Inland Waterways concerned about rumoured waterway privatisation
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Article Date: 2007-05-25
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Rumours that the UK's canals and rivers could be sold off to private owners under recently revealed government proposals have been criticised by Inland Waterways as"damaging" to the UK's waterways' long-term future.
According to a report in the Times, a review of British Waterways' policy is mulling a number of options including selling off all or selected parts of the UK's 2,200 miles of canals and rivers.
However, since the news broke Inland Waterways national chairman John Fletcher has moved to denounce the plan.
He said: "Over the years there have been a number of political proposals and press speculation about a full or partial privatisation of British Waterways. Unfortunately, most of these schemes rely on only the commercial value of British Waterways' property, whilst completely failing to recognise British Waterways' core function of running the central part of the nation's waterways network for the benefit of the nation.
"Whilst we are supportive of any wide ranging review that attempts to resolve the long-term funding of the waterways, we are deeply conscious about how damaging privatisation of British Waterways could be, or of any scheme that involves the further fragmentation of the management of the system."
It is estimated that the land sales could net up to £1 billion for the Treasury.
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