This is the national user group meeting of the Environment Agency held in dizzying heights of the EA Chairman's office, Millbank Towers. At this meeting we were privy to a number of proposals that had yet to be routed via their correct channels and so I cannot describe them in detail here. However matters were relatively optimistic.
Unlike BW, EA is exploring with users what they consider to be the appropriate level of service on its various rivers and attaching a price tag to them to give its customers some sort of once-and-for-all choice. In fact their survey takes this further, asking users to rate the relative importance and quality of delivery for various services on each navigation.
David Drew MP, Chair of the EFRA Sub-Committee investigating BW, was guest speaker. He gave a short address about the report and the Government's response to it. In fact, said response is supposed to be a combined Defra and BW response.
About the only significant acceptance of the EFRA committees findings was a promise by Defra to set up a committee to investigate how much BW's service contributed towards the aims of other government departments and whether any funding could be sourced from them. The rest of the response listed the EFRAcom's points and acknowledged them with no definite promises. The sub-committee would not let these drop.
Conspicuous by their absence was BW's directorate. In fact I had to pose a question asking if there was anybody present at all from the very organisation that was the subject of debate! Ed Fox introduced himself as dealing with public relations, one of the three people doing Eugene Basotn's job.
I have said this before and had to eat my words but - BW MIGHT HAVE GOT THE MESSAGE!
I was pleased to see a good representation from towpath users and anglers, even a cyclist! The meeting was run professionally. Papers were sent enough in advance, notes from previous meeting were agreed as a true record and matters arising properly considered. Long may this continue.
Two matters of procedure were discussed first: whether members of the waterways press should attend; and whether I would be allowed to record the meeting as a personal aide memoir. BW had rather jumped the gun re the press, as Chris Daniels of Waterways World was already there, so debate on this issue was a bit strained. Previous meetings had expressed reservations about Press presence but Chris promised not to quote anyone without their permission and was reluctantly allowed to stay. However there were words of warning about other more 'sensational' publications sending reporters.
There was no objection to my recording it and, as a courtesy to BW, I posted them a copy on CDR of the audio files.
Debate on the 'hot' issues was actually quite cool, as most of what needed to be said has already been said, and noted, although scarcely upon. Sir Adrian slammed mooring tenders and got half a promise that his preferred auctions might be tried if tenders proved not to work. However it seems we are not going to stop the 'trials supertanker' even with all of us hanging on to a centre rope!
NABO's other moorings issues - Work boats on visitor moorings past or, unofficial acceptance of overstayers and 'No Mooring' signs on behalf of nearby residents -were noted - again.
Veg pledge was admitted as being a failure in some areas. Where it fell below the new Customer Service Standards safety level it would be dealt with, promised Vince Moran, Director of Customer Services. Waterway Units would be obliged to prioritise safety standards regardless of expense and an annual edge to hedge cut was one of those standards.
Although BW did not put our request for 'better delivery of promises made at WUSIG type meetings' to be a specific item on the agenda, the issue did come up frequently and I have guarded optimism.
BW's notes from this meeting are on:- wusig2-07.pdf
I refer you to press1107.html