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C&RT boss won't reverse unjust removal of Northern Reaches adoption

20/3/2018

15 Comments

 
Canal & River Trust's interim waterways manager for the North West, Steve Higham, is adamantly refusing to reinstate the Owd Lanky Boater's adoption of the Tewitfield lock flight – despite admitting that he can't justify the ending of the agreement by his predecessor Chantelle Seaborn just before her departure from the Trust.


Steve Higham agreed to speak to The Floater's Peter Underwood and the interview was recorded in a busy bar at Liverpool Marina.

He began by introducing a claim that Owd Lanky's Colin Ogden, who has been the most succesful advocate and restorer of the Lancaster Canal's Northern Reaches had failed to report an accident in which a volunteer's ankle was trapped – the first time any such allegation had been made in this context.

When challenged he swiftly moved off the topic, and a telephone call to Colin Ogden later revealed that the incident didn't occur on C&RT land, there was no serious injury and a C&RT official was made aware of it. Colin said: “My wife had been admitted to hospital at the time, but I knew C&RT were aware of it from others and the person concerned assured me he was OK and not to worry.” Steve Higham also claimed Mountain Rescue teams were called in but, in reality the injured man called on his friends in Mountain Rescue who took him to his car and his wife took him for a check up.

Steve Higham went on, during the interview to admit that he didn't really understand why Chantelle Seaborn cancelled the adoption but stubbornly refused to change his decision to support her actions.

The Floater is taking the unusual step of making the whole interview, with just two minor edits to remove extraneous material, available to Floater readers.

Listen to it for yourself. The recording is in mp3 format and it runs for about 40 minutes
15 Comments
Roger Abbott
20/3/2018 07:26:24

What a crock !
GROW SOME BALLS STEVE AND PUT RIGHT CHANTELLE SEABORNE'S PETTY, SMALL MINDED, SELF SERVING AND SELF INDULGENT, UTTERLY POINTLESS DECISION RIGHT BY REINSTATING THE ADOPTION BY OWD LANKY BOATER'S OF THE TEWITFIELD FLIGHT (y'bulshitting twat) !

Reply
colin
21/3/2018 23:11:58

HEAR HEAR!.

Reply
Simon John Wain
20/3/2018 08:20:33

I feel some what bewildered by the whole affair. The good works that are being done to the upper reaches of the Lancaster canal should be encouraged by CART not the reverse. CART dosn't seem to realize that slowly but surly they image is not reaching the expectations of people who work with our wonderful canal network.
I personally ask CART to reconsider the withdrawal of the adoption of Tewitfield locks and let the good people who put there on time in to improve the state of what was once a fine and good canal.
Yours passionately Simon J Wain

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Alan Theaker
20/3/2018 12:37:43

Very likely is it that our C&RT executers are clean out funds to contribute toward restoration of the upper reaches of the Lancaster. Simple as that. Since 2002 they busied themselves investing millions in loss making schemes & paying themselves six figure salaries to boot to a point in latter years they can't afford to properly maintain existing navigable canals. So looking after their own interests, adding to the work load is last on their list of priorities, but cut the grass you may.
Whistler nb Sawdust

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Pogue Muhone link
20/3/2018 16:16:29

The adoption of the Own Lanky project spear-headed by Colin Ogden is not dependent on C&RT funds being provided. (C&RT desperately needs an estimated £2,000,000 to remove a Swan from a Bridge. Retrieve the 800k wasted in trying to get volunteers. Here is a lifetime volunteer with the backing of hundreds of boaters and thousands of well-wishers who has not ASKED for money. He simply asked that C&RT rubber stamp what he is doing and let him DO it. Listening to the recording makes it obvious that Higham is toeing a party line which stops at the top. It is obvious this cretin has gone way beyond the level of his competence, unlike Colin Ogden who has not even tapped the lower slopes of HIS competence.

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Alan Theaker
20/3/2018 19:00:55

In that case Pogue why the need of C&RT rubber stamp . If donations include not just manpower but materials, tools & loan of plant I can't imagine CRT could prevent work going ahead. In other words don't adobt the canal, nick it. You will have the backing of the nation & foreign visitors too & the media will make a meal of it.

Whistler nb Sawdust

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Robert
21/3/2018 02:54:11

It’s a shame that I myself was treated in a similar way by C&RT British Waterways trained staff with my Canal Adoption Group.

