Un-Natural England

Two years ago the whole world was impressed by the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.  A key element of this spectacular was a celebration  of the Industrial Revolution.

If Natural England, The Health and Safety Executive and English Heritage had existed 250 years ago there would never have been an Industrial Revolution: Britain would still be in the dark ages.
Once again ecologists in the form of Natural England are demanding that canals should not be used by canal boats. This time they want to close the Ashby Canal to boats because they damage the ecology. Don't these dunderheads  understand the word Natural?  Canals are man-made for the use of boats. By definition they are not the natural habitat of anything. Restoration work on the Montgommery Canal has been delayed by 20 years to meet the demands of Natural England for the creation of wetlands  which were never there before the canal was built.

New marina being built on the Ashby Canal. For what?

When we were on the Ashby Canal earlier this year we saw water-voles, a grass snake and many other small creatures.  The area is rich in flora and fauna which survive quite readily with other canal users such as boats and anglers.  Wild animals and plants are much more adaptable than Natural England gives them credit for. If they really need to stop some development then why not put their efforts into stopping the ridiculous HS2 from London to Birmingham. Alternatively, how about doing something positive for a change? They could start by eradicating Japanese Knot weed, Himalayan Balsam and the red-clawed crayfish which are killing off the native species.