IWA Presses case for EA Navigations to move to C&RT

[boatone]

Recent Statement on IWA Website

The Environment Agency is leading on this project, so IWA has had exploratory discussions with the Agency's senior management to assess progress. The Environment Agency's chairman, Lord Smith, has said that the Environment Agency recognises the enthusiasm for the transfer. He was unable to comment upon affordability – that was a matter for the Government. But the Environment Agency would provide the Government with all the information it needed from the Agency to allow consideration of an appropriate package.

and also........

Since navigation is a relatively small part of Agency operations, it (theEA) has not determined a precise funding line in the past since it can simply transfer monies at the margin of expected expenditure, and it can self insure against more costly eventualities, such as unprogrammed weir repair or maintenance.

I find this last particularly interesting as it suggests the EA is able to manipulate internal department funding and could, if it wished, make more money available for the river.

 

[Celica]

No comments for this post!!!
This could be potentially the biggest thing/threat to happen to Thames and Medway boating in recent history!! and I don't mean in a good way.
I think that people may be needing to start preparing themselves for the future.

 

[oldgit]

Feast or famine and the family silver..............

Nothing new on the Medway of course,many years of decline that came to head when all the water authorities were (Privatised)flogged off, any assets stripped bare and then sold off to raise a few paltry quid for short term profit .

Wonder who did that...got a very bad memory me..........

Over the last 20 or so years we have had a considerable increase in capital spending and a resulting vast improvement in facilities on our river and now things have turned full circle and here we go again with history repeating itself.