I am NOT allowed at the moment to Volunteer with any Canal & RiverTrust Volunteer Group anymore?

I am trying my best to HELP C&RT and the Trust seem hell bent on on putting people off in the Northwest of getting involved donating their time and helping the Canal & River Trust itself.

Very strange.

Reply
Roger Abbott
21/3/2018 07:49:18

Volunteers with initiative, motivation and a skillset which leaves most CRT employees standing scratching their heads are exactly what CRT don't want involved with 'their' canals, what they want are a bunch of folks who will potter around trimming bits of grass around locks, doing donkey work with wheelbarrows full of rubbish or hardcore for paths and painting balance beams in glorious monochrome so that they can tell the government what a wonderful job they're doing and how well they are supported by the public in order to justify an increase in their funding which is badly needed because in actual fact they're squandering money on stupidity projects and cosmetic works whilst stuffing large quantities of it into bonuses and private pension pots !

Reply
Brian D Jarrett
21/3/2018 12:35:19

Every subject covered by the floater appeares to descend to the same point Greed along with a Bonus Culture within CRT
Lack of transparency; none acceptance as Navigation Authority & a desire to be a “Feelgood organisation”
Operating in the world of a Global Corperate Organisation
They are a Charitable Trust !!!
Behave like one; rein in the excesses
Listen to the paying customers !

Reply
Alan Theaker
21/3/2018 15:53:16

Hi Brian, yes i think we all agree that it's naughty of C&RT allocating themselves six figure salaries & five figure bonuses for failure after failure, but wouldn't we all like a job like that. So it's not their personal greed I condemn but the fact they took up career's as public servants with BW probably in admin or something on maybe £35k annual salary till some bright spark suggested pubs & marinas would be a sauce of income long term. Dunno what happened to pubs investment but marinas ent paying off so now I guess it's buy back the property's they sold off that have since been renovated & are now worth six times what they sold them for. To rent out presumably & it's their stupidity that angers me. Now then canals north of Coventry will become much more popular as those with of Coventry become more so congested with livaboards but C&RT haven't yet twigged that. So I would suggest mutiny, relieve them of the responsibility & I'm sure if news got overseas £ would come pouring in for restorations.
Whistler nb Sawdust

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colin
21/3/2018 23:21:24

Thanks for posting the recording,but wouldn't sit through 40 second of crt's B.S. and misinformation,let alone 40 mins.
Yet another total farce by crt,scared they will lose some of their "perceived" power over our waterways...
CRACK ON MR OGDEN AND ALL YOU FANTASTIC OWD LANKY VOLUNTEERS..WE ARE RIGHT BEHIND YOU IN YOUR RESTORATION OF OUR CANAL.
Do as crt do...DON'T ASK,JUST TAKE!!!.

Reply
Colin ogden link
22/3/2018 06:11:38

Thanks for all your support. I will be taking stock of the situation at Tewitfield. This has been a very upsetting situation. We might be down but not out just us.Lots of promoting and publicity to do.And canal festival invitations. We will be returning soon.

Reply
Alan Theaker
22/3/2018 11:50:37

Hi Col, how organised are you? Form a company, Awd Lancy Ltd, open a bank account in with two signatures. Sought yourselves out a financial director, a project director, a saucing director & overseas fund raising director & a works/site manager who's respected. Look up Australian & German & American Canal Societies & explain your dilemma. We get thousands of overseas visitors annualy. Some of whom as far away as NZ that own boats here & spend their winters on our canals. We meet them all the time & they are in awe of our canal heritage. More so than C&RT who's sold much of it off & I'm sure every one those visitors would love to adopt & finance a foot of derelict canal for restorations. Do'nt waste time delegating with self important individuals/civil servants.
Whistler nb Sawdust

Reply
Alan Theaker
22/3/2018 18:51:58

Second thoughts Colin it ent a company you should form. Register Awd Lancy a charity with the other bits in place. I'm not sure that your'ed need employers liability because participants are volunteering their time but you would need public liability wich isn't expensive.
Regards Whistler

Reply
colin
22/3/2018 23:02:39

I would like to draw Steve Higham's attention to the following!!...http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/15261599.Community_groups_encouraged_to_adopt_stretches_of_waterways_by_the_Canal_and_River_Trust/

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