CRT
Thursday, July 8th, 2010
We have just obtained via Freedom of Information the minutes of a meeting on 28 May between BW and a number of boating organisations such as NABO, the RBOA and the IWA about the results of the recent consultations on moorings policy and local mooring strategies. APCO, the trade body for the hire boat industry, was also at the meeting. Not only do these minutes make it even clearer that the local mooring strategies are going to specifically target boats without moorings:
“The strategies should define how far a boater must move in order to comply with BW CC guidance”.
These minutes also reveal that BW is reviving the idea of the Roving Mooring Permit:
Read more…
Tags: continuous cruising, Damian Kemp, FOI request, mooring policy, Moorings Consultation, Sally Ash
Posted in BW Policy News and FOI Act Requests, Continuous Cruisers, Moorings Consultation, Opinion | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 8th, 2010
I have now had a response from BW to my request for an internal review of its refusal to send me minutes of meetings with the K&A Trust. Here it is:
Further to Caroline Killeavy’s correspondence with you I am responding to your request for all documents regarding: …“Please could you send me the minutes or notes of all meetings between British Waterways and the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust which took place between 1 January 2009 and 23 March 2010. Please could you send me copies of all email correspondence and notes of telephone calls and conversations to British Waterways from the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust between 1 January 2009 and 23 March 2010. Please could you send me copies of all email correspondence and notes of telephone calls and conversations to the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust from British Waterways between 1 January 2009 and 23 March 2010. Please could you send me a list of the dates, times, locations and attendees of meetings between British Waterways and the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust between 1 January 2009 and 23 March 2010.”
Read more…
Tags: British Waterways, Damian Kemp, FOI requests, K & A Canal Trust, Mark Stephens, Robin Evans
Posted in BW Policy News and FOI Act Requests | 1 Comment »
Friday, June 18th, 2010
A boater recently appealed against BW’s refusal to provide information and minutes of meetings which had taken place with the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust (see previous article on this web site “I don’t believe it” http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/wordpress/?p=831 ). This is the apology she received from Caroline Killeavy, BW’s Head of Customer Relations:
“Thank you for your email of 7th June requesting a formal review of the information we previously supplied to you. Your second email has been very helpful to us in that it now specifically identifies the meetings which you are interested in.
Chris Grey and I have reviewed the initial response we sent to you and we both agree that in the light of your most recent detailed request the original information supplied to you was insufficient. Please accept my apologies for this. I can reassure you that this was not intentional.
Read more…
Tags: British Waterways, Kennet and Avon Canal Trust
Posted in BW Policy News and FOI Act Requests, Letters to BW and others | No Comments »
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
By now you may have met Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service cycling along the towpath giving out fire safety advice and free smoke detectors. They may look a bit like BW staff as they will be wearing the Fire Service uniform of blue shirt, black trousers and also a life jacket, so make sure you don’t mistake them for the boat checkers or enforcement officers, because a smoke detector could save your life, whereas a patrol notice is only useful for starting fires.
On second thoughts, keep the patrol notices and threatening letters, as you may wish to refer to them when making a complaint to BW about unlawful enforcement.
Read more…
Tags: British Waterways, continuous cruising, Fire safety, Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, liveaboards
Posted in BW Policy News and FOI Act Requests, Continuous Cruisers, News, Opinion | 2 Comments »
Sunday, June 6th, 2010
Two years ago, BW proposed in a previous consultation to increase the licence fee for boats without a home mooring by £150. This plan provoked enormous opposition from boaters. One of the responses to that 2008 consultation summed up how many of us feel. We decided it was time to share this inspiring and angry letter with other boaters. Here is an edited version.
18/10/2008
Dear Mr Salem
I have read British Waterways’ response to the BWAF report on boat licence fees and this is my response to that. I live on a boat and have done so for 18 years, I am an individual and speak for myself and do not subvert that right to user groups, whoever they might be.
The points I take exception to, which I believe are the main purpose of the exercise, are those relating to the so-called ‘continuous cruiser’ which is the absurd name and concept applied to people who live on boats who neither need nor want a permanent mooring.
Read more…
Tags: 14 day rule, British Waterways, continuous cruiser, Letters to BW and others, Moorings Consultation, Robin Evans, Sally Ash, Waterways Act 1995
Posted in Continuous Cruisers, Letters to BW and others, Moorings Consultation, Opinion | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
A boater made this Freedom of Information request to BW recently:
“Further to the attached Press Release from British Waterways dated 25 May 2010, please could you send me the minutes of the discussions regarding setting up a Waterways Partnership Board for the Kennet and Avon canal, referred to in the press release as:
‘discussions, which also included representatives from the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), the KACT and BW will work together in setting up a Waterways Partnership Board for the canal. ‘
Please could you also send me a copy of the Waterways Partnership agreement between British Waterways, the Kennet and Avon canal trust, and any other parties which are formal partners in this agreement.”
This is what BW’s 25 May 2010 Press Release said:
Read more…
Tags: FOI request, Letters to BW and others
Posted in BW Policy News and FOI Act Requests, Letters to BW and others, News | 2 Comments »
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
A boater recently made a Freedom of Information request about the number of boats BW had either taken to court or removed following a CC3 letter. The CC3 is the letter which terminates the boat licence in what BW like to call the “Continuous cruising procedure”. The boater asked the following questions
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Tags: 14 day rule, British Waterways, CC1, CC2, continuous cruising, FOI request, patrol notices, Section 17, Waterways Act 1995
Posted in BW Policy News and FOI Act Requests, Continuous Cruisers, The Law | 2 Comments »
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
BW is to hold a public meeting on June 1st, at Devizes Corn Exchange at 6.30pm, to announce its plan to go ahead with local mooring strategies. This is despite the fact that 73 of the 98 responses to the consultation on developing local mooring strategies, and 88 out of 161 responses to the national consultation, opposed the plan. Quite a few boaters are planning to go to this meeting. It is an opportunity to tell BW what we think of the proposals. Anyone can attend but you need to book a place. The meeting is being hosted by Wiltshire Council. If you want to go, contact Margaret Tipper at Wiltshire Council on 01225 718441 or email her: margaret.tipper@wiltshire.gov.uk
Read more…
Tags: mooring policy, Moorings Consultation, Wiltshire County Council
Posted in BW Policy News and FOI Act Requests, Continuous Cruisers, Moorings Consultation, News | 1 Comment »