The BaNES Water Space Partnership (BaNES Council, CRT, Environment Agency and Wessex Water) has commissioned a study looking at the use of the River Avon and the Kennet and Avon Canal within the BaNES area (Hanham to Dundas), and identifying ways in which facilities and services for waterway users can be improved.
See www.waterspacebath.org.uk
As part of this the company working on the project, Atkins, are hosting two focus groups in which representatives of different types of user will be asked to explore the issues they face in making use of the waterways.
Specifically they are looking for:
A. A liveaboard boater with a home mooring
B. A liveaboard boater without a home mooring
C. A leisure boater
D. A boater living on board in a marina
E. A walker who uses the towpath
F. A cyclist who uses the towpath
G. An angler who fishes the river and/or canal
H. A commercial or trip boat operator
Two focus groups will be held, with similar composition. It is intended that one will focus more on the issues on the river and one more on the canal, although they will overlap in their coverage of issues. The focus groups will be held on Monday 5th September at 2:30pm and Wednesday 7th September at 7:30pm in the Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe Hill, Bath, BA2 6AA. Each focus group will last for a maximum of 1.5 hours.
A report of the focus groups will be prepared for the partners. The reports will focus on the material issues discussed and will not accredit individuals with comments. Those attending the focus groups will not be named in public reports of the meetings and all comments will be kept anonymous.
If you are interested in taking part in one of these focus groups please contact Rachel Lambert, email rachel.l.lambert@atkinsglobal.com or telephone 01454 662840 stating your interest(s) in the waterway as per the above categories A-H, and which dates you would be available to attend. Please let her know of any specific access or other accessibility requirements that you have.
The findings of the focus groups will supplement other consultation that is being undertaken, including a recent online boaters’ survey and one to one interviews with various waterways based businesses. The headline results of the 2016 Boater Survey are online here: www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/environment/river-and-canal/boater-survey-2016
See also
http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/banes-council-may-become-a-navigation-authority/
http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/liveaboard-boaters-make-statement-to-banes-council/
Tags: BANES Council, continuous cruising, focus group, liveaboards, mooring policy, mooring survey, Moorings Consultation, River Avon, survey