When will all this nonsense stop?
If you doubt the voracity of my reason for holding my complaining in check then just consider these facts as reported recently by Narrowboatworld.com
>BW spend on maintenance last year was 9% less than the two previous years yet the Chief Executive, Robin Evans, admitted to the Parliamentary Waterways Group that this was £39m less than was needed.
>Last year BW spent £9m  in a failed attempt to prevent its joint pub venture from going into liquidation. This figure, by co-incidence (?) is the same as the reduction in spend on maintenance.
>The BW corporate plan for 2007/8 forecast a profit over the last three years of £55m from joint ventures.  The actual result achieved was £53.4m LOSS
>The website link to this plan has been removed.  I wonder why?
>On a personal note, Robin Evans has a personal target to increase visitors to the waterways to 7.2m by 2012.  Achievement to date?  3.8m.  That makes eight years in succession he has missed his target. What a performance!
>Boat usage dropped last year by 7% over which time the NABO survey of boaters shows that costs have increased by something in the region of 30%

Perhaps it is time for BW to try its hand at maintaining the waterways and stop  playing at pub landlords and housing developers

For more detailed information follow these links to Narrowboat World reports

Massive Drop in Maintenance

Down, down, down