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Hammersmith Bridge shut


Scholar Gypsy

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... for vehicles (since April 2019) and since today for pedestrians, bikes and boats. For a few hours it looked like navigation was to be closed for the northern half of the river. This would have been manageable. But then they (the local council who own it) changed their mind and decided the risk to boaters was too great. So no more tideway cruises for a while (unless you fancy a jaunt downstream from Limehouse). I was hoping to do a trip tomorrow, but no longer ...

https://www.pla.co.uk/assets/u10of2020-barnelmsreach-hammersmithbridge-closedtonavigation.pdf

https://www.hammersmithbridge.org.uk/n/n66/hammersmith-bridge-now-fully-closed

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It's good to have it in general boating as well because not everyone will look at the stoppages section. 

 

It's an important closure after all. 

 

I had been eyeing up the option of a nice run from Teddington to Limehouse next week but it now seems improbable. 

 

It really does seem to be a bit of an awkward one. Probably an insurance thing I suppose. Elfin safety and all that. 

Edited by magnetman
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11 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

After giving us the 'background' did you press 'submit' before typing the actual rant ?

Its the painkillers. Had a boat related incident last week and ive got battered ribs

not sure if there are breaks or just bruises.

Got caught between bridge arch and engine room roof.

Makes me even more bad tempered than normal.

Edited by roland elsdon
Incorrect
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2 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Taking the quotes from the council in the first article:

 

"We have to do what the experts advise" - OK but the proper response should have been: "What do we have to do to re-open the bridge asap?" Does not figure in the official response . . . Does seem to suggest something about the council's priorities (ie charge the well-heeled residents as little as possible in CT)

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4 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

Taking the quotes from the council in the first article:

 

"We have to do what the experts advise" - OK but the proper response should have been: "What do we have to do to re-open the bridge asap?" Does not figure in the official response . . . Does seem to suggest something about the council's priorities (ie charge the well-heeled residents as little as possible in CT)

No suprise. That lot get paid for platitudes and pc carp. Never realised or suferred a commercial link between "getting paid" and doing something productive and beneficial.

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This man is very confident about getting gov / TFL money and not using local residents to fund it. 

 

Bridge appears to be warped though. 

 

 

 

Bye bye Hammersmith bridge is my prediction. 

 

Edited by magnetman
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5 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

Taking the quotes from the council in the first article:

 

"We have to do what the experts advise" - OK but the proper response should have been: "What do we have to do to re-open the bridge asap?" Does not figure in the official response . . . Does seem to suggest something about the council's priorities (ie charge the well-heeled residents as little as possible in CT)

There are some parts of H&F that are not particularly well heeled, of course.  There is a plan already underway for a temporary foot and cycle bridge, just downstream of the current bridge. It's the river traffic that is really getting stuffed here.

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Some chatter about commercial vessel operators, presumably the "London boats" pleasure steamer companies, looking at a legal claim of some sort. 

 

CV19 did cause a lot of harm to some operators up that way so this could easily be very serious for them. 

 

Having said that I doubt people around Kingston and Hampton court will be missing the Connaught trip boat much...

 

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9 hours ago, magnetman said:

Some chatter about commercial vessel operators, presumably the "London boats" pleasure steamer companies, looking at a legal claim of some sort. 

I'm always amazed by such suggestions, I'd have thought that the companies would have 'Business Interruption Insurance' (we always did and we were a pretty small company) which pays out if anything (floods, bridges closed etc) affects the companies income.

 

We had a Railway crossing closed for many months whilst work was done rebuilding the 'crossing', resulting in our customers having to take a 20 mile detour, our income dropped considerably as customers found other 'suppliers' closer to home. We proved the fact with comparative figures from previous years and were paid out the difference.

 

Many years ago we were looking to buy a boat-hire business on the Mon & Brec, on going thru the accounts I saw they had previously had a particularly bad year and then a big 'lump-sum' of income. This was when there was a breach and they lost most of the Sumer income and they were then paid out at the end of the season.

 

Its what we have insurance for  - its far easier to claim let the insurers pay out and then let the insurers take the action to recover the money from whoever they can.

 

Edit to add :

 

What Business Interruption Insurance Covers

Most business interruption insurance covers the following items:

 
 
  • Profits: Based on prior months' performance, a policy will provide reimbursement for profits that would have been earned had the event not occurred.
  • Fixed costs: These can include operating expenses and other incurred costs of doing business.
  • Temporary location: Some policies cover the costs involved with moving to and operating from a temporary business location.
  • Commission and training cost: In the wake of a business interruption event, a company will often need to replace machinery and retrain personnel on how to use the new machinery. Business interruption insurance may cover these costs.
  • Extra expenses: Business interruption insurance will provide reimbursement for reasonable expenses (beyond the fixed costs) that allow the business to continue operating while the business gets back on solid footing.
  • Civil authority ingress/egress: A business interruption event may result in government-mandated closure of business premises that directly cause financial loss. Examples include forced closures because of government-issued curfews or street closures related to a covered event.
  • Employee wages: Coverage of wages is essential if a business does not want to lose employees while shutting down. This coverage can help a business owner make payroll when they cannot operate.
  • Taxes: Businesses are still required to pay taxes, even when disaster hits. Tax coverage will ensure a business can pay taxes on time and avoid penalties.
  • Loan payments: Loan payments are often due monthly. Business Interruption coverage can help a business make those payments even when they are not generating income.

