Ɖ Gardịn vy on cnalz: a naśnl s’xeștori undr ʈret
Transcription of a Gardian editorial of 22 August 2023
A guvnmntplan t cut fundñ t ɖ ćaṛti ɖt maṇjz inḷnd wōtrwez z śortsîtd n ǎt v step wɖ ɖ tîmz
Tyzde, 22 Ōġst 2023
Ɖ resṭreśn v mć v Britn’z vast cnal netwrc hz bn a noṭbl n upliftñ s’xeștori. Orijiṇli sevd in ɖ 1960z fṛm Bīćñ-stîl cloźrz bî Lebr’z transportsecṛtri, Barbra Casl, mni v ɖz formrli wrcñ n p’lūtd wōtrwez hv bcm modn ŕbn oesīz.
Otrz, cñfiśrz n dragnflîz cn b glimst alñ ɖ 100 mîlz or so v Brmñm’z cnalz. In Manćestr, barjyzrz n wōcrz cn tres ɖ oṛjinz v ɖ Industrịl Reṿluśn alñ inṭsctñ rùts ɖt cris-cros ɖ siti. Acrs ɖ cuntri, cnalsîd rjeṇreśn hz trnsformd ŕbn lansceps, partli inebld bî ɖ ʈǎzndz v unpeid voḷntirz hu reskd abandnd ćanlz fṛm deṛlix́n n pevd ɖ we fr Casl’z viźn v “leźrwez” t bcm a riaḷti.
Invîṛnmnṭli rić, historicli faṣnetñ n a sors v hymn welbiyñ, ʈrîvñ cnalz śd b a treźrd fīćr v ǎr grīnr fyćr. Ɖ guvnmnt, hvr, apirz t hv uɖr îdīaz. Hvñ prīvịsli frozn fundñ fr ɖ Cnal & Rivr Trust (CRT) – ɖ ćaṛti ɖt in 2012 tc ovr ɖ manijmnt v 2,000 mîlz v stet-ǒnd cnalz – ministrz nǎ plan cuts v ovr £300m t its fînansz, bginñ in 2027.
Az ɖ CRT z forst t sīc oltrṇtiv sorsz v caś, ɖs śortsîtd dsiźn wl streć rzorsz bynd brecñpônt. Voḷntirz olrdi hv t b rlaid on fr clīn-up wrc n uɖr tascs, n trustlīdrz hv sd ɖt ɖ śarp rdux́n in fundz wl pt at risc “invałbl naćṛl haḅtats, historic infṛstrucćr n ćeriśt public spesz”. Sm cnalz, ɖe worn, me hv t cloz. Last wīc, a grūp v caunsļīdrz rout t ɖ secṛtri v stet fr ɖ invîrnmnt, T’rez Cófi, notñ ɖt larj strećz v Lundn’z netwrc wl b afctd, includñ Litl Venis.
Ɖr r mni gd rīznz t wont t si ɖ bac v ɖs guvnmnt, bt wn v ɖ most imośṇli cmpelñ z its dstest fr ɖ cnd v public infṛstrucćr ɖt mcs lîf betr fr ppl. It rmenz t b sìn ẃɖr ministrz wl ćūz t ignor ɖ oṿẃlmñ opziśn t planz t clos relwe-steśn ticit ofisz. Bt ɖer apaṛnt wilñnis t indenjr ɖ spectaklr rnesns v ɖ cuntri’z cnalz z evidns v ɖ sem îdịlojicl blîndspot: ɖ modn Cnsrṿtiv parti jst dz’nt unḍstand ɖ valy v public gdz.
A 2019 rport, Wōtrwez in Progres, publiśt bî ɖ Inḷnd Wōtrwez Asośieśn, memṛbli dscrîbz Britn’z cnalz az “a linịr naśnl parc”. Amñ uɖr ceștudiz, ɖ oʈrz hîlît ɖ sośl n ic̣nomic beṇfits dlivrd bî ɖ resṭreśn v a fîv-mîl streć v ɖ Ćsṭfīld cnal, in ẃć a formr lochǎs nǎ hosts a cafe, a mītñrūm, śǎr-fsiḷtiz n a ple n picnic eria. Mć v ɖs wz md poṣbl bî Ẃîthōl muni rlist az part v ɖ Cḿṇti Asets program.
Ɖs z ɖ cnd v riimaɉnñ v wōtrwez ɖt Casl – a bot inʈyziast hu reğlrli travld on ɖ Roćdel cnal – fōrsw. Notñ ɖer ptnśl fr leźrys in ɖ Trnsport Act v 1968, ś istabliśt public bodiz t pṛmot “cruzñ, fiśñ n uɖr recrieśnl prṗsz” on ɖ cnalz. Fîv decedz on, ɖ progres hz bn rmarcbl. Ɖ guvnmnt hz a rsponsbiḷti t enśur ɖt it z mntend, rɖr ɖn unḍmaind bî fundñcuts dīpli at odz wɖ ɖ spirit n d’rex́n v ɖ tîmz.
