Mooring Strategy Committee « Kennet and Avon Boating Community Website

Mooring Strategy Committee

BW Chair says Local Mooring Strategy will not displace people

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011

The tenth meeting of the Local Mooring Strategy Steering Group took place on 11th October at Wiltshire Council offices, Chippenham. Brian has taken over from Kev as one of the representatives of unaffiliated boaters. The agenda was as follows: finalising maps; enforcement and defining neighbourhoods. K and A Manager Mark Stephens chaired the meeting in the absence of Project Manager Damian Kemp. Sally Ash, the original BW Chair, had already informed the group that her presence appeared to be “not conducive to progress”.

Boaters’ survey – interim report published

Monday, October 10th, 2011

Kennet and Avon boaters have published an interim report on the moorings impact assessment survey that was carried out in May and June. The final report will be ready by November. The interim results show that there will be a significant adverse impact on boat dwellers without moorings if the Local Mooring Strategy proposals go ahead.

You can read or download the report in PDF format here K&A boaters survey interim report

Tags: continuous cruising, liveaboards, Local Mooring Strategy
Posted in Continuous Cruisers, Lifestyle, Mooring Strategy Committee, Resources | No Comments »

IWA reveals anti-liveaboard prejudice in Local Mooring Strategy

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) representative on the Mooring Strategy Steering Group has made it clear that his understanding of the local mooring strategy is to “reduce the numbers of those living on the canal” so that within 5 years “they would be able to plan for a different life-style”. In an email to BW’s Sally Ash, the IWA rep Tim Wheeldon also stated that “there will be no question of anyone being forced to give up home, school or job in the short term“.

Over 100 responses to questionnaire but 145 14-day mooring spaces may go

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

The boaters’ questionnaire which we published and delivered to boats between Bath and the Long Pound at the end of May is now being collated and analysed. A boater who works in IT has volunteered to enter the data into a spreadsheet designed by another boater. Response forms were completed by over 100 people altogether.

Mooring strategy meeting postponed twice

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

The local mooring strategy process appears to be grinding to a halt. The ninth meeting of the steering group, which was to be held in Devizes on June 17th, was postponed because BW decided it would be better to hold it after June 23rd when national user groups were due to meet with BW to “discuss” changes to the Mooring Guidance for Continuous Cruisers following the BW v Davies judgement. If nothing else, this proves that the mooring strategy is designed specifically to target boats without moorings.

Honey Street boaters meeting minutes

Sunday, July 10th, 2011

Here are the minutes of the boaters’ meeting on 14June 2011, held at The Barge Inn, Honey Street, and an outline of some information posters at the end, which can be copied and enlarged.

Important Boaters’ Meeting, Honey Street

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

Tuesday 14 June 7.30 in the Marquee, Barge Inn, Honey Street.

To update boaters about BW’s intentions towards liveaboards, BW’s move to charity status and other recent developments. Organised by boaters.

Contact 07928 078208 or email info@boatingcommunity.org.uk

Tags: DEFRA consultation, liveaboards, Local Mooring Strategy, meeting
Posted in Continuous Cruisers, Mooring Strategy Committee, News | No Comments »

Minutes of boaters meeting, 24 May, Bradford on Avon

Monday, June 6th, 2011

Here are the minutes from the Boaters’ Meeting on Tues May 24th 2011 in the Georgian Lodge, Bradford on Avon.

Moorings Proposals May 2011

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Bath to Dundas

Visitor moorings at Bath top lock to be 72 hours not 48.
Make the stretch opposite Bath Narrowboats “No mooring” and the laybys in Sydney Gardens “No mooring”.
Extend the length of 72 hour moorings at Darlington Wharf by 100 metres towards Folly footbridge, losing 100 metres of 14 day space. Extend the length of 24 hour moorings at Darlington Wharf by 100 metres, losing 100 metres of 72 hour space.
Change the 48 hour moorings opposite Kennet Park in Bathampton to 72 hours. Make Bathampton wharf (opposite the school) 24 hour mooring not 48.
Remove the permanent moorings at Bathampton and make the space between the end of the wharf and the winding hole 72 hours.
Make the stretch from the winding hole to Bathampton swing bridge 14 days (officially some of it was 48 hour but the signs had disappeared).
Relocate the permament moorings to the concrete stretch east of Bathampton swing bridge (opposite Jenks’s), losing 245 metres of 14 day space.
Make the 48 hour moorings at Claverton 72 hours and allow the Pumping Station to reserve 2 boat lengths on open days.
Reduce the permit-holder moorings at Claverton by 90 metres and make this 72 hours.
Make the stretch opposite Digger’s moorings at Millbrook swing bridge (west of Dundas) “No mooring”.
Reduce the length of the 72 hour moorings west of the turnover bridge at Dundas by half and make the other half 14 days.
Create 4 boat lengths of 24 hour moorings immediately west of the turnover bridge at Dundas, losing 4 boat lengths of 72 hour moorings.
Dundas basin to stay 24 hours but increase the 48 hour moorings east of the aqueduct to 72 hours.

Dundas to Bradford on Avon

Make two boat lengths by the bridge at Murhill (Easter Spot – bridge 174) 24 hours
Change the 48 hour moorings to 14 days west of Avoncliff aqueduct, but the canal is very shallow here.
Make the west corner of the aqueduct “no mooring” for safety reasons. Reduce the 24 hour moorings east of Avoncliff by 1 boat length and move the permit-holder moorings there west by 1 boat length, gaining 1 boat length of 14 day space.
Put a water tap and 4 boat lengths of permanent moorings west of Meadows (Smelly) bridge (173).
Make the 48 hour moorings above and below Bradford lock 72 hours.

Bradford on Avon to Devizes

Make the 48 hour moorings east of Bradford on Avon marina (the Street) and at Hilperton 72 hour.

Extend the 24 hour moorings at Semington to 120 metres.

It was also proposed to do away with all 48 hour moorings and make them either 24 or 72 hours.

Other restrictions and charges There may be other restrictions such as:

Setting a minimum distance that a boat without a mooring (ie a continuous cruiser) must travel before turning round.
Limiting the time a boat without a mooring can stay in any one stretch of the canal per year and making a daily charge of around £20 to £40 to stay longer than this limit
A daily charge, around £20 to £40, for staying longer than the time limit on a visitor mooring, applicable to all boats.
These daily charges to double from around £20 to around £40 if not paid on the spot on the day.
Renewal of the boat licence to be refused unless outstanding charges are paid.

Legal issues

It may well be that British Waterways does not have the legal power to enforce these proposals. However, the point of the questionnaire is to find out what impact they will have on you.

Tags: Local Mooring Strategy, mooring policy
Posted in Mooring Strategy Committee | No Comments »

Impact Assessment Questionnaire

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

This questionnaire is being carried out by liveaboard boaters as part of the Equality Impact Assessment of the Local Mooring Strategy proposals for the western Kennet and Avon canal (Bath to Devizes). The purpose of this questionnaire is to find out what impact the proposed mooring restrictions will have on liveaboard boaters – most of whom don’t have moorings.

Kennet and Avon Boating Community Website