Waterways for the 21st Century—British Waterways AGM—'Steady Mate'

By Pam Pickett

Resumé

THE bottom-line from the British Waterways Annual General Meeting is ‘we have no money, we aren’t going to be able to find any’ and ‘by the way as our property portfolio hasn’t performed as expected we urgently need to raise £29 millions'.

Not really surprising given financial markets are in freefall. What I did though find surprising was that British Waterways wasn’t asked to explain the past and future benefits, or otherwise, to the canal infrastructure that will have come from investments from the Capital Fund? Neither was the reason for British Waterways placing the £36 millions profit it made last year in the capital fund queried, though today I think we might be rather more likely to question not why it was deposited, but where it was deposited.

Presentations

However, the meeting began with the usual presentations. Tony Hales, British Waterways Chairman opened the meeting that began with a pre-recorded video presentation by the new Waterways Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, just three days into the job, and already pledging to take his family on a canal boat holiday next year. With the subject of the meeting being the way we take our waterways into the 21st century, both British Waterways Chairman Tony Hales and its Chief Executive Robin Evans then gave their own presentations. A question and answer session followed.

Much of this question and answer time was however taken up in discussing those expensive, and dependent upon the point of view, necessary/unnecessary bollards, together with cill markings and lock beam signage, although the question of any proposed additional charge for those with widebeam boats, plus a concern by those restoring historical wooden boats, was also raised.

The afternoon session hosted four panelists, John Gummer, former Conservative Environment Secretary; John Edmonds, former Chairman of the GMB, Director of the Environment Agency and Chairman of the Inland Waterways Advisory Council; Carole Souter, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund and previously English Heritage Director, and Richard Fairhurst, Editor of Waterways World.

Unsteady

With British Waterways new slogan ‘Steady Mate’ now proving to be decidedly ‘unsteady’, if our waterways are to survive for the 2st century, we boaters would appear to be left between a rock and a hard place, and the clear message from this meeting is we either find a new way forward, or we may only too soon find ourselves with nowhere to go.

This message was to a degree contained in the speech made by each member of the panel. It came over particularly clearly in the excellent speeches given by both Carole Souter and Richard Fairhurst, both speaking of the need to bring on board all of those waterways enthusiasts prepared to voluntarily give both their time and their expertise if we are to save our waterways. Whilst Carole Souter spoke of bringing those volunteers together under their own ‘umbrella’, Richard Fairhurst thought it preferable that they be integrated with British Waterway’s own workforce.

Comment

As the initial question to be raised at the AGM was in respect of things particularly controversial, i.e. bollards, cill markings and signage, I’ll begin by commenting upon these.

Robin Evans was prepared to concede British Waterways should have spoken to boaters before going ahead with the installation of those bollards, and says he should have gone more slowly, particularly so at a time when there is such a shortage of cash for necessary maintenance. British Waterways however continues to insist upon the Health & Safety aspect of those bollards, plus the new cill and lock gate markings, inclusive of those on the Grantham Canal, a remainder waterway, and despite just six miles in all of its 33 miles length being navigable only for small boats.

Querying elitism

In reply to a long term boater who asked if in the eyes of British Waterways the size of his boat denoted the size of his pocket book, and further to this asked if the waterways were to become ‘elitist’, British Waterways Chief Executive Robin Evans said they weren’t. However, Robin Evans then went on to point out that if rising prices mean we can no longer afford our boats, there are other ways of boating available to us. (Bless, we don’t have to worry, he told us both hire and community boats are available!)

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Historic wooden boats

Concern was also expressed by one engaged in the restoration of historic wooden boats with regard to some at British Waterways asking why on earth those old boats were there, whilst others had he said proved to be supportive. He told British Waterways he was looking for continuity, and was assured by Robin Evans that the authority was aware of the importance of those historic wooden boats.

Summing up

Something that for me came from this meeting says regardless of the opinions of boaters, British Waterways will continue to follow its own course. Furthermore, given the shortage of cash around it will be looking to boaters to make up some of its £29 millions shortfall.

It also became obvious our waterways truly are up against a rock and a hard place. That, regardless of any belief that a labourer is worthy of his hire we may have to accept, however galling, that if we wish to avoid the waterways falling further into disrepair British Waterways could be required to accept help from those volunteers prepared to give so much of their time and expertise without thought of monetary reward.

Able to work

However, regardless of whether our ‘boat’ is sinking, and despite the concerns of some as to whether voluntary labour may prove ‘a slippery slope’, as I see it before any volunteer can be asked to provide blood sweat and tears for our waterways they first have to be enabled to work.

Whilst Richard Fairhurst later said he’d been watching the favourable reaction of boaters following his speech, I was watching the reaction of British Waterways that appeared to receive the speech with a little less enthusiasm, perhaps unsurprisingly given the ever-growing inroads of the Health & Safety ‘industry’.

Standing in the way

British Waterways deficit is undoubtedly considerably enhanced by the cost of vastly ‘over-egged’ Health & Safety, yet it’s strange that the very regulations, and the cost of those regulations originally intended to help people whilst protecting them from bad employers, could now be standing in the way of that voluntary labour we so desperately need if we are to reduce British Waterways deficit, and to retain our waterways for the 21st century.

Criticised

On a more personal note I’ve been criticised for writing about that which is wrong, failing to say how we can ‘make things better’. Sadly, had others in the mainstream press done likewise instead of fiddling while Rome burned, we wouldn’t be in the long-term financial mess in which we now find ourselves. Our government that has encouraged such risky speculation with our monies to save its own without safeguards being in place would have the cash for the waterways. Voluntary labour without which we may all go down the ‘pan’ would remain a kindness, not the necessity it now is if we boaters are to survive.

Cut through the 'crap'

If therefore we wish to ‘make things better’ we first have to cut through some of the ‘crap’ we’re finding today. When two men are required by Health & Safety to grease a paddle mechanism, wearing of course the statutory lifejacket, and a once weekly dollop of ketchup is withdrawn from the plates of our children, it has to be time to trim the excesses, to return to common sense. If we are to take our waterways forward into the 21st century we must not only replace ‘corporate culpability’ with ‘personal responsibility’ for those who do stupid things, we must also ensure the return to true accountability of those who’ve for so long been given leave to play roulette with our monies. Continuing to bury our heads in the sand as so many have done whilst others lead us into financial collapse must no longer be an option.

[Pam Pickett, our columnist and reporter, represented narrowboatworld at the British Waterways Annual General Meeting.]