LOss of Moorings Outside Private Property

[cotswoldsman]

On another thread it has been mentioned that "No Mooring" signs outside Canal side properties is now becoming quite common. This subject was discussed at The Continuous Cruiser Meeting in April, both Vince Moran (Operations Director and temp. CEO) and Sally Ash (Head of Boating) expressed surprise and were adamant that CRT do not allow this. There was a slight admittance (is that the correct word?) that in the bad old days of BW Local Management might have allowed this. They have asked us to report any properties with these signs. So if anyone comes across one of these signs or has any problem could they please email sarina.young@canalrivertrust.org.uk if possible I would like a copy of the email so that I can monitor this and follow up my email is sloan.john@yahoo.co.uk

[Paul C]

There's one in Christleton just before the winding hole. There's some in Nantwich too (the raised bit just before you cross the aqueduct, overlooking the new housing).

[Jerra]

I know it isn't really linked to this Cotswoldman but next time you are in such discussions the situation mentioned about the cottage occupant kicking rubbish back into a by wash.

 

I have seen locks with signs )obviously privately made) trying to prohibit the leaving of things taken from the lock e.g. branches etc.

[cotswoldsman]

There's one in Christleton just before the winding hole. There's some in Nantwich too (the raised bit just before you cross the aqueduct, overlooking the new housing).

Please email it to Sarina Young I have raised Nantwich but more emails on that would help

[dor]

I will emaIl Sarina about the Nantwich Embankment ones. I raised this with BW when they first appeared. I was first told that the BW no mooring signs were put in to protect the embankment which is clearly nonsense. I then heard from someone who lived near the new houses that a solicitor had moved into one house and threatened BW with legal action and they capitulated. Which BW had a tendency to do then, even though it was not clear what legal action could be taken. There are more new houses being built at the southern end of the Nantwich visitor moorings and I can see the same thing occurring.

[cotswoldsman]

I will emaIl Sarina about the Nantwich Embankment ones. I raised this with BW when they first appeared. I was first told that the BW no mooring signs were put in to protect the embankment which is clearly nonsense. I then heard from someone who lived near the new houses that a solicitor had moved into one house and threatened BW with legal action and they capitulated. Which BW had a tendency to do then, even though it was not clear what legal action could be taken. There are more new houses being built at the southern end of the Nantwich visitor moorings and I can see the same thing occurring.

Yes noticed the new houses when I cam through on Thursday. I must say I have moored there before now and have also heard the same story as yourself. As boaters are asking for more Visitor Moorings I think this is a good one pursue if they come back again with the embankment story we will ask to see the survey of the embankment from the bridge to the aqueduct!!

[Mrs Trackman]

Thanks for this, yet more work from Cotswold man to try to improve boating for us all.

I am happy to e mail where I have up to date knowledge. However one that really annoyed me was on the Llangollen which we haven't visited for a number of years, maybe 4. So I wonder if anyone could confirm if this one is still the case, or whether the householder has discovered a sudden love of boaters. At the far end of the VMs above Grindley Brook there was a very long garden and a number of 'No Mooring' signs along it's length.

The other that springs to mind, but again we haven't been there for a number of years, is on the Leeds Liverpool canal. When we boated on that we found it quite difficult to find moorings on several occasions. I mentioned this to one of the lockies and he proudly told me of new moorings outside Saltaire. So we boated there, sat and had a drink, went to have a meal out, only to find a sign saying to only moor till 6pm, after that it would be £10 an hour! We then had to boat on and go up several locks before we could moor and then look for somewhere to eat. Friends told me they moored up there in pouring rain and at 6.05 pm there was a knock on the window asking if they had seen the notice and it was now time to move on.

On the Staffs and Worcester we think there are 'No Mooring' signs below Botterham locks and also outside cottages at Acton Trussel..Can anyone confirm?

[J R ALSOP]

Do not forget Ansty on Northern Oxford, above Copper Mill Lock Southern Grand Union, Between Weedon and Budbrook just past the missing swing bridge.

[Richard10002]

Are we saying that, if I own a house with a garden ending on the offside of the canal, boaters are free to moor alongside my garden? (subject to express exceptions).

 

I'm not bothered, and will never own such a property, but am merely interested. I'd guess that someone buying a house with such a garden would be surprised when boats began mooring up.

[Arthur Marshall]

Are we saying that, if I own a house with a garden ending on the offside of the canal, boaters are free to moor alongside my garden? (subject to express exceptions).

The Grindley Brook garden, if that's the one you're thinking of, is on the towpath side. A lot of the original visitor moorings have now been taken up by a long series of water points, then there are a few VMs and then this bloody house. I was there the year the signs went up and the lockie told me that it was because the owner was very belligerent and had threatened several boaters. I also noticed on the way back that someone had unscrewed the notice at one end of this "no mooring" section. So I moored on it.

 

The nantwich lot were ostensibly because you could look into the new properties bedrooms (or so I was told). But they've now planted trees along there, so you can't anyway.

[Paul C]

Are we saying that, if I own a house with a garden ending on the offside of the canal, boaters are free to moor alongside my garden? (subject to express exceptions).

 

I'm not bothered, and will never own such a property, but am merely interested. I'd guess that someone buying a house with such a garden would be surprised when boats began mooring up.

 

No, this is all about "no mooring" signs on the towpath side.

[Richard10002]

I wasn't thinking of any in particular. Merely the principle. A house on the towpath side obviously does not, in general, own the towpath, and will have a boundary of some kind at the end of its garden. You would hope that, when they bought the house, their solicitor would make them aware that boats could moor outside their house, and run engines/generators etc. between 8am and 8pm, and look into their bedroom windows.

 

On the offside, I would not expect mooring to be allowed at the end of a garden, unless expressly made so.

