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John Prescott's dream of seeing the canals as engines of
regeneration for Britain's run-down cities received a setback yesterday when
British Waterways axed 180 jobs.
The organisation is to shed the posts by next year and
combine some of its regional operations after the Department for the
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs cut its budget by around £7 million.
British Waterways, which is in charge of the 2,200-mile
canal network, said the cuts were part of an overhaul of its operations.
Mr Prescott, the deputy prime minister, told the Labour
conference last month that the canals of Manchester had become "major engines
of urban regeneration".
The cutbacks were necessitated by Defra having to cut
£200 million from its budget because of the costs of paying farmers their
single farm payments and overspending on bird flu preparations and flood
defence.
Observers believe that state funding for some of the schemes
planned by British Waterways must be in doubt and there was speculation that
three canals in the Manchester area, Rochdale, Peak Forest and Ashton, would
eventually have to close because of lack of maintenance.
Narrowboat enthusiasts are already planning protests
against the changes |
