The entire length of the Kennet and Avon Canal will be classified as a cruiseway from 18 April 2011. Parts of the waterway already had cruiseway status but now the remaining sections have been upgraded from remainder status.
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CRT
Cruiseway status for K and A
Sunday, March 27th, 2011Mooring strategy meeting saves enforcer a long walk
Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011The sixth meeting of the Kennet and Avon Local Mooring Strategy Steering Group took place on 25 February. Damian Kemp confirmed that BW would be taking ongoing advice about carrying out an Equality Impact Assessment from the Equality Officers of Wiltshire and B&NES, Sharon Brookes and Samantha Jones. Plans were made at this meeting for the group to walk the towpath to consider possible mooring changes. The group established the definitions of some of the terms used by BW which had not been clarified, as follows:
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Boat dwellers excluded from caravan count
Monday, March 14th, 2011Boater to join K and A Board as Councils struggle with ‘political problems’
Monday, March 7th, 2011BW admit trying to price liveaboards out at Lea and Stort consultation meeting
Sunday, March 6th, 2011On March 1st and 2nd, BW were faced with packed halls of angry boaters as they held public meetings to ‘discuss’ the proposals for the Lea and Stort Navigation. It was clear that BW thought they could impose these draconian mooring restrictions without much opposition and did not expect an attendance of 300 intelligent, motivated and furious people.
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Save Our Waterways – from liveaboard scum!!
Monday, February 28th, 2011Documents obtained via Freedom of Information show that BW has recruited Will Chapman, the driving force behind Save Our Waterways, to set up local mooring strategies led by “well-informed boaters who are also parish councillors” as Sally Ash reported in December at the Kennet and Avon local mooring strategy meeting. We understand that Mr Chapman is a Parish Councillor in Alrewas.
In doing this BW has presented local mooring strategies as a key part of BW’s move to charity status, which assumes there will be considerable input from local (settled) communities into the governance of the charity on a local level. Sally Ash gave a presentation to Lichfield District Parish Forum on 24 January which blurred the boundaries between “local mooring strategy steering groups” and the overall local governance of the new charity. This will undoubtedly cause problems. On the Kennet and Avon, where a trial local structure is being piloted, there is a clear distinction between the Local Mooring Strategy Steering Group, which has a time-limited job to do, and the Kennet and Avon Canal Partnership Board, which is an ongoing local management board.
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Mooring Strategy meeting runs smoother without its Chair
Thursday, February 10th, 2011The fifth meeting of the Local Mooring Strategy steering group took place on 28 January. It ran much more smoothly and constructively than the others due to the absence of the BW Chair, Sally Ash. The bullying atmosphere experienced by boaters’ representatives was conspicuous by its absence as BW’s Damian Kemp ran the meeting with a minimum of fuss. Despite being the Project Officer for the Local Mooring Strategy, Mr Kemp has shown willingness to take boaters’ views and rights on board. Unfortunatley he has little power within BW.
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BW is becoming a charity – what does this mean for boaters?
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011Most of us will have heard by now that BW is going to become a “Third Sector” organisation, in other words a charity. At least, that is what the government and BW want. There are two important questions for boaters. First, what will it mean legally, and second, is it really a done deal?
Firstly, all the current legislation will still apply apart from some minor exceptions. The 1971, 1983 and 1995 British Waterways Acts and the 1962 and 1968 Transport Acts will apply as they do now.
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Boaters invited to consider joining new Kennet and Avon Partnership Board
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011Two boaters attended an informal meeting on 3 February for people who have expressed their interest in becoming involved in the pilot Kennet and Avon Canal Partnership Board. Previously, there had been some doubt whether liveaboard boaters who had applied to the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust to be on the new Board would be welcome. However, liveaboard boaters made it clear that they should be represented on the new Board. It remains to be seen whether their presence at the meeting will lead to formal membership.
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Trading boats under threat
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011Recently BW has proposed changes in rules and regulations that affect roving canal traders such as coal and diesel boats and travelling shops. The main change BW wants to make is to increase their licence fee.
The present situation is that most of these traders pay £30-£40 over and above a normal boat licence fee on the basis that their business is what BW call ‘low intensity’ – they only make a small amount of profit. The new fee will see their business licence replaced with a normal licence and a new permit, and lots of extra regulations. This will see the fee increase to £156 above the normal licence fee. Their ability to trade and make a living on the waterways will be affected.
A new web site has been set up with the aim of giving a voice to the small traders on the canals of the United Kingdom.
It’s at http://www.canaltraders.org.uk/
There are many traders on the canal selling a diverse range of products such as traditional canalware, ropes, fenders, cheese, groceries, jewellery, fudge , cratch covers, boat names and embroidery. The many trades afloat serve the boating community, bring diversity and enhance the public’s enjoyment of the waterways. We wish them the best of luck in challenging this licence fee increase.