Audlem poll in national canal newspaper

(The website link that was here no longer works) Yesterday Audlem Online ended the Vote Poll on whether the Audlem stretch of the canal should have its own lengthsman. The poll was started to draw attention to local man James Stretch no longer being employed solely on the Shropshire Union canal's 15-lock stretch through Audlem. Instead, British Waterways are using contractors who visit when work needs to be done and James has to travel elsewhere to work on the canal.

With almost 400 votes cast, 310, or 79%, called for Audlem to retain its own lengthsman. The vote was also noticed by Towpath Talk, the national newspaper for all waterway users. In this week's edition, a full page story examines what canal users have to say about the financial cuts imposed on British Waterways by the Government and the rumours that BW might be privatised. Towpath Talk published the Audlem Online poll in full, and it appears ours has been the only poll on British Waterway's new approach to the maintenance of the canal network.

Chris Silvester and visitors to Audlem's Canal Shop are also quoted in the newspaper's article. Kath Evans and Jean Simmons, photographed in the shop, want to ask the waterways minister to think again on funding cuts which, they say, will only damage the network.

Other canal users, Paul and Roy Connor, also have their say: "Remember what years of underinvestment did to the UK's railways. More money should go into our waterways, not less: they are a great tourist asset."

With the Audlem poll reaching national notice in the newspaper, it's hoped that British Waterways might take note. We fully understand that the cuts were imposed on BW. The poll may therefore help them in discussions with the new Under Secretary of State for Waterways at Defra, Jonathon Shaw, and Defra's new Secretary of State, Hilary Benn. A spokesman for BW said: "We're pleased to welcome Mr Shaw to the waterways and look forward to helping him understand the value of the network across a wide range of government policies."

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