Greenberfield

[Pluto]

I have just noticed that a BW sign has appeared at the top of Greenberfield Locks restricting mooring to one hour. I suspect that the owners of the lock cottage, sold by BW a few years ago, have been complaining about boats moored outside the cottage. Not only have they completely destroyed the historical integrity of the site by the alterations they have made to the cottage and its road entrance, and by planting evergreen trees alongside the canal frontage, but they are trying to control how we use the canal. I will certainly be raising this with BW, particularly as I raised the possiblility of such a conflict in 2006, when the cottage was sold.

Greenberfield lock cottage sign

[MartinClark]

In a few years' time, the evergreens will have grown tall enough to block the view of the nasty boats from their windows, then the sign can come down again!

[twocvbloke]

Won't be long before nobody's allowed to stop outside of a marina...

 

Nice looking cottage that, shame about the sandblasted look, and the phallic persons living there...

 

I wish I could have bought it, but I'd need to win the lottery for something like that...

[Guest]

Another example of BW taking the easy way out, and butt sucking to the non boating community. Nice to know that the executives are justifying their high earnings, as revealed recently

[Neil TNC]

Won't be long before nobody's allowed to stop outside of a marina...

 

It has already happened.

BW have "No mooring" signs at the start of the Slough Branch, to above the Marina entrance. OK, so these deep (the only ones on the Slough Branch) were being "abused", but the complaint probably came from BWML Cowley Marina.

[Josher]

 

Not sure why anyone would want to plonk their boat on that path in the first place, but isn't the sign a little ambiguous? How far would you have to go before you were not still to the right or left of the sign?

[Keeping Up]

Who is going to enforce the rule (and how) ?

[Yoda]

Perhaps they should plant more trees so we don't have to look at those ugly windows.

[Josher]

Who is going to enforce the rule (and how) ?

[cotswoldsman]

Another example of BW taking the easy way out, and butt sucking to the non boating community. Nice to know that the executives are justifying their high earnings, as revealed recently

 

It depends how the cottage was offered for sale. I was recently talking to someone who had purchased a cottage from BW and in the sale process they offered the No Mooring by BW they took BW up on there offer though they do allow boats to moor outside. The reason they took BW up on the offer was that the next people who buy the cottage might not want boats moored outside. Just as an aside to get to the cottage you need to use the towpath and they have to pay BW £300 a year for the right of access.

[Chertsey]

I would have thought that boats coming and going every hour would have been more of a nuisance than one that stayed there for 24 or 48 hours...

[Travis]

Anybody fancy a Greenberfield Rally?

[Tim]

Good idea, not only could we 'en mass' abuse the 1 hour, we could all run our engines all night and party!

[carlt]

Good idea, not only could we 'en mass' abuse the 1 hour, we could all run our engines all night and party!

Now now!

 

There is no need to abuse the rules.

 

Winding hole to winding hole relays, with an hours rest for each boat, should suffice.

Edited July 4, 2010 by carlt

[Enfield Phil]

I have just noticed that a BW sign has appeared at the top of Greenberfield Locks restricting mooring to one hour. I suspect that the owners of the lock cottage, sold by BW a few years ago, have been complaining about boats moored outside the cottage. Not only have they completely destroyed the historical integrity of the site by the alterations they have made to the cottage and its road entrance, and by planting evergreen trees alongside the canal frontage, but they are trying to control how we use the canal. I will certainly be raising this with BW, particularly as I raised the possiblility of such a conflict in 2006, when the cottage was sold.

Greenberfield lock cottage sign

 

Just a thought but is this an "official" BW sign after all anyone can get a sign printed fairly cheaply these days, might be the owners trying it on.....

[carlt]

Leaving aside the "lime green boat" rule, it was always my understanding that the mooring limit, throughout the system, was 14 days and BW could change this limit only if there were very good reasons for doing so...sani stations, safety reasons etc, rendering the 7 day/48/24/1 hour restrictions unenforceable but chargeable.

 

Assuming this is a genuine BW sign I would argue that there is absolutely no good reason why any restriction, other than obligatory 14 days, should be imposed therefore the sign is irrelevant.

