NABO Home
Wales and South West
- Details
- Category: NABO Regional Reports
- Hits: 170
Both the K&A and the Mon & Brec have seen very welcome and extensive winter work, and on the K&A we were delighted to see that CRT is at last introducing so-called ‘composite’ lock gates – basically steel but with sacrificial wooden components. Both Canal Trusts have been working on these for some five years and have installed sets on the non-CRT part of the Mon & Brec. With costs similar to wooden gates, but having lives of up to 100 years there is no argument! Do they look odd? When showing them to some senior CRT folk, they asked where they were – all they could see was normal gates. They were then told they were sitting on them!
Extensive cutting back of vegetation has generally been well done, although the towpaths have often been left in very dubious states. On the K&A, there continues to be a lack of boating facilities, made worse this year by those at Hortons Bridge being removed by the pub owner because of local abuse - mainly by non-boaters. While restoration of the water point is promised, CRT has just announced that the bins will not be restored - resulting in a 3½ mile trip to the nearest ones. But, from the start of the year, we have the excellent and well-liked (by boaters) Mark Evans back as the Regional Director.
Mike Rodd
‘Trust Aware’ permits
- Details
- Category: Canal and River Trust
- Hits: 200
Following feedback from a series of meetings held with disabled boaters over the last year, CRT will now provide ‘Trust Aware’ permits to boaters who have been given reasonable adjustments to their cruising requirements under the Equality Act 2010. On a case-by-case basis, this could involve overstays on visitor or towpath moorings or adjusting their cruising range. The permits are intended to let other people know that the Trust is aware of the situation and that there is permission to overstay or move in a limited range. Boaters can choose whether they want to display them; it is not a CRT requirement. There are around 240 boaters with approved adjustments and another 140 adjustments in the process of being arranged. The permits will be the size of a licence disc, but will be printed on yellow paper to clearly distinguish between the two.