New Marina at Cropredy

[Woodford]

There are plans for a 249 berth Marina at Cropredy. We are worried about the effect this will have on the village, the online moorers ( ourselves included) and the stretch of Oxford Canal between Napton and Oxford.

Does anybody have any experience of what this will mean?

[Josher]

There are a few views on the previous thread http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=28466&hl=%20cropredy%20%20marina&st=0

[Guest]

There are plans for a 249 berth Marina at Cropredy. We are worried about the effect this will have on the village, the online moorers ( ourselves included) and the stretch of Oxford Canal between Napton and Oxford.

Does anybody have any experience of what this will mean?

 

I suppose it depends on which side of the fence you sit-

 

One side being

 

Marinas like this 'blight' the local area, bring loads of undesirable boat folk and their tatty looking 'barges' and smelly smoke emitting stoves...

 

or the other

 

Marinas like this 'enhance' the economy of the local area, provide an (all be it small) boost to local employment and the local small businesses such as shops, pubs and boat maintenance companies.

 

There was a discussion on here recently about forcing on line moorers into such marinas from existing local 'on line' moorings and I think from memory the outcome was that BW wouldn't BUT technically could if they wished by not renewing the 3 year agreements as they come up - placing boaters in a position were they ended up stuck finding mooring and having no choice other than to go to the local shiny 'new' marina. Someone with better subject knowledge than me will be able to advise if this is a real risk though.

[Strads]

Woodford: You state you are worried but dont say about what aspects worry you?

 

perhaps you could elaborate your concerns so that you would get "focused" feedback comments

[KeithL]

There are plans for a 249 berth Marina at Cropredy.

Does anybody have any experience of what this will mean?

it will mean lots more places to park a boat lol

[Graham and Jo]

There is a public meeting at Cropredy Village Hall on Saturday 19 March, between 11am and 4pm. There is also a developing website here.

 

Cheers Graham

[John O'Connell]

it will mean lots more places to park a boat lol

 

I'm in a quandary about this type of discussion. I will be "Continuous Cruiser" and therefore, in many ways, this won't affect me. However: I go to the "Cropredy Festival, Fairport Convention" every year and would welcome more mooring sites.

 

John

[magpie patrick]

One strand of my business is advising on marina development and in my experience the objections are often based on an unrealistic view of what marinas are and do. the road traffic generation is negligible compared to housing, and as most boats have hook ups there is comparatively little use of engines. shops en-route to marinas often benefit as people arrive and remember they didn't bring any milk with them. One case in point of this is Whitminster stores, where I nearly always spend between £5 and £10 just before getting to Saul Marina. 6 months after the marina opened, they'd obviously twigged as they started stocking waterways world

 

However, I'd have thought there'd be real concern about basing yet more boats on the Oxford Canal around Cropredy, given I gather it gets pretty congested in summer already at locks and things. However, typically there are never more than 10% of boats out from a marina at once, and this very congestion often discourages just going out for an afternoon.

[Proper Job]

I note that the web address is a sub division of the Crick marina web site.

 

Same people?

[Guest]

I note that the web address is a sub division of the Crick marina web site.

 

Same people?

 

I would say so, the logo is similar in style to the crick marina one too.

[mrsmelly]

There are plans for a 249 berth Marina at Cropredy. We are worried about the effect this will have on the village, the online moorers ( ourselves included) and the stretch of Oxford Canal between Napton and Oxford.

Does anybody have any experience of what this will mean?

 

It will not effect me directly but it is probably a move in the wrong direction which may well force moorers into those horrendous goldfish bowl marinas which are just awfull. I love the canal and always try to find on line moorings as for me and many many others the thought of having to moor in a water filled caravan park is horrendous. So lets hope it gets knocked on the head.

[magpie patrick]

It will not effect me directly but it is probably a move in the wrong direction which may well force moorers into those horrendous goldfish bowl marinas which are just awfull. I love the canal and always try to find on line moorings as for me and many many others the thought of having to moor in a water filled caravan park is horrendous. So lets hope it gets knocked on the head.

 

Yes but at the last count there were over 25,000 licensed boats on BW waters and if they all moored on-line then the result would be chaotic.

