Access made difficult /dangerous

[gaggle]

BRIDGE 16 AND 15 MAGHULL L&L

Single handed through maghull and found changes at bridge 15 and 16 , normal route onto bank to east and west side of both bridges offside has been made difficult if not dangerous due to alterations at adjoining properties.

Who has right over this access points , can householders simply block previously open route to the bank and bridge opening mechanisms.

Getting around the obstacles put in place while watching traffic backing up in long lanes adds to an already not to easy job when single handed.

Waiting for bw to get back to me for some answers.

 

ANYONE PASSING THROUGH ALSO BE AWARE THAT WEST SIDE OF BRIDGE 14 ,SEVERAL MORRISONS SHOPPING CARTS ARE IN THE WATER OFFSIDE BETWEEN RBS AND THE SOLICITORS OFFICE ON AND JUST PAST THE BOLLARDS , OVER TWO HOURS TO GET BOAT OFF THEM.

 

 

[Chris Pink]

What is BW's take on this?

[gaggle]

I am waiting for Andrea Barratt at BW Wigan to get back to me about this, other pictures show a much worse situation .

[Guest]

I was going to say they look as if they have been there some time but on closer inspection the fence in very last picture looks if the very last/end section is much newer than the rest of that particular obstruction - last bit very recently added it looks to me.

[Gibbo]

All of them look like they'd burn quite well.

[gaggle]

The new fence in pic three has some kind of grease or anti vandal type greasy stuff smeared or painted on the rear side as does the metal rail to the rear of the fence , reach round to bypass the fence and you get full of green goey stuff , the post with the 12 inch meatal spikes attached will move 6 inch or more either way should you try and use it for support as you try to clamber over the panels at the bottom.

Most if not all of the obstacles were not in place before xmas , defo not there on my many passages through last year.

[robdalej]

Just seen your comments re arkward access to some of the swing bridges on the L/L canal. May be worth asking B/W wether the rule that they had to have access to 6 ft of both sides of the canals still applies , if it does why have they not enforced it . Last year when we went there the boater we were travelling with, who also travels single handed ended up caught up in overhanging trees on the non towpath side on one of the bridges. Always make me wonder why people buy houses canal side and then object to boats being on the water,

[sueb]

Phone BW emergency number and ask them to open the bridge.

Sue

[Tam & Di]

Just seen your comments re arkward access to some of the swing bridges on the L/L canal. May be worth asking B/W wether the rule that they had to have access to 6 ft of both sides of the canals still applies , if it does why have they not enforced it . Last year when we went there the boater we were travelling with, who also travels single handed ended up caught up in overhanging trees on the non towpath side on one of the bridges. Always make me wonder why people buy houses canal side and then object to boats being on the water,

 

 

Where did that "rule" come from? There are plenty of places where they do not own any "ransom strip" on the off side (i.e. a strip of land which then effectively means the adjoining land owner does not have any rights over use of the canal). I would have expected the canal company to own sufficient land around a structure such as a swing bridge for it to be operated, but it may be that if it was originally worked by a bridge keeper there was not as much surrounding land involved as there now is for self-service. If that is the case then BW may need to come to some agreement with the actual landowner(s).

 

All they have otherwise is access over private land for bank maintenance and repair services.

[TheWilk]

ANYONE PASSING THROUGH ALSO BE AWARE THAT WEST SIDE OF BRIDGE 14 ,SEVERAL MORRISONS SHOPPING CARTS ARE IN THE WATER OFFSIDE BETWEEN RBS AND THE SOLICITORS OFFICE ON AND JUST PAST THE BOLLARDS , OVER TWO HOURS TO GET BOAT OFF THEM.

 

That's exactly where I came a cropper last October. Not quite 2 hours, but I'd already phoned BW by the time I finally came unstuck. The problem with that stretch of canal is that you're pretty unlikely to meet any other boaters who can pull you off.

[blackrose]

Looks like a petty land-grab. How ridiculous! Aren't swing bridges hazardous enough as it is without restricting access? I would have to take a piss against the fence.

[Guest]

Any update gaggle? I'm not getting any sense that bw are paying urgent attention to sorting what lookslike a significant h&s risk to boaters

[Gibbo]

I have nothing to back this up but I'll take a stab and say those householders have blocked access to land that they either do not own or that has legal rights of way granted to all and sundry.

