Here are feature articles by London Boaters. Members may comment on matters presented here.

NBTA FIRST TO CONDEMN LONDON MOORING STRATEGY

July 2018 - The National Bargee Travellers Association has become the first boaters organisation to come out and condemns Canal & River Trust’s London Mooring Strategy – disputing claims it will make it easier to moor in London and condemning it for ‘social cleansing’, as Alec Wood reports.

The National Bargee Travellers Association’s London branch says the strategy will make it harder to moor in London and Greater London, making many people’s lives impractical or impossible.

BOATERS’ SURVEY – THE REAL NUMBERS

July 2018 - The Canal & River Trust’s annual survey of a third of its boating customers always gives the charity’s public relations team a bit of a problem digging out something positive and this year they have had to resort to as claim that boaters say mental and physical well-being were both the biggest motivation for, and benefit of, boating. A useful echo of the Trusts switch of focus from navigation to general ‘well-being’ - even though there is nothing in the press release to justify the claim. Peter Underwood and Allan Richards have been taking a closer look.

A question of control?

July 2018 - Perhaps boaters, especially experienced, full-time, boaters, are slightly paranoid about attempts to bind them with ever more restrictions – but it does sometimes feel Canal & River Trust is drawing the net of rules ever more tightly. Peter Underwood muses about creeping restrictions on life afloat.

Farewell to restoration stalwart Keith

June 2018 - The Lancaster Canal has lost one of it’s stalwart workers with the death of Keith Tassart, a former British Waterways man who joined the Lancaster Canal Trust as a work party organiser and always brought a very down to earth enthusiasm to the restoration of the Northern Reaches, writes Peter Underwood

Despite conflict in recent years between Keith’s can-do approach and the apparent unwillingness of Canal & River Trust to embrace any practical attempts to restore the Northern Reaches, Keith never stopped working towards that end.

LONDON MOORINGS STRATEGY REVEALED

June 2018 - The London Mooring Strategy has finally emerged and in it C&RT refutes the Inland Waterways Association arguments for a change of law saying: “The recent, and projected, growth in boat numbers must therefore be addressed through policy and management of mooring space.” Peter Underwood offers a swift summary of the 47 page document.

More long term moorings, more 14-day moorings, changing some moorings from 14 days to shorter terms, more paid bookable moorings and the promises of more facilities to cope with growing numbers.

London mooring price hikes threaten boaters’ security

June 2018 - Worried boaters on London moorings owned by Canal & River Trust are facing savage hikes in moorings prices with increases up to £12,500 a year for residential berths and £10.500 a year for leisure berths – a 10 per cent a year increase, as Peter Underwood reports.

CLOSED - until further notice

June 2018 - On the evening of Tuesday 12 June, a culvert collapsed on a 27 mile lock free pound of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Surrounding farmland was flooded together with property resulting in the closure of part of the canal. The collapse follows another culvert collapse just a few days earlier on the Wyrley & Essington Canal which has also resulted in a closure. As boaters are aware, the Marple flight was closed for many months, reopened for a few days but is now closed again and, of course part of the Middlewich Branch is closed due to embankment failure.

Failing Partnership Chairs reappointed

June 2018 - Last Sunday the Floater said
'Don’t forget the reorganisation'
. pointing out that C&RT's new 'super region' structure had quietly gone live without five of its six Regional Directors in place. We added 'Worse still, despite running down its Waterways Partnerships in favour of Regional Advisory Boards and advertising in the Sunday Times in January, C&RT has gone live with its new 'super regions’ having failed to appoint a single new chair.'

Liverpool docks – empty when C&RT says full

June 2018 - There is a mystery about Liverpool’s link to the canal system and Peter Underwood, who has just spent a year moored in the city’s docks has been trying to get to the bottom of it – without complete success.

The Liverpool Link cost £22m and was opened in March 2009, adding 1.4 miles to the canal system, but bringing a wonderful, friendly and lively city within reach of inland waterways boaters. Lots of boaters love the idea of spending time in the heart of the city but the 46 mooring pontoons in Salthouse Dock are rarely filled.

Don’t forget the reorganisation

June 2018 - Boaters very vocal criticism of C&RT’s re-branding over the last month has rather overshadowed the parallel reorganisation that is taking place. Indeed, there has been little comment on the shedding of senior managers, downgrading of jobs, the reduction in Waterways Regions and the change from Waterways Partnerships to Waterways Advisory Boards. Allan Richards takes a look at C&RT’s reversal of its centralisation policy of just a few years ago.

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