 

 

No, this is all about "no mooring" signs on the towpath side.

Understood!

[RLWP]

Are we saying that, if I own a house with a garden ending on the offside of the canal, boaters are free to moor alongside my garden? (subject to express exceptions).

 

 

No.

 

Richard

[dmr]

Please allow me to repeat my post from an earlier thread on the same topic:

 

==========

 

There is a very simple and obvious solution to this problem but I bet CaRT are not brave enough:

 

Where a house owner wants to "own" a section of waterway outside their waterside home then they apply to CaRT and pay for a "non mooring" , just like we pay for a mooring!

As they desire to have exclusive use of this section of bank (to get a view of the water without a boat) I suggest they should pay about 90% of what CaRT assess to be the going rate for a mooring in that area.

There would be a clause stating that in no circumstances can they then moor a boat in that spot, not even if it belongs to one of their friends!!! A non mooring can NOT be converted to a private mooring.

CRT would need to assess the suitability of having a "non mooring" just like they assess the suitability of any "end of garden" type mooring and permission would be refused if a non-mooring was likely to be harmful to local businesses etc.

A long line of non-moorings would not be allowed!

 

===================

 

This is actually a semi-serious suggestion.

I suspect there would only be a very small uptake of this offer but it would be good because it would make it clear to residents who choose not to pay that they really have no control over the towpath and that the canal edge has a real value. Those who do pay would have signed a contract that makes it very clear exactly what rights they do and don't have, so no chance of slow encroachment.

I suspect the main downside is that the type of person who would take up this offer would be the type that expects a level of enforcement that is just not viable, and also might exhibit aggressive behaviour towards any boater who ignored the signs.

I like the idea of a CaRT sign with a "non mooring" licence that has to be displayed and renewed each year!

 

.............Dave.

[ditchcrawler]

Do not forget Ansty on Northern Oxford, above Copper Mill Lock Southern Grand Union, Between Weedon and Budbrook just past the missing swing bridge.

Another one along there is at Tom O the Wood just south of the bridge.

[MtB]

There are also 'no mooring' signs on the towpath side outside the house on the corner at Napton Junction, just through the bridge on the right. I'm fairly sure they only appeared a year or two back, when the house changed hands.

 

MtB

P.S. I'll check my facts before emailing Sarina, unless anyone passing can confirm I'm right.

[RickH]

Please allow me to repeat my post from an earlier thread on the same topic:

 

==========

 

There is a very simple and obvious solution to this problem but I bet CaRT are not brave enough:

 

Where a house owner wants to "own" a section of waterway outside their waterside home then they apply to CaRT and pay for a "non mooring" , just like we pay for a mooring!

As they desire to have exclusive use of this section of bank (to get a view of the water without a boat) I suggest they should pay about 90% of what CaRT assess to be the going rate for a mooring in that area.

There would be a clause stating that in no circumstances can they then moor a boat in that spot, not even if it belongs to one of their friends!!! A non mooring can NOT be converted to a private mooring.

CRT would need to assess the suitability of having a "non mooring" just like they assess the suitability of any "end of garden" type mooring and permission would be refused if a non-mooring was likely to be harmful to local businesses etc.

A long line of non-moorings would not be allowed!

 

===================

 

This is actually a semi-serious suggestion.

I suspect there would only be a very small uptake of this offer but it would be good because it would make it clear to residents who choose not to pay that they really have no control over the towpath and that the canal edge has a real value. Those who do pay would have signed a contract that makes it very clear exactly what rights they do and don't have, so no chance of slow encroachment.

I suspect the main downside is that the type of person who would take up this offer would be the type that expects a level of enforcement that is just not viable, and also might exhibit aggressive behaviour towards any boater who ignored the signs.

I like the idea of a CaRT sign with a "non mooring" licence that has to be displayed and renewed each year!

 

.............Dave.

Hey Dave

 

At Avoncliffe Aquaduct Bradford side there's no mooring painted on the towpath wall , are there signs as well ? I would imagine that's a legal no mooring but I'm not certain .

[Dr Bradley]

There is a house on the Lancaster, on the offside "requesting" no mooring opposite on the towpath side. I felt like mooring up bit it's not near a pub.

[lydfordcastle]

Do not forget Ansty on Northern Oxford, above Copper Mill Lock Southern Grand Union, Between Weedon and Budbrook just past the missing swing bridge.

 

Surely the Anstey signs are official BW/CART signs and have been in place for some years?

[Jerra]

I suggest they should pay about 90% of what CaRT assess to be the going rate for a mooring in that area.

Why not 100% they want exclusive use of the bank just as a person paying for a mooring expects it to be vacant for their use.

[ditchcrawler]

Surely the Anstey signs are official BW/CART signs and have been in place for some years?

I thought that was what we were talking about, where private householders have persuaded BW to make it no mooring in front of their houses. Non BW/CaRT just ignore them.

 

There are also 'no mooring' signs on the towpath side outside the house on the corner at Napton Junction, just through the bridge on the right. I'm fairly sure they only appeared a year or two back, when the house changed hands.

 

MtB

 

P.S. I'll check my facts before emailing Sarina, unless anyone passing can confirm I'm right.

It use to be a private mooring there, Graham Fisher MBE had a fine vessel there for many years.

[dmr]

Hey Dave

 

At Avoncliffe Aquaduct Bradford side there's no mooring painted on the towpath wall , are there signs as well ? I would imagine that's a legal no mooring but I'm not certain .

 

I have just reported this one to the email address in Cotswoldmans post.

I am pretty sure I remember talking to the resident concerned, who said it was not intended for proper boaters, but for the Stag and Hen boats. I do have some sympathy with this and wonder if CaRT could put up an official "quiet mooring" sign.

 

............Dave