 

BW aren't god, nor are the adjacent property owners that BW put ahead of other users.

 

Oh and who paid for the fancy small element block paving that leads to the house?

[Natalie Graham]

Not sure why anyone would want to plonk their boat on that path in the first place, but isn't the sign a little ambiguous? How far would you have to go before you were not still to the right or left of the sign?

 

Perhaps the no mooring section is the distance between the two arrows.

[Daio]

What's the lime greem boat rule?

[jenlyn]

I have just noticed that a BW sign has appeared at the top of Greenberfield Locks restricting mooring to one hour. I suspect that the owners of the lock cottage, sold by BW a few years ago, have been complaining about boats moored outside the cottage. Not only have they completely destroyed the historical integrity of the site by the alterations they have made to the cottage and its road entrance, and by planting evergreen trees alongside the canal frontage, but they are trying to control how we use the canal. I will certainly be raising this with BW, particularly as I raised the possiblility of such a conflict in 2006, when the cottage was sold.

Greenberfield lock cottage sign

 

utterly rediculous, and i would moor there for a few days and argue the toss with who ever came along and told me to move

[mayalld]

Leaving aside the "lime green boat" rule, it was always my understanding that the mooring limit, throughout the system, was 14 days and BW could change this limit only if there were very good reasons for doing so...sani stations, safety reasons etc, rendering the 7 day/48/24/1 hour restrictions unenforceable but chargeable.

 

Carl, you have made this suggestion before.

 

However, I see nothing which suggests that they are constrained in what mooring limits they can set at any particular site.

 

Perhaps an explanation of why you believe that they are going beyond their powers would be useful?

[carlt]

Carl, you have made this suggestion before.

 

However, I see nothing which suggests that they are constrained in what mooring limits they can set at any particular site.

 

Perhaps an explanation of why you believe that they are going beyond their powers would be useful?

I would prefer to see any legislation that permits BW to impose mooring restrictions, different to the 14 day rule laid down in BWA 1995.

[Natalie Graham]

How about this: http://www.grannybuttons.com/BW_moorings_t..._April_2008.pdf ?

 

3.2. There must however be a sensible justification for setting any time limit of less than 14

days at a mooring.

[carlt]

How about this: http://www.grannybuttons.com/BW_moorings_t..._April_2008.pdf ?

It definitely appears to correspond to my thoughts, except...

2.1 There are no public law provisions concerning moorings along BW's canals.

 

...appears to ignore the existence of the British Waterways Act 1995.

[AlanH]

What's the lime greem boat rule?

A mythical rules which states that all boats should be painted lime green. Personally, I think it is a good idea.

 

[

[mayalld]

I would prefer to see any legislation that permits BW to impose mooring restrictions, different to the 14 day rule laid down in BWA 1995.

 

If this were an episode of QI, I'm very much afraid that at this point, Carl, you would be sat there with floppy hair bobbing about as the klaxon sounds, and "BWA 1995" flashes on the screen behind you.

 

The only mention of a 14 day rule in the BW Act 1995 relates to continuous cruisers. That 14 day limit is not applicable to a boater with a home mooring.

 

It is quite clear that mooring limits, whether the default 14 day limit, or shorter limits are imposed by BW using the powers granted to them by sections 43(3) and 43(8) of the Transport Act 1962.

 

Now, you can if you wish try to argue, under the "lime green boats" argument that there are using that section in a way that parliament never intended, and that as such ALL restrictions (including the 14 day restriction) are unenforceable.

 

Of course, if that were to be the case, then even those without a permanent mooring have a place where the boat can lawfully be kept (any bit of towpath that you choose, because mooring limits are not enforceable), and could exempt themselves from the requirement to actually cruise at all.

 

I wouldn't give good odds on getting that lot past a judge, and if you did, I think that BW would be back to parliament seeking new powers pretty damned fast.

 

Your argument seems to rest upon some notion that because a later Act has said something about moorings time limits, anything that has gone before is of no effect. That is not how our legal system works. If parliament intended the general powers confered by the 1962 Act to be repealed, it would have done so.