 

JMHO

[Guest]

I have nothing to back this up but I'll take a stab and say those householders have blocked access to land that they either do not own or that has legal rights of way granted to all and sundry.

 

JMHO

 

I think that is going to be the reason but BW needs to sort it PDQ. Now they have been made aware of it should somebody fall in or injure themselves whilst doing that bridge they potentially will find themselves on the end of litigation. As has been said - those bridges are hard enough single handed as they are.

 

It really pisses me of when people buy houses near a canal and then start to mess about with the infrastructure in this way or erect 'bogus no mooring signs' and the like - did they not notice that ribbon of waterway when they bought the property - might not there be boats coming along it???

 

 

[Gibbo]

It really pisses me of when people buy houses near a canal and then start to mess about with the infrastructure in this way or erect 'bogus no mooring signs' and the like - did they not notice that ribbon of waterway when they bought the property - might not there be boats coming along it???

 

It happens in all walks of life. In my time I've seen a couple buy a house near a school (next door to me in fact) then kick up a stink about "the noisy kids at playtime", an entire brand new housing development petition the local council about the industrial estate next door to them trying to get it closed down and a bloke who bought a house next to a bus station then complained about the noise. Oh, and there's the bloke not far from here (in the middle of Cheshire) who constantly complains about the smell of farms.

 

Arses.

 

Broken finger edit

Edited March 29, 2011 by Gibbo

[David Schweizer]

Where did that "rule" come from? There are plenty of places where they do not own any "ransom strip" on the off side (i.e. a strip of land which then effectively means the adjoining land owner does not have any rights over use of the canal). I would have expected the canal company to own sufficient land around a structure such as a swing bridge for it to be operated, but it may be that if it was originally worked by a bridge keeper there was not as much surrounding land involved as there now is for self-service. If that is the case then BW may need to come to some agreement with the actual landowner(s).

 

All they have otherwise is access over private land for bank maintenance and repair services.

I know of at least one swing bridge on the K&A where BW do not own a ransom strip, and where there is no boat access on the offside to operate the bridge. The bridge is nomally kept closed to canal traffic for walker access, and the normal practice for single handers is to either wait for walkers to assist, or use the pole and rope method to open the bridge from the towpath side. Of course this proceedure will not work with either a windlass or motor operated bridge, which one of those illustrated appears to be.

[gaggle]

Any update gaggle? I'm not getting any sense that bw are paying urgent attention to sorting what lookslike a significant h&s risk to boaters

just spoke to bw , they never phoned me back , they now say they have asked a supervisor to look into the spikes i have shown in picture so i am not entirely happy they are paying attention to my complaint which is about more than the spikes and more than one bridge.

bw have promised to keep me informed.

[J R]

It happens in all walks of life. In my time I've seen a couple buy a house near a school (next door to me in fact) then kick up a stink about "the noisy kids at playtime", an entire brand new housing development petition the local council about the industrial estate next door to them trying to get it closed down and a bloke who bought a house next to a bus station then complained about the noise. Oh, and there's the bloke not far from here (in the middle of Cheshire) who constantly complains about the smell of farms.

 

Arses.

 

Broken finger edit

 

I am constantly dismayed by people who buy properties near the canal, next door to pubs, night clubs etc. Don't they do their due diligence and are they not advised by their solicitors? If you know there is a canal next to your house is it not beyond the wit of man/woman that boats will pass or moor up. If you know that it is there and what happens on and around it don't try to change it 'cos it will still be there after you have gone and was there before you were born.

 

Having looked at the photos supplied by the OP I will comment as follows. It would appear that the fences have been fitted on land that clearly is outside of the boundary/s of the original footprint of the land occupied by the householder/s. To definitatively assertain this, HM Land Registry will have the records of this. It is obvious that there is an (unmeasured) strip of land between the householders land and the canal, which is continuous and included in the lock and lock landing area which would indicate that the canal side strip does not apply to the householder/s. BW should ne aware that there is a H & S hazard, refering to photo 1 on the OP, between the white bollards and the swing bridge (continuous right of access).

