Latest news with #CanalAndRiverTrust
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Canal needs to be safer, say boaters after assaults
"It's the same as the city, there's a feeling of degradation about it in places, which saddens me." John Ball has been mooring in Nottingham city centre on his narrowboat for many years, and says the canal has changed in that time. He spoke to the BBC following three separate attacks along and near the canal in less than a month. The first was against a woman who was raped on 20 June, then another woman was sexually assaulted on 6 July, then a man was seriously assaulted on 17 July. John says he has felt threatened himself at times, but he continues mooring in the city centre out of defiance. 'Violent and aggressive' "If people like me stop mooring here then it will get progressively worse," says John, who is 71. "It will finish up with more and more people drinking and doing drugs, and being violent and aggressive." John says he has experienced vandalism himself - someone unhooked the protective fenders from the side of his boat and threw them in the water. He pays for a permanent mooring at a nearby marina, so he could stay there, but he is determined to keep using the canal. "I won't stop doing it, because it winds me up and it annoys me as much as anything else," he says. John isn't the only person to be concerned. The Canal and River Trust (CRT) - the charity responsible for maintaining England's waterways - says it has been "shocked" by the recent assaults. The charity said it had been in discussions with Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire Police. "We're carrying out regular clean-ups and addressing issues such as unlicensed boats, but we want to work with partner organisations that have the powers and skills to deal with the broader issues we've seen recently, such as criminal activity, fly-tipping and homelessness," a spokesman said. John said he had noticed a problem with unlicensed boats himself. Boaters like him have to pay an annual licence to the CRT which allows them to use canals - but some boaters have been mooring along the canal illegally. "I walked in from Castle Marina the other day and of the 19 boats I passed, two of them had licences on them, and they were the two charity boats run by the local authority," he said. The CRT theoretically has the power to remove unlicensed boats from canals, but in reality, doing so is difficult. "This is always very much a last resort, at the end of a long legal process, and where we've repeatedly tried to resolve the issues with the boater without success," said the CRT spokesman. Multiple women have previously told the BBC they feel too scared to walk or run along the canal, and that more police patrols would help. Nottinghamshire Police said its officers were "maintaining a high-visibility presence in the area" following the recent attacks. Supt Chris Pearson, area commander for the City Division, said: "Our neighbourhood policing team for the city centre continue to carry out routine patrols around our canal towpaths as part of their policing activity. "This is both uniformed and plain-clothed patrols. "Violence against women and girls is a force priority and we will continue to work with our partners to improve the safety of our canal network." Nottingham City Council was also asked to comment but did not want to. John believes the canal would be safer if more licensed boaters like him started mooring there. "Realistically, more people need to use it," he said. "You can put people [police officers] on the ground but they haven't got the resources." Fellow narrowboater Ian Furmidge agrees there is safety in numbers. He normally moors his narrowboat in Market Bosworth, but was passing through Nottingham city centre when he spoke to the BBC. "All towns and cities and urban areas come with a sense of trepidation, and there is safety in numbers, you do look for groups of boats," said Ian, who is 62. "If I was mooring here and there were no other boats at all I'd be quite nervous and probably wouldn't stop. "We need people in the city centres." John has certainly not been deterred from mooring in the city centre by the recent attacks. "It's my home town and I'm not going to be pushed out of it by people behaving in a bad way," he said. Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. 'It no longer feels safe to run next to the canal' Man charged with rape after city centre attack Man in hospital after serious canal path assault
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Nottingham canal needs to be safer, say boaters after assaults
"It's the same as the city, there's a feeling of degradation about it in places, which saddens me."John Ball has been mooring in Nottingham city centre on his narrowboat for many years, and says the canal has changed in that spoke to the BBC following three separate attacks along and near the canal in less than a first was against a woman who was raped on 20 June, then another woman was sexually assaulted on 6 July, then a man was seriously assaulted on 17 says he has felt threatened himself at times, but he continues mooring in the city centre out of defiance. 