> Neil Arlidge wrote:
> > John and Ann wrote:
> >> Has anyone pondered on the possible negative effect of talk of the
> >> cuts to BW and possible canal closures on those projects with
> >> applications before the lottery and other funders?
> >
> > I thnk a lot of these projects (ie Manchester, Bolton and Bury) have now
> > got
> > vitually no financial input from impoverished BW,
True. In fact they never had a great deal of financial input from BW, even when
it wasn't so cash-strapped.
But what they did have is an agreement to underwrite any engineering cost
overruns (due to for example bad ground conditions, or unexpectedly poor
condition of existing structures) because apparently that's one thing that it's
difficult to get funded from anywhere else. And it's what almost lost us the
Cotswold bid a year or two ago.
This might not cost them anything at all, but in a worst case scenario it could
cost millions. BW would have covered that by rescheduling some maintenance work
elsewhere, but in their present situation with the winter work programme
already reduced, that's less likely to be an option. So they have to look at
whether they can still guarantee these projects.
BW has said that (regarding the four big BW-supported schemes right now - MB&B,
Cotswold, Droitwich, Liverpool new link) "we cannot rule anything out - or in".
But I get the impression that considering the relative costs of the projects,
the likely amount of risk, and the stage that they have reached, the Cotswold
Canals Phase 1a is the one to worry about most.
Rather cheeringly, I read in a news story today that a spokeswoman for BW
Central Shires had said that the Droitwich funding was secure from any threat
from Government cuts. Let's hope that (a) the newspaper got the story right and
(b) the spokeswoman got her facts right!
but that is not what most
> > people / funders will perceive,
That too. It's a concern in the case of both:
(a) current schemes. The Droitwich Canals Trust already reports difficulties in
raising the last bit of money needed to fill the gap in funding. "Why should we
support you when we've heard that it's all off because of Government cuts?"
(b) future schemes. There are still ten waterway related projects in the
shortlist for the Big Lottery Fund Living Landmarks awards. Will they make it
much further if the perception ofthe judging panels is that canals in general
are at risk of fallling apart from lack of mainenance funding? And if they do,
will there be a struggle to raise match funding from bodies who might take a
similar view? And will they struggle to get support for future maintenance if
the future of the entire national system is not seen as secure? And who will
underwrite any possible cost overruns if BW can't afford it any more?
especially as in the past BW have tried to
> > steal others thunder!
> >
I think they've actually been getting a lot better. (and that's not just
because they need all the friends they can get at the moment - they had already
got better at giving credit where due)
But anyway I tended to take the attitude that if BW tried to take the credit
for other folks' restoration work, at least that showed that they thought
restoration was a good thing. Which was an improvement on earlier years....
Martin L
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