HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS?

[knottygal]

I have just received this from friends who live on a narrowboat;



URGENT- Inland Waterways Association News Flash

THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO QUIETLY SELL OFF THE ENTIRE BRITISH WATERWAYS PROPERTY PORTFOLIO!

You may know about the media speculation that the Government intends to include the British Waterways' property portfolio as a component of the £16bn asset sale.

The Government has made no announcements and is steadfastly refusing to be drawn on the subject.

We have been using this period of silence as a window of opportunity to lobby Ministers. We have orchestrated a political lobby in both the Commons and latterly the Lords to pressurise Government, and have briefed radio and national TV, using an array of reasons to support the argument that a sale would be in no-one's interest.

We stand the best chance of preventing this sale if the Government can be persuaded not to do so, during this period of Ministerial silence. Whilst no announcements have been made, it is easier for Government to back away as it involves no public reversal of policy.

However, an e-petition has appeared on the 10 Downing Street website;

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/protectourcanals/

IWA supports the statements in the petition. The worst outcome now that this is in the public domain, would be if this petition receives scant support. That might give Ministers the impression that there are few waterways supporters who care very much about the issue. On the other hand, if it is well supported, the Government, this close to an election, is very sensitive to actions it might take which may lose votes, and would probably take notice.

I am therefore urging you to sign up to this petition - if you agree with it, and ask that you encourage everyone that you know, to also sign up.

We need more signatures than our membership, or even the total number of boaters in the UK – So please ask all of your colleagues, friends and family and e-mailable contacts to help us today! – and ask them to pass this message on as well - we need all of the UK to know about this and to respond on line .

The future of the waterways could depend on your actions today – Please act, and pass this message on.

Thank you

Clive Henderson
IWA national chairman
nationalchairman@waterways.org.uk

Jo Gilbertson
The Inland Waterways Association
Non-profit Distributing Company Limited by Guarantee No 612245
Registered Charity No 212342

Registered Office: Island House Moor Road CHESHAM HP5 1WA
Tel: 01494 783 453 Ext 611
E-mail: jo.gilbertson@waterways.org.uk
website: www.waterways.org.uk

[knottygal]

[grotbag]

done

[ACE]

Not me. What harm would it do. I suppose people in boats would get charged more for mooring, Simple pay the extra with the money you save not paying council tax.

[knottygal]

Think you kinda missed the point, with respect, ACE.

What is to say the new owners will allow public access? May be no biggie to you but I'm sure there are many walkers, dog owners, cyclists, horse riders, fisherman, bird watchers, wildlife enthusiats, leisure boaters etc who should be concerned. It won't just affect people who live on or holiday on boats...and FYI, people with residential moorings DO pay council tax, just like the rest of us!

I for one use the canals as a safe, off road route network with my children on their bikes and also walking my dogs. There are also many people for whom the canal is a safe route to work, either on foot or cycle.

[ACE]

I think the Ramblers and their right to roam would have sorted out canal tow paths years ago. So probably there is a hidden agenda in the boat owners petition.

[knottygal]

Yes, and we all thought allotments were a statute they couldn't touch either...

I have a site on Edge lane in Manchester, you may of heard of their battle when Manchester Council tried to sell off the land to developers a couple of years back?
Fortunately we managed to get the Secretary of State to overturn the decision, hopefully setting a precedent.

Assume nothing, for ignorance is far from bliss...

[betula]

This does not surprise me.We had our boat in Gloucester Docks it went from British waterways to private ownership and the mooring charge shot up.

At one time you went on a waiting list for moorings then the last we heard you had to tender for a mooring and the highest bidder got it.Always an expensive game but it really is the preserve of the well off these days.

All along the river you will find old historical locations being turned into Apartment Blocks.

The rot set in a long time ago.

[tonybloke]

sorted!

[flowerofshona2007]

Having being looking into moving to a narrow boat for a few years i can tell you there are many charges that are involved and being on a residentual mooring include safetly licences, mooring fees, pump out costs, high electric costs, every 4 years the boat needs to be lifted out to be blackened ect and if on a residentual morring you do pay council tax !
How they intend to implument this i dont know as many parts of the canals are already privatly owned and then there are the locks.
Have signed :)

[Unwashed]

BW owns something like £450M of investment property that generates around £45M income that's used to run the waterways.  That property is things like office buildings that have been built on land that BW owns, it's not the canals, tow-paths, locks and bridges.  The suggestion is that the government could sell the investment property and generate some cash for itself, it's just that would leave a £45M hole in BW's finances with no guarantee that the government would make up that shortfall.  It costs more than £200M to run BW and the government already funds BW with around £75M.  Boat licenses generate about £15M (average is around £450 per boat), so it's unlikely boaters would stump-up a four-fold increase in licenses to make up the deficit.

[caroline7758]

Done. A lot of sections of waterway have been restored by volunteers, including my dad. Wouldn't like to see their work wasted.

[Squash64]

I've forwarded it to Keith Arthur who presents the Fishermans Blues show on Talk Sport radio at the weekends.

[knottygal]

Nice one, Squash!   :)

[gordonsveg]

DONE.

[Bugloss2009]

they're not talking about selling off the canals, couldn't do that without an Act of Parliament