 

If I were you I'd hope it gets built so that people like me can have their boat in a marina, leaving on-line moorings for you

[Dekazer]

It will not effect me directly but it is probably a move in the wrong direction which may well force moorers into those horrendous goldfish bowl marinas which are just awfull. I love the canal and always try to find on line moorings as for me and many many others the thought of having to moor in a water filled caravan park is horrendous. So lets hope it gets knocked on the head.

 

Of course some people love them, so if there are plenty of spaces available they'll be nicely tucked away out of your way? Good thing surely?

 

Perhaps I'm naive or overly optimistic, but surely if a proportion opt into marinas, reducing the pressure on online moorings, BW can stop panicking about congestion. I may be proved wrong, I realise.

[Woodford]

However, I'd have thought there'd be real concern about basing yet more boats on the Oxford Canal around Cropredy, given I gather it gets pretty congested in summer already at locks and things. However, typically there are never more than 10% of boats out from a marina at once, and this very congestion often discourages just going out for an afternoon.

 

During the holiday weeks there can be upto 5 boats queing for the locks down into Banbury and then again on their way back to Napton a week or so later, I like to see people enjoying their holidays but if there are another 25 boats trying to move surely it is not going to be so much fun.

I do think that the village and it's businesses can only be improved by such an enterprise, but will the current Oxford Canal users be so happy?

[Bimbly1]

I do think that the village and it's businesses can only be improved by such an enterprise, but will the current Oxford Canal users be so happy?

I thought that the point of more marinas was to reduce linear moorings?

[Woodford]

I thought that the point of more marinas was to reduce linear moorings?

There are a few small communities that probably won't want to move into a Marina and at the moment it is possible to be on your own on several reaches of the canal. To be honest I don't think that linear moorings are a problem on the upper reaches of the southern section of the Oxford.

Edited February 3, 2011 by Woodford

[Guest]

It will not effect me directly but it is probably a move in the wrong direction which may well force moorers into those horrendous goldfish bowl marinas which are just awfull. I love the canal and always try to find on line moorings as for me and many many others the thought of having to moor in a water filled caravan park is horrendous. So lets hope it gets knocked on the head.

 

Marinas though are not horrendous goldfish bowls as you describe - they provide a level of service that some people are prepared and are able to pay for by choice....

 

I will of course append this with IMHO which of course it is, as not appending a post with this means it could be interpreted as fact which of course it isn't, it is just my opinion, as was the opinion you posted.

 

Luckily on here we are all different and have differing views no matter what a small minority of members might think about it.

Edited February 3, 2011 by MJG

[Dominic M]

I note that the web address is a sub division of the Crick marina web site.

 

Same people?

What is that web address?

 

About four years ago, Tim Langer, the owner of Crick Marina, sought planning approval to construct a marina at Marston Doles, on the Oxford summit at the top of the 9 locks above Napton. That was turned down. While Marina investment is in decline now, the lack of availability on the Southern Oxford would still make Cropredy an attractive proposition. So it would not be a surprise.

[NB Alnwick]

What is that web address?

 

About four years ago, Tim Langer, the owner of Crick Marina, sought planning approval to construct a marina at Marston Doles, on the Oxford summit at the top of the 9 locks above Napton. That was turned down. While Marina investment is in decline now, the lack of availability on the Southern Oxford would still make Cropredy an attractive proposition. So it would not be a surprise.

 

The full announcement can be found here:

 

http://www.crickmarina.com/cropredy.html

 

The following has been lifted directly from that website:

 

Since the 1960s, usage has become almost entirely pleasure boating and the canal probably ranks as the most scenic and popular in the south of England.

 

Unfortunately, this popularity has never been complemented by an adequate provision of offline marina moorings for the many users of the canal. Indeed, presently, there is only one small offline marina between Oxford and Napton. This shortfall in offline moorings is reflected in the huge number of boats moored along the canal banks which impede cruising boats and towpath users.

 

Although it is true that there are fewer "offline moorings" between Napton and Oxford than there are around Napton, I cannot agree with the inference that those that do exist are less than adequate. After all, there are existing moorings for well over a thousand boats within a few miles radius of the Oxford Canal at Napton.

