Experts covering a wide range of boating interests have been appointed to sit on the Navigation Advisory Group, which will give practical advice on issues relating to navigation, waterway operations boat licensing and moorings.
The group will operate with two sub-groups, one focussed on navigation and operational issues and the other on licencing and mooring.
The navigation and operational sub-group will give advice on matters such as safety standards, waterway operation, maintenance and customer service standards. The licensing and moorings sub-group will give practical guidance on the way in which boat licensing and moorings policies are implemented.
The first meeting of the group will take place on 21st September and will outline the priorities that Trust management wishes to discuss with each sub-group and the strategic issues to be considered over the course of the next year. Agenda topics and meeting notes will be published on the Trust website as soon as possible after each meeting.
Support and enthusiasm
Robin Evans said: “Maintaining and encouraging use of the waterways by boats is at the heart of the Trust's work and we're delighted with the support and enthusiasm that the members of the advisory group have shown. The group's great strength is the wide variety of backgrounds and expertise that the individual members bring and it will be really exciting to see how it develops.
“The group will be tasked with escaping the more day-to-day issues covered by the existing user group meetings and instead focus their efforts on helping to shape wider strategic decisions and I'm confident that their expertise will greatly benefit everyone that enjoys our waterways and towpaths.”
Invitations to apply for the group were initially sent to candidates in the most recent Trust Council elections and to the Chairs of APCO, AWCC, IWA, NABO, and RBOA. The chairs of each body then consulted with their national executive committees and proposed suitable candidates. Each candidate was required to complete a simple written application form and a telephone interview. Members have been selected based on their individual expertise and experience and not as a representative of any particular boating interest group.
Each sub-group will be joined by one member of the Trust's council as well as the head of boating, head of health & safety and a senior waterway manager with operations director Vince Moran overseeing the group as a whole. Each of the subgroups will be encouraged to nominate a chair for ratification by the Trust's chief executive.
