In January 2020 BaNES Council attempted to close the 14-day moorings at Mead Lane, Saltford following a long campaign by local residents hostile to liveaboard boaters. Allegations were made that the mooring of boats had damaged the river bank. A decision was made to carry out a structural survey, which took place on 3rd September 2020. The survey by Atkins Global engineering consultancy found that there was no damage to the bank from moored boats.
Last week BaNES Council reversed the decision that it made in January and has re-opened the 14-day moorings at Mead Lane, Saltford on the River Avon, until a structural survey of the river bank is carried out and further consultation of interested parties has taken place. The U-turn followed a solicitor’s letter sent to the Council on behalf of boaters. This comes shortly after the BaNES Environmental Health department began taking steps in mid-May 2020 to evict liveaboards who had been moored at Mead Lane due to the suspension of boat movements for the Coronavirus lockdown.
Despite verbal and written submissions to the Council meeting from liveaboard boaters, BaNES Council cabinet voted on on 16th January 2020 to close Mead Lane moorings on the River Avon and to carry out a structural survey of the river bank. The Council has ordered boaters to leave the moorings within 21 days of the decision, even though the Avon is in flood and has been on red boards since 10th January, with CRT advising boaters that it is not safe to navigate.
If you are moored at Mead Lane, DO NOT MOVE unless it is safe. You can check for any updates on river conditions by phoning CRT on 0303 040 4040 or email
enquiries.walessouthwest@canalrivertrust.org.uk.
See also https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices
Liveaboard boaters will address BaNES Council on the importance of keeping the moorings at Mead Lane, Saltford open on Thursday 16th January 2020. The consultation report will be discussed by the Council’s cabinet at 7pm on 16th January at The Guildhall, Bath. The meeting is open to the public; Mead Lane moorings is item 15 on the agenda. The Council’s cabinet will take a final vote on which of the options outlined in the consultation report it will adopt.
CRT’s interim Regional Director for Wales and the South West, Jon Horsfall, confirmed on 18th July 2019 that CRT remains “committed to delivering” the strategic programmes that were devised by former regional director Richard Thomas in conjunction with User Group Forums in 2018 and 2019 and a study day in which the liveaboard boating community was significantly under-represented despite efforts to persuade the former director to include us.
The River Avon Users Consultative Committee (RAUCC) is to re-launch this month with an amended membership policy which the RUACC says is to ensure that meetings remain manageable and represent a balance of interests. Membership will be restricted to one representative per group or organisation.
The Kennet and Avon Boaters’ Action Group has been invited to send a representative to the RUACC. If you travel on the River Avon and you would like to represent the group, please contact info@boatingcommunity.org.uk or 07928 078208.
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.