Moorings Proposals May 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.

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