Cutting The Grass Along Towpaths

[cotswoldsman]

Might need a bit of interpretation, because they just love terms like "fender growth", which is as I understand it, not the stuff growing on fenders of static boats, but the towpath growth at the edges.

 

This is from last autumn's SE User Group meeting minutes does confirm not all cuts are just a band down the middle, and those who have boats splattered by dog pp with strimming right to the edge will probably already know this!

 

How does Grass Cutting fit into the SE Waterways Partnership brief? No wonder they have achieved nothing. A complete shambles

[DeanS]

IF CART are responsible for maintaining towpaths and cutting grass, then it would seem to me they are playing a "class" game"....maintaining the nicer areas, more nicely, and doing the bare minimum in areas with mainly council housing exists.

 

There is definately no single standard from what I can tell. I guess CRT keep it "short" but the local councils are responsible for "landscaping" ?

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

IF CART are responsible for maintaining towpaths and cutting grass, then it would seem to me they are playing a "class" game"....maintaining the nicer areas, more nicely, and doing the bare minimum in areas with mainly council housing exists.

 

There is definately no single standard from what I can tell. I guess CRT keep it "short" but the local councils are responsible for "landscaping" ?

I reckon this can be applied to the state of canals in general.

There are many locks kept like show pieces, whilst others are being left to rot or collapse.

[Bobbin]

A couple of months ago the "strimmers" were in Scarisbrick I asked if they could go around the wild violets and leave them to flower............ They did BUT they plastered all the boats, they got my boat two years ago at 6.30am and It took ages to remove it. And it was like being woken up by a demented BEE!!

[Swallowman]

Towpath maintenance - BAH HUMBUG! We were out on our boat last week on the Oxford/Grand Union (depends which book you read!) between Napton Junction and Braunston and the towpath had been neatly mown right to the edge except on the inside of the sharp blind bends where the thick vegetation was still around 5 ft high! This after we saw a couple of CaRT chappies walking along the same towpath the previous day.

It's almost that they want to create difficulty.

[system 4-50]

Having your boat sprayed by grass trimmings is all very well but have you ever wondered why it sticks so hard? I counted five piles of dog poo beside my boat, that is in the 2 ft between the water and the towpath before they mowed it. Is this why it sticks like s***t?

[GUMPY]

I believe it is acttually more complex than that.

Can't remember exact detail buy whilst most cuts are down the middle, the contract does make certain ones go right to the edge.

Having had a "discussion" with the CRT chaps that were doing the inspection sth of LB I was told it was national policy to leave the edge, at this point whilst I was finishing off tying up I stepped back into a pot hole hidden by long grass. I then forcefully pointed out that it was dangerous as people didnt want to moor at VM and they should cut to the edge where possible.

They then patronisingly told me they would pass on my views.

[alan_fincher]

Having had a "discussion" with the CRT chaps that were doing the inspection sth of LB I was told it was national policy to leave the edge, at this point whilst I was finishing off tying up I stepped back into a pot hole hidden by long grass. I then forcefully pointed out that it was dangerous as people didnt want to moor at VM and they should cut to the edge where possible.

They then patronisingly told me they would pass on my views.

Why not ask Jeff Whyatt again what the policy is.

 

As yu can see, at user group meetings he has said that whilst most cuts leave "fender growth", (oh why can't they call stuff by a non management-speak name!), certain cuts are "edge to hedge", (or similarly silly ways of saying "all of it").

 

Don't shoot the messenger.

 

Must admit at the moment I'm having more issues around extreme offside tree growth, which is now very uncontrolled on several stretches.

 

Keep telling them - at least then they can't say "nobody has complained".....

[cotswoldsman]

 

Keep telling them - at least then they can't say "nobody has complained".....

Is that an official complaint? or official mumble and grumble?

[Mike Todd]

You might recall that a while back I did try to raise interest in lobbying for inclusion into the legislation for forming CRT a duty on adjacent landowners to keep the navigation clear, in the same way that applies to cutting back hedges alongside roads.

 

Sadly no-one seemed to understand the reason and benefit but perhaps it is not too late to ask for it. . . . next time they are amending the legislation perhaps it could be slipped in!

Why not ask Jeff Whyatt again what the policy is.