'Violent and aggressive' "If people like me stop mooring here then it will get progressively worse," says John, who is 71."It will finish up with more and more people drinking and doing drugs, and being violent and aggressive."John says he has experienced vandalism himself - someone unhooked the protective fenders from the side of his boat and threw them in the pays for a permanent mooring at a nearby marina, so he could stay there, but he is determined to keep using the canal."I won't stop doing it, because it winds me up and it annoys me as much as anything else," he says. John isn't the only person to be concerned. The Canal and River Trust (CRT) - the charity responsible for maintaining England's waterways - says it has been "shocked" by the recent charity said it had been in discussions with Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire Police."We're carrying out regular clean-ups and addressing issues such as unlicensed boats, but we want to work with partner organisations that have the powers and skills to deal with the broader issues we've seen recently, such as criminal activity, fly-tipping and homelessness," a spokesman said. John said he had noticed a problem with unlicensed boats himself. Boaters like him have to pay an annual licence to the CRT which allows them to use canals - but some boaters have been mooring along the canal illegally."I walked in from Castle Marina the other day and of the 19 boats I passed, two of them had licences on them, and they were the two charity boats run by the local authority," he CRT theoretically has the power to remove unlicensed boats from canals, but in reality, doing so is difficult."This is always very much a last resort, at the end of a long legal process, and where we've repeatedly tried to resolve the issues with the boater without success," said the CRT spokesman. Multiple women have previously told the BBC they feel too scared to walk or run along the canal, and that more police patrols would Police said its officers were "maintaining a high-visibility presence in the area" following the recent Chris Pearson, area commander for the City Division, said: "Our neighbourhood policing team for the city centre continue to carry out routine patrols around our canal towpaths as part of their policing activity."This is both uniformed and plain-clothed patrols."Violence against women and girls is a force priority and we will continue to work with our partners to improve the safety of our canal network."Nottingham City Council was also asked to comment but did not want to. John believes the canal would be safer if more licensed boaters like him started mooring there."Realistically, more people need to use it," he said."You can put people [police officers] on the ground but they haven't got the resources."Fellow narrowboater Ian Furmidge agrees there is safety in normally moors his narrowboat in Market Bosworth, but was passing through Nottingham city centre when he spoke to the BBC."All towns and cities and urban areas come with a sense of trepidation, and there is safety in numbers, you do look for groups of boats," said Ian, who is 62."If I was mooring here and there were no other boats at all I'd be quite nervous and probably wouldn't stop."We need people in the city centres."John has certainly not been deterred from mooring in the city centre by the recent attacks."It's my home town and I'm not going to be pushed out of it by people behaving in a bad way," he said.
Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Times
Times letters: Costs and compromises of preserving heritage
Write to letters@ Sir, Richard Morrison says that the Canal & River Trust (CRT) 'is clearly never going to earn enough income … to maintain 2,000 miles of leaky canals on a diminishing subsidy' ('English Heritage and the National Trust are on the brink', Jul 18). He is spot-on in his assessment, but inland waterways are in a worse situation than he describes. CRT is responsible for only 2,000 of Britain's 5,000 miles of canals and navigable rivers. The rest are managed by bodies ranging from the Environment Agency to local authorities to small charities, all facing cuts or uncertainty in income. The benefits of Britain's waterway network are well understood, and the return on investment is huge. CRT's present grant of £53 million per year results in economic and social benefits worth £6.1 billion. Failing to maintain waterways will sacrifice these benefits and put communities at risk, as in 2019 when 1,500 people had to be evacuated when the Toddbrook reservoir dam threatened to collapse. This is why more than 160 organisations representing hundreds of thousands of users and supporters have come together as Fund Britain's Waterways, to campaign for action. We urge all who care about our inland waterways to support the campaign and make their views known to their O'HareDeputy national chair, Inland Waterways Association Sir, I am confident that English Heritage and the National Trust are serious about resolving their financial difficulties. However, it would be wise for them to look at the salaries in the upper echelons, rather than at dismissing cleaners and kitchen staff. If visitors notice a drop in standards and a shortage of decent food, they will vote with their feet. This will cause a quick doom BostonKingshill, Kent Sir, I agree with Max Falconer, (letter, Jul 19). Entry fees at National Trust properties are ludicrously high for non-members. My wife and I were recently at Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire. The cost for entry was £42 for two pensioners. I asked if I could have a credit against applying for a full membership later, but the answer was: 'We don't do that any more.'Rod StoneBishopsteignton, Devon Sir, Max Falconer is wrong. If we didn't get free entry we would cancel our DuganHazlemere, Buck Sir, The National Trust has a winning formula that suits millions of committed supporters. But recent changes at the properties, made in good faith, may be upsetting the golden geese on which the trust relies. Hitherto, members have considered