Dear friends

I attended a BW Advisory Forum meeting this week.

The main subject was 2020, but in the course of the day, BW let it be know that the Treasury were again actively examining the selling off the BW property portfolio. Robin Evans and Tony Hales were absent from the meeting and this was given as the reason. Apparently the Treasury are working towards a pre budget statement on 9 Dec which could be expected to include something about sell offs in general (not just BW property). You will remember that this last happened earlier this year, with the Grimshaw review. On that occasion a combination of convincing and political pressure resulted in the conclusion that BW should be left alone. BW and others will be trying to do the same again in the short time before the review concludes. However, even if the Treasury want to do this cash sale, nothing could happen until after the general election.

It highlights the difficulty of managing the waterways in such a political environment and may in itself help to push us towards a 3rd sector solution.

Separately BBC have been ringing around this week in preparation for a piece on BW to be broadcast on Sunday. Then suddenly it has gone quiet, and it is not clear what is to happen. I understood it was to have been on Sunday BBC1 12 noon on the Politics Show. We shall see.

Lots to talk about at the AGM which is a week tomorrow.

David