 

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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34 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I'm always amazed by such suggestions, I'd have thought that the companies would have 'Business Interruption Insurance' (we always did and we were a pretty small company) which pays out if anything (floods, bridges closed etc) affects the companies income.

 

We had a Railway crossing closed for many months whilst work was done rebuilding the 'crossing', resulting in our customers having to take a 20 mile detour, our income dropped considerably as customers found other 'suppliers' closer to home. We proved the fact with comparative figures from previous years and were paid out the difference.

 

Many years ago we were looking to buy a boat-hire business on the Mon & Brec, on going thru the accounts I saw they had previously had a particularly bad year and then a big 'lump-sum' of income. This was when there was a breach and they lost most of the Sumer income and they were then paid out at the end of the season.

 

Its what we have insurance for  - its far easier to claim let the insurers pay out and then let the insurers take the action to recover the money from whoever they can.

 

Edit to add :

 

What Business Interruption Insurance Covers

Most business interruption insurance covers the following items:

 
 
  • Profits: Based on prior months' performance, a policy will provide reimbursement for profits that would have been earned had the event not occurred.
  • Fixed costs: These can include operating expenses and other incurred costs of doing business.
  • Temporary location: Some policies cover the costs involved with moving to and operating from a temporary business location.
  • Commission and training cost: In the wake of a business interruption event, a company will often need to replace machinery and retrain personnel on how to use the new machinery. Business interruption insurance may cover these costs.
  • Extra expenses: Business interruption insurance will provide reimbursement for reasonable expenses (beyond the fixed costs) that allow the business to continue operating while the business gets back on solid footing.
  • Civil authority ingress/egress: A business interruption event may result in government-mandated closure of business premises that directly cause financial loss. Examples include forced closures because of government-issued curfews or street closures related to a covered event.
  • Employee wages: Coverage of wages is essential if a business does not want to lose employees while shutting down. This coverage can help a business owner make payroll when they cannot operate.
  • Taxes: Businesses are still required to pay taxes, even when disaster hits. Tax coverage will ensure a business can pay taxes on time and avoid penalties.
  • Loan payments: Loan payments are often due monthly. Business Interruption coverage can help a business make those payments even when they are not generating income.

 

Sadly you may not have been following the experience of a large number of smaller business who have tried to make a claim under such policies as a result of COVID-19 only to discover that the insurance companies are seeking to wriggle out of most claims. OK, so it seems to be going to court so the final outcome may be different but, as we have just discovered by another, but similar, route, protection which you thought you had as advised by experts turns out to be valueless.

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57 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Sadly you may not have been following the experience of a large number of smaller business who have tried to make a claim under such policies as a result of COVID-19 only to discover that the insurance companies are seeking to wriggle out of most claims. OK, so it seems to be going to court so the final outcome may be different but, as we have just discovered by another, but similar, route, protection which you thought you had as advised by experts turns out to be valueless.

I have indeed been following the situation, and I'm sure that you will find, as I have, that pandemics are explicitly excluded from many policies, So if one read the small print when taking out the insurance you would be aware of that.

 

One of the few that do cover Pandemics is Chubb.

 

However all that is totally irrelevant to this thread, where businesses are losing income because of Hammersmith Bridge being closed - nothing to do with C19

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6 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I have indeed been following the situation, and I'm sure that you will find, as I have, that pandemics are explicitly excluded from many policies, So if one read the small print when taking out the insurance you would be aware of that.

 

One of the few that do cover Pandemics is Chubb.

 

However all that is totally irrelevant to this thread, where businesses are losing income because of Hammersmith Bridge being closed - nothing to do with C19

It is far from clear which is why, as I understand it, that the regulator is looking at it.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 2 months later...

Hammersmith was discussed at some length at the PLA's upper river open meeting last week - you can see the slides and Q&A here.

https://www.pla.co.uk/Events/Upper-tidal-Thames-public-meeting-11-February-2021

The attached photo (taken today) shows the repairs to the north east chains (actually I think part of the temperature control systems).  Good use of duct/duck tape...


1105679314_WhatsAppImage2021-02-19at11_35_20.jpeg.bf13be38c679299db3552e0ca45fce16.jpeg

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16 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

The attached photo (taken today) shows the repairs to the north east chains (actually I think part of the temperature control systems).  Good use of duct/duck tape...

If they have a big roll of duck tape already, why not just stick it over the cracks? Problem solved. ?

You can tell it isn't CaRT in charge of the bridge. They'd  use miles of blue string to hold it all together. It would still be closed for months/years while they did it of course.

Edited by Jen-in-Wellies
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4 hours ago, Grassman said:

I wanted to do the Thames Tideway this year but with these ongoing issues at Hammersmith I think it will be too much of a hassle to bother. I have enough of a problem getting my head round the tide times without this to contend with as well :)

There is a possibility of an organised narrowboat convoy at the end of April, depending on COVID developments etc.  I'll try and remember to post here once the situation is a bit clearer.

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