A new marina at Ivinghoe

[koukouvagia]

I see that plans for a 100 berth marina and chandlery at Ivinghoe have been revived. Son of the former owner of Cowroast Marina, Phil Dykes, has applied for planning permission to develop the site. click

 

I'm surprised that BW has offered no objections (apart from refusing to allow waste water into the canal)on the grounds of the increased strain on water resources in the area. Before long we shall be as crowded down this end of the Southern GU as they are around Braunston.

 

We have until 30^th March to lodge objections.

Edited March 14, 2012 by koukouvagia

[Ray]

I heard a rumour that early thoughts along these lines were kicked into touch because of the cost of re-routeing the fibre optics in the towpath. Perhaps this cost has now been met by increasing the size of the marina.

 

The original plan also expected to be able to moor two (or more) boats on the same side of a mooring jetty without provision for the rearmost ones to get past those in front.

 

I wonder if those aspects of the previous plans have been revised.

 

And, by the way, we still have the possibility of a further marina just below Grove Lock.

 

I think BW/C&RT will need to solve the ongoing leak problem(s) around the Ivinghoe/Grove Lock area before they accept any further marinas in the area (and perhaps not all of the water allegedly lost on the summit was actually being lost there, given the number of times the level above Seabrook top lock drops by several inches each week).

Edited March 14, 2012 by Ray

[David Mack]

I heard a rumour that early thoughts along these lines were kicked into touch because of the cost of re-routeing the fibre optics in the towpath.

 

I read somewhere that one of the conditions BW imposed on the cable company was that they would move the fibre optic at their cost on request, specifically to address this sort of situation.

 

David

Edited March 18, 2012 by David Mack

[davey b]

I'm not sure we are that over-run by marina space in this area of the network, especially not modern well serviced spaces. Apsley is almost full (of both res and leisure), Cowroast is not ideal and now has no res, the boat club at Pitstone Wharf appears full, serviced linear mooring are few and far between.

 

Its not like the Trent/Soar or Ches/Staffs areas where there appears to be lots of spare capacity. The plans do look grand (too grand?) but as long as it doesn't turn into a Barby, it should be good.

[Ray]

I'm not sure we are that over-run by marina space in this area of the network, especially not modern well serviced spaces. Apsley is almost full (of both res and leisure), Cowroast is not ideal and now has no res, the boat club at Pitstone Wharf appears full, serviced linear mooring are few and far between.

 

If I may be permitted to clarify the above; Pitstone Wharf is a privately owned boatyard between the railway and bridge 126, Cooks Wharf is (effectively)south of bridge 126 and is a BW mooring and a little further south is the Dunstable & District Boat Club.

 

To the best of my knowledge, apart from a few on-line residential moorings by lock 39 at Marsworth, there are no official residential moorings anywhere in this area although I believe there are quite a few unauthorised ones.

 

I believe that there is still plenty of demand for residential moorings in the area but we're already seeing boats moving away from the area because of the water shortages/cruising restrictions - I know of four boats from the same place that have already gone or will be going within the next few weeks.

 

Unless any new marina has some authorised residential moorings - for which I think planning permission is currently very difficult to get - I'd be very surprised to see an influx of boats at least until the water supply problems improve. It is all well and good imposing cruising restrictions on Marsworth locks, that won't stop all the cruising in the unrestricted area north thereof which will then generate its own supply problems not to mention an horrendous electricity bill (for all the back pumping) which somebody will have to pay for.