 

A number of legal questions raise their heads if someone gets injured while going legitably going through the bridge; lawyers will make a fortune deciding who is liable.

 

BW. Get a grip. Make sure that our canals and land associated with it is not being 'nicked' by the 'not in our back yard brigade'.

[Guest]

I am constantly dismayed by people who buy properties near the canal, next door to pubs, night clubs etc. Don't they do their due diligence and are they not advised by their solicitors? If you know there is a canal next to your house is it not beyond the wit of man/woman that boats will pass or moor up. If you know that it is there and what happens on and around it don't try to change it 'cos it will still be there after you have gone and was there before you were born.

 

Having looked at the photos supplied by the OP I will comment as follows. It would appear that the fences have been fitted on land that clearly is outside of the boundary/s of the original footprint of the land occupied by the householder/s. To definitatively assertain this, HM Land Registry will have the records of this. It is obvious that there is an (unmeasured) strip of land between the householders land and the canal, which is continuous and included in the lock and lock landing area which would indicate that the canal side strip does not apply to the householder/s. BW should ne aware that there is a H & S hazard, refering to photo 1 on the OP, between the white bollards and the swing bridge (continuous right of access).

 

A number of legal questions raise their heads if someone gets injured while going legitably going through the bridge; lawyers will make a fortune deciding who is liable.

 

BW. Get a grip. Make sure that our canals and land associated with it is not being 'nicked' by the 'not in our back yard brigade'.

 

Your post begs the question of the consequences (if any) of kicking down/destroying any of the obstructions preventing safe passage through the bridge....

[J R]

Your post begs the question of the consequences (if any) of kicking down/destroying any of the obstructions preventing safe passage through the bridge....

 

You may say that, but I could not possibly comment.

[muddywaters]

It happens in all walks of life. In my time I've seen a couple buy a house near a school (next door to me in fact) then kick up a stink about "the noisy kids at playtime", an entire brand new housing development petition the local council about the industrial estate next door to them trying to get it closed down and a bloke who bought a house next to a bus station then complained about the noise. Oh, and there's the bloke not far from here (in the middle of Cheshire) who constantly complains about the smell of farms.

 

Arses.

 

Broken finger edit

Happens here as well, we live a 5 minute walk from Goodison park in one direction and ten minute walk from Anfield in the other.

Well there are people who have moved into the area and then complain about disruption on match days.

So yes nothing new and does happen in all walks of life

[slammer]

BRIDGE 16 AND 15 MAGHULL L&L

Single handed through maghull and found changes at bridge 15 and 16 , normal route onto bank to east and west side of both bridges offside has been made difficult if not dangerous due to alterations at adjoining properties.

Who has right over this access points , can householders simply block previously open route to the bank and bridge opening mechanisms.

Getting around the obstacles put in place while watching traffic backing up in long lanes adds to an already not to easy job when single handed.

Waiting for bw to get back to me for some answers.

 

ANYONE PASSING THROUGH ALSO BE AWARE THAT WEST SIDE OF BRIDGE 14 ,SEVERAL MORRISONS SHOPPING CARTS ARE IN THE WATER OFFSIDE BETWEEN RBS AND THE SOLICITORS OFFICE ON AND JUST PAST THE BOLLARDS , OVER TWO HOURS TO GET BOAT OFF THEM.

 

 

Please would you let us know what , if anything happens concerning this as I am very interested and totally shocked by your pictures ..

[gaggle]

So long ago when i raised this on phone with wigan and still no response so got andrea on the phone today and sure enough " first she had heard about it " , first time i had actually spoke to her as the person on the phone i had spoke to on previous two occassions said it would be passed onto her for attention.

She did take an interest when i explained again what the complaint had referred to and asked if i would send the photographs i posted on here as attachments in an email with the complaint , this would then be handed over to IAN WEST the area something or other and it would be dealt with by him , so march to june and nothing has happened and i start from scratch , another wait while it is looked into.

[sociable_hermit]

Someone ought to get their arse kicked for that delay.

 

Bet nobody does, though.

[Guest]

Welcome to the LL canal. The sort of things described are quite typical. I have been accused of being a moaning old bastard on this forum, and people have rushed forward to remind me how wonderful BW are. Not on the LL they aint.