 

The real worry for those of us who moor at Cropredy is the effect that this might have on our, already delicate, position as online moorers. It is well known that the owners of Crick Marina are campaigning for the removal of BW online mooring permits (I have attended BW user-group briefings where their grievances about BW continuing to allow online mooring have been aired) and I don't relish the idea of being shepherded into a marina. There is also the congestion problem that has been referred to already. If the existing offline moorings and marinas at Fenny Compton, Napton, Wigrams Turn, Calcutt and Ventnor Farm were already completely full, there might be some justification for another marina with access to the Oxford Canal but to justify a marina on the grounds that it will reduce the "huge number of boats moored along the canal banks" is just nonsense. Do they expect every boat, looking for a night's stopover at Cropredy, to pull into the new marina rather than tying-up on the towpath?

Edited February 4, 2011 by NB Alnwick

[carlt]

Do they expect every boat, looking for a night's stopover at Cropredy, to pull into the new marina rather than tying-up on the towpath?

Not only that but, if I had been forced to liveaboard, in a marina, then I would have noted that those with a home mooring have no obligation to make a progressive journey, around the system, and bridge hopped around the area, ensuring that I moved, every 14 days.

 

The bridge/short term mooring hopping will become much worse, if people are forced into marinas.

[David Schweizer]

The full announcement can be found here:

 

http://www.crickmarina.com/cropredy.html

 

The following has been lifted directly from that website:

 

 

 

Although it is true that there are fewer "offline moorings" between Napton and Oxford than there are around Napton, I cannot agree with the inference that those that do exist are less than adequate. After all, there are existing moorings for well over a thousand boats within a few miles radius of the Oxford Canal at Napton.

 

The real worry for those of us who moor at Cropredy is the effect that this might have on our, already delicate, position as online moorers. It is well known that the owners of Crick Marina are campaigning for the removal of BW online mooring permits (I have attended BW user-group briefings where their grievances about BW continuing to allow online mooring have been aired) and I don't relish the idea of being shepherded into a marina. There is also the congestion problem that has been referred to already. If the existing offline moorings and marinas at Fenny Compton, Napton, Wigrams Turn, Calcutt and Ventnor Farm were already completely full, there might be some justification for another marina with access to the Oxford Canal but to justify a marina on the grounds that it will reduce the "huge number of boats moored along the canal banks" is just nonsense. Do they expect every boat, looking for a night's stopover at Cropredy, to pull into the new marina rather than tying-up on the towpath?

Agreed, We have an offside mooring for our boat close to those marinas, and it is my understanding that all three currently have vacancies.

[Tim]

As a Ventnor Farm moorer, I can confirm that there are a lot of empty pontoons at a time of year when you'd expect them to be full!

[Proper Job]

The pressure point on on-line moorings are really at the South end of the Southern Oxford and increase as you get nearer to Oxford.

 

I can't see how building a marina at Cropredy would ease this?

 

I hate the idea of mooring in a marina (although I've never tried it).

 

If BW pulled the plug/out priced on my on-line mooring to force me in to a marina, it would back fire. They'd loose the revenue that they get from me and I'd become a problem for them in swelling ranks of 'continuous moorers'. I don't think I'd be the only one as well!

[NB Alnwick]

As a Ventnor Farm moorer, I can confirm that there are a lot of empty pontoons at a time of year when you'd expect them to be full!

 

Absolutely! So clearly, the perceived need for off-line moorings is just 'flim-flam'!

 

Personally, I cannot see the justification for flooding another tract of our canalside meadowland when just two miles further south, the Environment Agency is flooding the land near the canal as a means of controlling the flow of the River Cherwell as flood prevention.

[Doorman]

An interesting post as we have recently settled in a relatively new 'Sterile hole' (not my words) that blights the countryside in what was once a beautiful cow field.

 

Having read the objections on a planning application for a marina in the south of England, it prompted me to consider what impact our marina here in Audlem had had on the locality. If it is negative, then the local villagers are excellent actors as the reception we always get is very cordial. We spend our food budget in the local shops and our beer budget in the pubs, we donate to the local charities and I wouldn't hesitate to offer my services to any one who'd be in need.

 

I can understand the concerns of any boaters who wish to moor on-line and not be press ganged into berthing in a marina, possibly at a higher cost, but there are positives in these watery caravan parks, such as :-

 

Access to water and Elsan/Pump-out points.

 

Fuel/coal/lubricants.

 

Laundry services.

 

Engineering/service facilities.

 

Chandler's outlets.

 

So, all in all, I would like to think that the advent of these new developments has more 'pros' than 'cons', IMHO of course!

 

Mike

Edited February 4, 2011 by Doorman