Nick Atty wrote:
>> In both uk.rec.waterways and the canals mailing list (I'm posting this
>> to both) there have been a few thoughts and ideas about how the
>> waterways actually ought to be funded on the back of the current crisis.
>>
>> I've been giving this some thought, and feel that this could well be the
>> perfect moment to make a move. There's a lot of reasons for this, and
>> background that anyone creating a detailed strategy can make use of that
>> I've found but won't post here for the moment, but here are a few
>> thoughts and questions I'd love to here your views on - making it as
>> simple as possible (but still not simple!):
>>
>> 1) Should we seek to move BW away from direct Government funding?
>>
I think so because, as we are seeing now, Govt funding is always going to be
subject to the whims Parliament. How can any business/organisation be
expected
to run smoothly if its budgets are slashed several times a year?
>> 2) Which of the following ways of funding should we be encouraging:
>> a) Partnerships with "industry" (pubs, property etc);
>> b) a transfer of more property to help (Adrian's endowment
>> approach);
>> c) some sort of levy on local authorities who benefit (akin perhaps
>> to the way police forces are partly funded)?
>>
If one looks at how the waterways effect our lives it can be seen that
there are several
aspects of influence that would lose out if the waterways fell into decline:
1. The public would get less recreational enjoyment
2. Special interest users like, boaters, anglers, etc would suffer
3. Businesses providing services to the waterway users would loose customers
4. Local authorities with waterways will lose tourist income etc
5. The value of property along the waterways will decline etc.
Amongst 'public' and specialist users at the moment only boaters are
making any
substantial direct contribution to the costs of maintaining the
waterways but, as one
can see, many others enjoy the benefits.
So, if Govt is not to fund this resource it makes sense to me that those
that
benefit (use, make profit) from the waterways should pay. I see the best
way to
have a graded membership scheme; ordinary members paying a relatively
nominal
membership, business members something substantially more (perhaps based on
turnover and business type) and then opportuities for donors and patrons
to be
generous. This of course wouldn't be mandatory, but I personally would
think twice
about spending money in a pub/shop/supermarket/marina, etc that wasn't a
member.
Plain public membership should be kept low keeping in mind that many
heavy users
the towpaths are families and OAPs. Many of the ideas used by the
National Trust
could be used: discounts for entry into pay-for museums and encouraging
member
businesses etc to offer discounts to card carry members. Having a
membership scheme
offers up all sort of other opportunities for merchandise etc.
If BW's figures of annual visitors to the canals are right, I think they
potential number
of members is several times greater than that of the National Trust (for
example).
to give the responsibility of managing all public waterside property in
the hands
of the trust (but with strict guidelines as to what sort of use said
property can
be put into)
>> 3) Should we be seeking a unified navigation authority (I stress
>> navigation - EA keeping the status they currently have for BW rivers),
>> and if so, which of the following should be included:
>> a) EA rivers etc;
>> b) Peel Holdings waterways (Bridgewater/MSC);
>> c) Basingstoke
>> d) Middle Level;
>> e) Broads;
>> f) Avon Trusts (LANT and UANT) river;
>> g) National Trust (River Wey)
>> h) Everything?
>>
In the long term, everything. However, realistically some existing
trusts are
likely to be more difficult to incorporate simply because they are already
independent of Govt. I would take a two phase approach:
a) If Govt owns it, put it in the Trust
b) If it is already independent, use persuasion - I suspect the economies
of scale would soon create so much competition for the smaller Trusts
that they would soon see the sense of merging.
Cheers
Will Chapman
nb Quidditch hat on
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