that the trust protects the 'Old England' they love, and remembered it in their wills. But four years ago the trust took on 90 staff 'with curator in their job title', mostly from museums, the centre of woke. All but 28 of the trust's mansions have since been deemed second division and eligible for change. With the impending job losses comes an opportunity for the trust to put its architectural legacy to the fore, led by an expert on historic architecture. Its present competence with architecture is shown by its refusal to restore the superlative Marble Hall at Clandon, in favour of a costly modernist installation. A change of tack is HaworthMalvern, Worcs Sir, In response to Lt Col Peter Haldane's letter (Jul 19), I am proud to wear my late husband's medals. I know which side I should display them but I would put them anywhere on my jacket to honour his nine and a half years of service in the Royal Air Force. We are losing Royal British Legion clubs weekly thanks to outdated rules and conditions governing ceremonies and even entry to the club — we tell people 'you can't sit there' and 'you can't wear that', and my committee wonders why clubs are dwindling and we may have to close. We should encourage new members, but even former service personnel are unwilling to join because they do not feel welcome. This is the same with many of the few clubs we have left. I respect the work of our forces, but sometimes we should bring ourselves up to Towers Honorary secretary, Hedon & district Royal British Legion, Hull Sir, Lt Col Haldane forgets one of the most basic military principles. The way the chief of the naval staff wears his medals is, by definition, correct — unless, of course, the chief of the defence staff decides Neil Munro (ret'd)Salisbury Sir, As a former circuit judge in the crown court for 21 years, I support the suggestions made by Edmund Vickers (letter, Jul 19) for dealing with the courts backlog. 'Plea bargaining', which was rather disparaged in my day, is very productive if done sensibly by an experienced judge. I found that in many cases defendants were quite prepared to plead guilty if they were told by the judge in open court the sentence they were likely to be given. Similarly, the prosecution were also likely to reduce or withdraw charges shown by the judge to be unrealistic. It was not uncommon for the listing office to list up to four trials per day in front of me, knowing that most if not all of them were likely to be cracked. This was a very effective method of reducing the backlog of trials in our Honour Richard BrayHarrold, Beds Sir, Dr Brian W Darracott (letter, Jul 18) must have retired as a magistrate quite a long time ago. The concept of proof 'beyond reasonable doubt' fell out of use more than 20 years ago. Juries are now required to be 'satisfied so that they are sure' before they find an accused Mark Hill KCLondon EC4 Sir, The verdict of a jury is almost always accepted by the public. This would not be the case for verdicts by judge and assessors. Jury trial should be kept as a right in serious cases. Arthur Noble West Kirby, Wirral Sir, Action is urgently needed to stem the alarming outflow of wealth from Britain. The advisers Henley & Partners estimate 16,500 wealthy people will leave this year, while Oxford Economics forecasts more than £1 billion in direct tax revenue will be lost annually due to the abolition of non-dom rules. The exodus threatens jobs, public services and investment. I am a sponsor of today's parliamentary reception for the non-partisan advocacy group Foreign Investors for Britain, which is calling for the reintroduction of an investor visa underpinned by a tiered wealth tax scheme. Entrepreneurs would pay up to £2 million annually, while their overseas assets would be protected from UK taxes. This model, which would generate large revenues and a variant form of which is already used elsewhere in Europe, is politically viable and fiscally sound. It would be a win-win for the UK and public service funding — and for entrepreneurs who proudly call the UK their MobarikHouse of Lords Sir, Dr MacKellar refers (letter, Jul 18) to a principle that all present and possible future children have equal worth, but this principle has long been abnegated. In families with a known propensity to have children with 21-trisomy — Down's syndrome — parents can request artificial insemination and selection on the basis of genetic heritage. There is also an accepted effort to eliminate Huntington's at a pre-embryo stage. Few in this country, I believe, think this raises a pressing ethical Graham ReadCardiff Sir, Diane Abbott's observation (News, Jul 19) that black people can face immediate and unthinking discrimination while those who do not look visibly different can experience discrimination after something is known of belief or lifestyle is simply a statement of the obvious. It is a worrying indictment of Labour leadership that this should lead to her suspension from the Singh of WimbledonHouse of Lords Sir, Gerard Baker (Comment, Jul 18) describes President Zelensky as the man President Trump and JD Vance 'humiliated in the Oval Office'. In my opinion, Trump and Vance humiliated themselves and their BaxterBeckenham Sir, Elisabeth Braw (Comment, Jul 18) laments a lack of 'cable surgeons'. Perhaps we need to channel the spirit of Sir James Anderson. The Great Eastern, a steamship to carry 4,000 passengers, was the last designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and its construction was a financial disaster for him. After his death it was converted for cable laying. In 1865, Captain Anderson was charged with laying