tom/Victor I take with a very large pinch of salt.

Sue

 

As BW have wasted over £200 million (over the last five years for which we have accounts) speculating in the property market and risky joint ventures, perhaps I was being very restrained :-)

 

Since BW last valued its property assets the value has dropped by 35% wiping about £170 million from its portfolio. Its joint ventures were already operating at a loss according to the 2007/8 accounts. My guess is that BW's pursuit of "self sufficiency" has lost that £200+ million (and perhaps significantly more) forever.

 

BW made a big announcement regarding its "new vision" and a big announcement of its cost cutting via redundancies. What it did not tell us is that its Operations Manager, Vince Moran, was already targeted last year with cutting BW's contract expenditure on vegitation management and general works by up to 25%. Put simply, BW intended to pay a director bonus to reduce spend on maintenance - and the more he reduced spend the more he would be paid!

[seaandland]

The government recommended not to sell of its property (B/W) only because of the fact of its LOW value and soon as the markets improve it will be under review again im sure, if you notice the grass cutting on the towpath, only moorings and locks get a full cut, towpaths are now being cut down the middle only 1.5 metres wide, so when your hogweed and tall grasses grow they will fall over and hide your towpath, again little vision, decisions made by members of B/W who don’t know what a canal is, cost cutting or ignorance.

[denboy]

The government recommended not to sell of its property (B/W) only because of the fact of its LOW value and soon as the markets improve it will be under review again im sure, if you notice the grass cutting on the towpath, only moorings and locks get a full cut, towpaths are now being cut down the middle only 1.5 metres wide, so when your hogweed and tall grasses grow they will fall over and hide your towpath, again little vision, decisions made by members of B/W who don't know what a canal is, cost cutting or ignorance.

Try coming down the kennet and avon there is a towpath i seen it a couple of days ago when i seen a head bobbing along it pushing i think a lawn mower

[Gibbo]

We carry a strimmer on board. As soon as we moor up we cut our own grass. If we all did that we could do without BW

 

Gibbo

[Lady Muck]

Allan.

The whole board are to visit the new visitor centre and Westport Lake on the T & M Stoke on July 15th pm, the vision that the directors will see is 20 ops litter picking on the day.

 

That reminds me of when John Prescott visited the waterside centre next to our marina. In the morning, before he arrived, they cut the grass on the towpath, but only the bit that was in the line of sight of the centre!

 

Then there's the weed cutting boat. My partner has a theory - he says that the keys to the weed cutting boat must be kept attached to the mayoral chains of the mayor of Haringey, because the only time we ever see the weed cutting boat in operation, is when the mayor of Haringey visits the canal!

[Allan(nb Albert)]

The government recommended not to sell of its property (B/W) only because of the fact of its LOW value and soon as the markets improve it will be under review again im sure, if you notice the grass cutting on the towpath, only moorings and locks get a full cut, towpaths are now being cut down the middle only 1.5 metres wide, so when your hogweed and tall grasses grow they will fall over and hide your towpath, again little vision, decisions made by members of B/W who don't know what a canal is, cost cutting or ignorance.

 

Quite agree!

 

My understanding is that when BW purchases land with a view to developing it, it gives one of its joint ventures an option to purchase. One wonders what will happen to these options if goverment does decide on a sell off and what happens to property that BW jointly owns.

 

One thing I am sure about is that BW were unable to convince government that its property portfolio was being properly used to discharge its primary responsibility of maintaining the system.

 

How did we allow BW to convince us that it had a funding gap of £30m pa when it has been declaring profits greater than that amount for years?

[sueb]

We carry a strimmer on board. As soon as we moor up we cut our own grass. If we all did that we could do without BW

 

Gibbo

A good idea but how do you get ashore in the first place? If the over growth is ok to get ashore it doesn't need cutting.

Sue

[Guest User]

I just find it tragic/comic ..... sigh ...... beneath all the spin and "vision", BW/Goverment want to run the waterways as a profitable business, whilst boaters want to, well, boat (at cost) and the two sides seem increasingly further apart .... apparently regressing back the the relationships of the 1950-60's ?

[niloc]

Thats why as boaters we should all pull together. There are to many user groups, we are a divided community. United we stand , divided we fall , has never been more appropriate.

[Lady Muck]

I agree it is time to get involved. It's easy to complain from the sidelines and it doesn't change anything.

[carlt]

BW/Goverment want to run the waterways as a profitable business,

If they are to be believed (and I think we have no option but to support their new idea) then this is no longer the aim and a trust, to preserve and maintain the canal heritage, is the new aim.

 

Thats why as boaters we should all pull together. There are to many user groups, we are a divided community. United we stand , divided we fall , has never been more appropriate.

After all the vitriol, that has been aimed in your direction, recently, do you really think we could ever become united?

 

I agree with your sentiment but there is just too much bitter resentment, and, in some cases, pure hatred, to ever become one voice.

 

Apart from anything else, we can't even agree on how much tow path maintenance is necessary.

[Guest User]

Thats why as boaters we should all pull together. There are to many user groups, we are a divided community. United we stand , divided we fall , has never been more appropriate.

I tend to agree, we need a clear singular voice, but who/how ?

 

I agree it is time to get involved. It's easy to complain from the sidelines and it doesn't change anything.

I'm a member of IWA and NABO. Maybe I am being naive but I trust them, via my subscriptions to represent my interests. I simply do not have the time for active involvement.

 

With regards the current"vision" statement however, it seems to create a well spun diversion that makes it difficult to say "j'accuse" on specific policies more that it engenders a sense foreboding

 

If they are to be believed (and I think we have no option but to support their new idea) then this is no longer the aim and a trust, to preserve and maintain the canal heritage, is the new aim.

 

... exactly, I think they've realised even though they'd like to, they can't actually run it as a profitable business ... hence possibly their thoughts are along the lines of sell off the family silver to cover immediate costs, and then head towards a national park scenario ?

Edited June 7, 2009 by Graham!

[Allan(nb Albert)]

... exactly, I think they've realised even though they'd like to, they can't actually run it as a profitable business ... hence possibly their thoughts are along the lines of sell off the family silver to cover immediate costs, and then head towards a national park scenario ?

 

Stott of the Stort reckons that BW would need a property portfolio of about £1.5 billion to be independent of government funding. Based on returns on property a couple of years ago he is probably correct (it sticks in my throat to say it as I consider him to be BW's main apologist!). However, BW only had a property portfolio of about £0.5 billion valued in December 2008. Since then its value will have decreased by over 35%. Although property rental income has not suffered so much, a downward trend still exists.

 

The bottom line is that BW can not be independent of goverment funding. This was true, even before the current economic crisis - they could not tripple the property portfolio in 3 years up to 2012.

 

BW have run as a profitable business for the last 5 years for which we have figures - and that is the problem - they have not plowed that profit back into the canals! However, last year will be different due to the collapse of property returns and joint ventures being "in the red".

 

With regard to the future, I would favour a "Waterways National Trust" but I have two problems with BW's vision -

 

It is too far in the future - there are no advantages to delay except for BW's directors who will continue to get non "third sector" salaries and be eligible for pension before 2020 anyway (they are required to retire at 60 and are compensated by pension packages which assume they have worked until 65).

 

The main problem is not the "status" of the waterways but the "funding" and "management" of the waterways. For the last five years the funding was adequate but the management misused the funding in a misguided attempt at self sufficiency.

 

Perhaps the way forward is for the government to invite the NT to consider how they could absorb BW and how they would fund it.

 

I guess BW will not suggest this approach themselves!

Edited June 7, 2009 by Allan(nb Albert)