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GO-AHEAD FOR CANALS CHARITY
MORE GOVERNMENT FUNDING; a longer contract; and some inflation-proofing of support: these are among the improvements that the Transition Trustees of the new Canal & River Trust have negotiated with the Government before finally agreeing that British Waterways' move from nationalised industry to independent charity can go ahead.
An agreement needed to be thrashed out between two apparently incompatible positions: Defra said that there simply wasn't any more money available than the £39m per year already on the table; the Trustees maintained that this wasn't enough - and that they would be duty-bound to walk away from negotiations if it wasn't increased. The solution reached is based on the extra concessions not coming in until the next Government Spending Review in three years' time. The key improvements to the offer are:
. The £39m will be increased to £49m from the 2015-6 year onwards.
. The contract will run until 2027 rather than 2022.
. From 2015-6 until 2022 it will be index-linked to inflation.
The date for the launch of the new Trust looks likely to be in June.
You can read the full story and what it means to boaters in this month's Canal Boat magazine, on sale on February 8.
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