 

As yu can see, at user group meetings he has said that whilst most cuts leave "fender growth", (oh why can't they call stuff by a non management-speak name!), certain cuts are "edge to hedge", (or similarly silly ways of saying "all of it").

 

Don't shoot the messenger.

 

Must admit at the moment I'm having more issues around extreme offside tree growth, which is now very uncontrolled on several stretches.

 

Keep telling them - at least then they can't say "nobody has complained".....

[Doorman]

Yawn

John,

 

Is it Bassplayer's music that tires you out...? :-)

 

 

IF CART are responsible for maintaining towpaths and cutting grass, then it would seem to me they are playing a "class" game"....maintaining the nicer areas, more nicely, and doing the bare minimum in areas with mainly council housing exists.

 

 

 

Dean,

 

It's a pity you can't squeeze that fat boat along to Audlem where the grass is always greener. It gets trimmed regularly by CART contractors in line with the way the village is maintained. If the local council appreciate how much the canal brings to their town or village I believe that they might just have some influence on how often the job gets done.

 

I recall stopping at Moore on the Bridgewater Canal, quite close to where the post office is and the householders whose gardens back onto the canal keep their stretch of the towpath immaculate with lovely flowers and plants. It does get appreciated by the likes of us how well the towpaths are kept.

Edited July 17, 2013 by Doorman

[Roadsteam]

 

Having had a "discussion" with the CRT chaps that were doing the inspection sth of LB I was told it was national policy to leave the edge, at this point whilst I was finishing off tying up I stepped back into a pot hole hidden by long grass. I then forcefully pointed out that it was dangerous as people didnt want to moor at VM and they should cut to the edge where possible.

They then patronisingly told me they would pass on my views.

Make an official written complaint to CRT as its a user/public safety issue. Edited July 17, 2013 by Roadsteam

[blackrose]

It's so sad that one community embraces their part of the canal, and the community next door doesnt.

 

Really? I call that diversity.

 

Seriously though - neglected parts of the canal are just as (if not more) interesting to me than the manicured bits.

Edited July 17, 2013 by blackrose

[DeanS]

 

Really? I call that diversity.

 

Seriously though - neglected parts of the canal are just as (if not more) interesting to me than the manicured bits.

 

 

I just feel sorry that little kids grow up in run down areas, just because parents and councillors have no real commitment to making their patch look nice. ...and so the cycle begins again. As you travel along, it becomes quite clear which bits are loved, and which arent. Same with some boats....1 hr of painting with a cheap tin of paint from Wilkinsons would make some boats look a little less like they're on their last legs. ...but some folk become blind to their surroundings. I'm guilty of it too in some ways....the roof of my boat is not the neatest...but I do try:)

[Neil2]

I know where Deans coming from, it's not so much that you want every bit of the towpath looking like it's in a gardening competition but it's so much better when there's evidence that someone cares.

 

I'm less concerned about long grass than I am about litter and dog mess. Most of the dog poo you see on towpaths comes from the locals, that's why some areas are strewn with it, others are pristine. I once watched a bloke let his dog defecate right in front of a dog waste bin and walk away, at least he would have done had I not yelled at him.

 

I'm all for diversity and variety but that's different from neglect and filth.

 

As the dear departed Alan Whicker once said, "I can't be handsome, but I can be clean".

[alan_fincher]

Most of the dog poo you see on towpaths comes from the locals................................

 

And the many boaters that leave their dog to run freely along the tow-path as they boat on to the next lock always pull over and clear up if they see them taking an impromptu "dump" don't they? (Not!).

 

Anyway, please "define" "locals. As I skid around on the stuff at a popular gongoozler location like say Hatton locks, I'm tempted to believe it may come from the dogs of anybody who turns up their for a day - they are not necessarily "locals".

 

A bit like anglers' rubbish - any of them can leave it, or hooks dangling caught in offside vegetation. I would not like to guess which is down to "locals" and which to "visitors".

[DeanS]

the point remains...it is local councillors who should be held to account. Why should poor areas get messy towpaths, and well off areas get lovely towpaths? Double standards for sure? Fair enough...there cant be much motivation for councillors to prioritise the towpaths/canal, if the gardens of houses which look onto them, look like a tip.

