Dear Minister

PS.Huw.Irranca-Davies@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Dear Minister
I have recently been in correspondence with the local council for Loughborough (Charnwood) about the condition of the towpath in the town. The nuts and bolts of which was about the level of dog fouling, the lack of bins and the lack of civic pride and action in clearing up the mess. I received the expected response that the towpath was the responsibility of British Waterways (BW) not the Council. The correspondent for the Council chose to miss my point that it is local residents, not boaters/licence payers, that walk 'local' dogs that create the mess. This is a circular argument that will go on and on unless someone 'at the top' resolves these silly turf wars re funding and responsibility. Towpaths are a tremendous facility that have been adopted by non-boaters for recreation, be it walking or jogging or cycling or fishing; and quite rightly so. But the cost of maintaining the towpaths falls squarely on the BW budget. So while BW install dog mess bins and teams to clean up after lazy local residents, remove graffiti from historic bridges, household waste and shopping trolleys from the navigation as a boater I don't get a lock gate replaced, dredging done and vegetation cut back! It cannot be beyond the wit of man to put in place a satisfactory financial protocol that achieves its end, i.e. excellent facilities for all users of urban towpaths. Perhaps you are the 'man at the top' who can find a solution rather than simply bat the 'problem' somewhere else....I truly hope so.
yours sincerely

Lesley K