CRT want a property portfolio Protector.

[oldironsides]

CRT and Defra are advertising for someone to be the Protector for the canals property portfolio. As there seems to be at least one person who uses the forum who knows everything about it, perhaps this could be the job to go for!

[fender]

Could this be the start of a new canal Protectorate? Everyone to wear black and abstain from sex and shopping? All to be banned from laughing at C&RT's misadventures? And perhaps 'ejectors' shall be employed to remove C&RT staff who do not abide by its new religion?

[larkshall]

Oh and canal users become the congregation?.......sheep?

[Boat&Bikes]

Could this be the start of a new canal Protectorate? Everyone to wear black and abstain from sex and shopping? All to be banned from laughing at C&RT's misadventures? And perhaps 'ejectors' shall be employed to remove C&RT staff who do not abide by its new religion?

 

 

Well i often wear black and never shop....

 

 

 

Ian.

[Pluto]

Surely the 'experienced investment professional with significant property investment expertise' are the ones whole have got the country's property market, and the country, into their current terrible state. There is an argument that someone with less experience and a more balanced economic view would be a better option. Successful canals were built by local people to help develop local communities and local businesses, so perhaps we should be building upon that as a foundation for a sustainable and viable future.

[tafelberg]

Have they got any property left to protect?

[mango]

Have they got any property left to protect?

Yes. Here is an extract from John Dodwell's recent talk to APCO, published on the CRT website:

 

We are among the top 20 UK charities – about the 13th largest. We have some 1,500 staff and an annual income of about £150m – all of which we spend. We have an endowment fund of about £460m – mainly in waterside properties e.g. Paddington Basin. This produces rents of a bit over 1/3rd of our approx £100m non-Government income. Boats produce about £30m a year.

 

Without this income your licence could cost a lot more.

Edited December 20, 2012 by mango

[Richard10002]

Surely the 'experienced investment professional with significant property investment expertise' are the ones whole have got the country's property market, and the country, into their current terrible state. There is an argument that someone with less experience and a more balanced economic view would be a better option. Successful canals were built by local people to help develop local communities and local businesses, so perhaps we should be building upon that as a foundation for a sustainable and viable future.

 

I suspect that, when the canals were being built and used commercially, they were built by big business with the sole goal of making money by transporting goods. Those who did the transporting, or the lock keeping, or whatever, almost certainly lived in poor conditions, and worked for very little money.

 

It's easy to be romantic about things like this from the past but, at the time, living and working conditions for the ordinary Joe were very poor compared to today - even in the current economic situation.

 

I think it was the financial market that created the major part of the mess that we are in, and they were able to do this due to a lack of government regulation on a global scale. Sub-prime money was lent by the financial sector to people with no property investment expertise whatsoever, then bundled into "financial instruments" which were sold on by the financial markets, until the world realised they were possibly worthless, and the Ponzi Scheme collapsed.

 

Property values fell as a consequence of the banking collapse, and not as a consequence of poor property investment - although anybody investing in property after about 2005, other than for working from, or living in, was perhaps not that clever.

Edited December 20, 2012 by Richard10002

[Pluto]

I suspect that, when the canals were being built and used commercially, they were built by big business with the sole goal of making money by transporting goods. Those who did the transporting, or the lock keeping, or whatever, almost certainly lived in poor conditions, and worked for very little money.

 

It's easy to be romantic about things like this from the past but, at the time, living and working conditions for the ordinary Joe were very poor compared to today - even in the current economic situation.

 

I think it was the financial market that created the major part of the mess that we are in, and they were able to do this due to a lack of government regulation on a global scale. Sub-prime money was lent by the financial sector to people with no property investment expertise whatsoever, then bundled into "financial instruments" which were sold on by the financial markets, until the world realised they were possibly worthless, and the Ponzi Scheme collapsed.

 

Property values fell as a consequence of the banking collapse, and not as a consequence of poor property investment - although anybody investing in property after about 2005, other than for working from, or living in, was perhaps not that clever.

Firstly, most canals did not make money by moving goods, and today's historical economists think they were pretty average in the returns they made even prior to railways. Adjusted returns were around 5%, barely the same as the bank rate. Those that continued to be successful into the 20th century were usually related to a canalside industry, and it was the benefit the canal gave to that industry which created the overall economic benefit. The early, and more successful canals almost all relied upon local finance, rather than financial institutions, though local banks were also involved. However, their money was also locally raised. Major involvement by financial institutions date more from the Canal Mania period, when the majority of canals were a poor financial investment.

 

Over the last forty years or so, the property market has forced up prices at a ridiculous level, encouraged by the financial institutions, and it was that which in part has led to the financial problems today. Banks have relied upon the value of property on their books, something which initially would have created a sound market should property values have remained more stable. Ironically, it was Andrew Yarranton who suggested setting up banks based upon land value as a way of improving the economy in his book published in 1677, and it was he who also pushed the idea of inland water transport as a way of improving local economies by helping industry to develop. He is probably the real Father of Canals, rather than the Duke of Bridgewater.

[carlt]

CRT want a property portfolio Protector

 

Well Staples do them for a few quid but this one is rather nice for £78