The email correspondence below from Sarina Young of BW completely contradicts what Damian Kemp told the Kennet and Avon canal User Group meeting on 29 April. According to Damian, the consultation responses have been analysed. According to Sarina on 7 May, they have not been analysed. Draw your own conclusions!
Although 73 out of 98 responses to the consultation on local mooring strategies opposed the idea, BW has said it will go ahead and start setting up the first local mooring strategy group on the Kennet and Avon between Devizes and Bath. BW justifies this by saying that many of the consultation responses were from groups and so these responses were treated as being from the total number of their membership rather than one response. I believe that this completely discredits the consultation process
The national consultation has had about 200 responses and the local one only about 100, Damian Kemp of British Waterways revealed today.
That’s not many people nationwide who really give a toss?
Gosh.
But I posted 36 responses from you lot. And I know of some who sent theirs in independently by post or email after the meetings.
So well over a third of the consultation on Local Moorings Strategy responses were from local boaters. And at least 20% of the response to the National Consultation on Mooring Strategy.
Well done you.
As you may know, the Traveller Liaison Officer of Wiltshire council attended our meeting in the Canal Tavern on the BW consultations recently.
We have now been invited by Councillor Malcolm Hewson, the Councillor for Bradford South and Chair of the council’s Area Board, to attend the Area Board meeting on 21st January so that we can obtain the support of local parish and other representatives in this part of Wiltshire. He has also asked us to put our concerns in public to BW, as Damian Kemp of BW will also be there.
The meeting is at Holt Parish hall at 7pm on 21st January. The address is 335 The Street, Holt BA14 6QH.
Cllr Hewson has suggested that as many boaters as possible try to attend this meeting, in order to put the maximum pressure on BW. There would be room for quite a lot of us – up to about 30 or 40.
Please can you let us know if you can attend.