a cable between Foilhummerum Bay in Co Kerry and Heart's Content in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. Not too far from the destination and at an estimated depth of 2,000 fathoms, the cable was dropped — oops. The task was abandoned, but in 1866 Anderson set off again in Great Eastern to find the cable. Using a grapnel, he and his team found the cable, spliced it and completed the job. For his efforts he was knighted by Queen Victoria. In October 1866, The Times wrote: 'The name of Captain Sir James Anderson must ever be prominent on the roll of British seamen.'Catherine UsherLondon W5 Sir, You rightly describe ('Going for Growth', leading article, Jul 19) the parlous state of the economy and Labour's mistakes that have contributed to it. But the reference to the 'slump' in London house prices implies that this is a bad thing. A fall in house prices at the upper end of the market will feed through to other properties, and anything that makes housing more affordable — particularly for younger people — should be seen as a Grossman Northwood HA6 Sir, Further to your anecdote about Ted Heath (Diary, Jul 19), Douglas Hurd confirmed in an account of a Conservative Association dinner Heath's sulkiness and hatred of chit-chat. As Heath sat glumly silent between two women, a note was passed up the table by an aide begging him to make conversation with his neighbours. A scribbled note came back saying: 'I have.'Bruce ParkerAppleshaw, Hants Sir, Further to the letter about the Hastings embroidery (Jul 18), a full-size replica of the Bayeux Tapestry is displayed at Reading Museum. It is 70m long and was made by 35 female Victorian embroiderers. Viewing is SultoonCobham, Surrey Sir, Further to your letters on 'deep breath' explanations (letters, Jul 17-19), my mother must have had much the same feeling when she told me about menstruation. I had asked about mensuration. Her answer was of limited assistance with my maths ReeceBrook, Kent
BBC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Manchester: Narrowboat homes 'at risk' from low water levels
About 50 narrowboat owners fear becoming homeless as falling water levels put their vessels at risk. Some at Islington Marina in Manchester said they were worried their floating homes could become damaged by the rugged base of the canal, or even keel over. Marina operator Waterpride Estates said it was "sympathetic" to its tenants' plight but said it was "at the mercy" of the Canal and River Trust (CRT), which maintains the Rochdale Canal and other waterways. A CRT spokesman said canal locks into Manchester have "temporarily been closed to navigation" to save water after recent dry weather. Despite some recent heavy rain, it is believed it could take several months' worth of rain to get water levels back to what they were. Martin Garside told BBC North West Tonight: "I work hard, but I wouldn't have the funds to revive the boat if it tipped on its side."I feel a little bit helpless and scared. I'm nervous as it's my home, my money. "It would affect my whole life, and I'm starting to feel angry." Marcus Brown, who has lived in the marina since 2018, said: "All we were asking for in a bit of engagement with the CRT."They're not responsible for us because we're in a private marina, but we pay the equivalent of council tax to them every year in licence fees to use the canal system."And most of us don't use the canal system unless we're taking our boat out for maintenance."Now we're in a situation where we can't take our boat out and we're running out of water."A CRT spokesman said: "We want to get the canal back open and available for boats as soon as possible, but this will require significant rainfall to replenish water availability to sufficient levels."The spokesman added there had been "some leakage" at a local lock gate, but it was considered to be "in good condition and... not scheduled for replacement". A Waterpride Estates spokesman said the firm "pays a substantial fee to CRT for the water in the marina as well as the right to be connected to the canal system", adding: "Sadly, we are at the mercy of the CRT, as they are ultimately responsible for the water levels."But, he said, the company "understood that water supply is scarce with loss of water occurring throughout the whole canal network".The spokesman said the firm would work with the CRT and support tenants to find a solution. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Mother swan and two cygnets killed in canal lock crush
Three swans have been killed in a canal after they were crushed between a lock wall and a eyewitness told BBC Hereford and Worcester that the two cygnets became trapped inside the lock and were unable to escape, while their mother attempted to "protect them". They said the boat continued to enter the lock despite onlookers alerting those on board to the swans' Canal and River Trust said the incident, which happened in Stourport on York Street on 11 July, was "tragic and entirely avoidable". West Mercia Police said it was aware of the deaths and would liaise with the RSPCA. Known as Mrs BJS, the swan was a well-loved character in the area and had lived on the canal for six years, a local resident added the surviving two cygnets "constantly go up and down" the canal looking for their the Canal and River Trust said it was "deeply saddening" to learn of the incident and urged anyone with information to contact the police or the RSPCA."[We are] devoted to protecting and supporting wildlife along our waterways - we are horrified by this cruel and senseless act," it said. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
