Liveaboard boaters are organising a towpath tidy between Semington and Hilperton on Sunday 11th February 2018. Everyone is welcome. Please join us at the canal bridge at Semington (160) at 11.30 am for an 11.45 am start. We aim to litterpick between Seend Park swing bridge (155) and Hilperton Marina. This is around a 3.5 mile stretch so we will need lots of people!
Following a complaint to K&A Manager Mark Evans, CRT has reduced the 48-hour visitor moorings below Seend bottom lock (lock 17) to the length recommended by the Kennet and Avon Visitor Mooring Review – Bath to Foxhangers in March 2015.
Despite a number of boaters contacting CRT about this, it took more than 7 months for the error to be corrected. The error was first reported to CRT in July 2016.
Earlier in 2016, CRT put up signs at the visitor moorings below lock 17 that extended these 48-hour visitor moorings by approximately 200 metres westward from the western end of the purpose-built length of visitor moorings right up to the culvert.
This was contrary to the Visitor Mooring Review, which recommended that this length of visitor mooring should be shortened so that it only covered the stretch with mooring rings. The remaining space should have reverted to 14 days in July 2015 for a trial period until September 2015.
This was done without any consultation with users which is contrary to CRT’s Short Term Moorings Framework for Change dated March 2015, which states on page 1 that before making any changes to visitor moorings, waterway managers should:
“Conduct quantitative monitoring of craft that use the mooring and local area over a length of time, taking into account various factors including time of day, time of year, weather and other such influencing factors
Consult with all those potentially affected by any changes, from local & visiting boaters to local retailers including marina operators and the hire boat industry
Pilot the potential changes over a period of time gathering data and feedback, allowing the proposals to be amended as required
Inform visitors and those affected of any changes in a meaningful, clear and consistent way that ensures confusion is avoided”.
There was no evidence that any of the above steps had been followed by CRT before making the change.
Although the complaint has been remedied, CRT has yet to explain either why the Short Term Moorings Framework for Change was not followed or provided proof that these steps were followed and that the evidence gathered justified the change that was made last year.
The correct location of the visitor moorings – from this point to the lock
See also
http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/crt-makes-changes-to-ka-visitor-moorings-without-consultation/
http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/visitor-moorings-to-become-14-days-in-winter/
More facilities for boaters are planned on the K&A. In a meeting between K&A Manager Mark Evans and representatives of liveaboard boaters in which refuse and sewage disposal facilities, water taps and maintenance were discussed, Mr Evans said he was looking at providing an extra water tap on the eastern end of the canal, possibly at Thatcham.
Boater Andrew Pinney has started a petition calling on CRT to carry out a comprehensive review of sanitary, water and rubbish facilities on the K&A, which he says are much worse than on most other CRT waterways. You can sign the petition here