[Doorman]

the point remains...it is local councillors who should be held to account. Why should poor areas get messy towpaths, and well off areas get lovely towpaths? Double standards for sure? Fair enough...there cant be much motivation for councillors to prioritise the towpaths/canal, if the gardens of houses which look onto them, look like a tip.

 

It is a local councillor who promotes the upkeep of our village together with the numerous festivals that are held here throughout the year. This particular guy is in his late sixties but has more energy and drive than most blokes half of his age. I just hope that someone else takes up the mantle when he retires.

 

The councillors also appreciate the benefits that the canal and it's boaters bring to this locality, something that is sorely missed I believe in other areas. Others whom also should be applauded are the volunteers and various canal societies who do their bit too! I met a boater from Manchester earlier today who commented on his calloused hands following his voluntary work on the Ashton Canal. When asked about the Rochdale he said that that was the next challenge on the agenda.

 

If local councils were enlightened to the benefits of keeping their stretch of canal clean and tidy then no doubt the local people would follow suit. It just needs strong leadership with a bit of insight. As for dog poo, there can be no excuse for leaving such mess behind from your pet's toilet needs. The young lady we met on her travels along the towpath with her two dogs and a cat left no trace of her presence when leaving.

 

She had very little money but was rich in self-pride!

Edited July 19, 2013 by Doorman

[DeanS]

If local councils were enlightened to the benefits of keeping their stretch of canal clean and tidy then no doubt the local people would follow suit. It just needs strong leadership with a bit of insight.

 

greenie.

[glenvar]

The decline of canal towpath maintenance go,s back to 2008, and the only person responsible for this is Margaret beckett , thanks to her and DEFRA british waterways had their government grant cut by millions. In the south east alone over 90 small contracting firms were released and replaced with one massive firm (fountains) who later took over the whole 2.200 miles of canal along with moorings,feeders,resevoirs etc.

[DHutch]

To me fair. While there's always the odd "wish there wern't 3ft nettles on the only bit deep though to get in to the side" type moment I don't boat around thinking about the length of the grass, having much issue if I want to cycle on the tow path, or loose much sleep if I happen on some dog poo, or even step in it.

 

Its sort of fine the way it is, is it not?

 

Certainly I would rather it like it is than all cut weekly to maintain a well kept linear lawn, even if the cost of that wasn't passed on the license, which obviously it would have to be.

 

 

 

Daniel

[cotswoldsman]

The decline of canal towpath maintenance go,s back to 2008, and the only person responsible for this is Margaret beckett , thanks to her and DEFRA british waterways had their government grant cut by millions. In the south east alone over 90 small contracting firms were released and replaced with one massive firm (fountains) who later took over the whole 2.200 miles of canal along with moorings,feeders,resevoirs etc.

It might well also be that Tax Payers felt their money would be better spent on Hospitals and schools and that those that want to use the canals should fund it themselves with a grant from the government maybe they should look at setting it up as a Trust.

[DeanS]

All I know is, the people who live in Blackburn, have a metal artwork of a cyclist, on the lock flight. It looks a real rusty eyesore. I doubt they would have allowed that to be installed in more affluent areas

[Mike Todd]

Some of us can recall 'the good old days' when many/most towpaths were almost impassable. Thankfully, local authorities (rather than BW) woke up to the fcat that they were a tremendous recreational asset for people in their area. The vast majority are now easily wakable and most are cyclable.

 

My only gripe is where the restoration has taken the hard surface right to the edge leaving nowhere to moor!

the point remains...it is local councillors who should be held to account. Why should poor areas get messy towpaths, and well off areas get lovely towpaths? Double standards for sure? Fair enough...there cant be much motivation for councillors to prioritise the towpaths/canal, if the gardens of houses which look onto them, look like a tip.

[Doorman]

To me fair. While there's always the odd "wish there wern't 3ft nettles on the only bit deep though to get in to the side" type moment I don't boat around thinking about the length of the grass, having much issue if I want to cycle on the tow path, or loose much sleep if I happen on some dog poo, or even step in it.Its sort of fine the way it is, is it not?Certainly I would rather it like it is than all cut weekly to maintain a well kept linear lawn, even if the cost of that wasn't passed on the license, which obviously it would have to be.Daniel

That's all very well for you nestled between two bridge holes on the Shroppie! :-)