Stoke Bruerne Visitor Moorings

[adam1uk]

Being quite local, we've been through Stoke Bruerne a few times this year, and it's been pretty quiet the whole summer. There has been lots of space at the top, and in the long pound, every time we've been through -- and that includes well before these proposals became clear. The moorings at the bottom are usually much busier, though.

[luctor et emergo]

Well, stand by for a gushing press release from cart soon, then ..

 

Mooring restriction policy a resounding succes. Scheme to be introduced nationwide. Jeff Whyatt to be knighted..

[BruceinSanity]

Being quite local, we've been through Stoke Bruerne a few times this year, and it's been pretty quiet the whole summer. There has been lots of space at the top, and in the long pound, every time we've been through -- and that includes well before these proposals became clear. The moorings at the bottom are usually much busier, though.

The whole system seems to have been very quiet this year.

[cotswoldsman]

Well, stand by for a gushing press release from cart soon, then ..

 

Mooring restriction policy a resounding succes. Scheme to be introduced nationwide. Jeff Whyatt to be knighted..

I don't think you are far wrong. I had an email yesterday from CRT with the details of a Survey they will do at Foxton asking boaters of their opinion of the changes. As you would expect I have no problems with Surveys, if they are inclusive, but the only people who will be given the opportunity to answer this Survey will be boaters for whom they hold email address's and that are seen moored up at Foxton. As I understand it but am happy to be corrected CRT only hold email address's for just over 20% of boaters this means that about 80% of boaters going through Foxton will not be asked and I guess will exclude all Hire Boaters

[luctor et emergo]

The whole system seems to have been very quiet this year.

Not down here it hasn't. The hireboat companies certainly seem to have made up for last years wash-out

[ChimneyChain]

Stoke bruerne is over rated. Everyone says you must go there its a great place to stop. Once you've gone round the museum had a pint or two in the boat I can't quite see whst else there is to do there, 4hrs is quite enough let alone 24hrs.

 

Darren

[RLWP]

As you would expect I have no problems with Surveys, if they are inclusive, but the only people who will be given the opportunity to answer this Survey will be boaters for whom they hold email address's and that are seen moored up at Foxton.

 

Yes, that's a self-selecting group. It doesn't include anyone who was put off mooring at Foxton and moored somewhere else

 

Richard

[cotswoldsman]

 

Yes, that's a self-selecting group. It doesn't include anyone who was put off mooring at Foxton and moored somewhere else

 

Richard

That is a good point as some might have chosen not to moor due to new mooring restrictions the questions certainly are for people that have moored

[Leo No2]

I am coming to the conclusion that in general I support the restrictions on the moorings - moving on every two days (in the main) which allows new visitors, in the case of Stoke Bruerne, to enjoy that which the village has to offer (the Boat Inn, the Navigation, the Spice of Bruerne, the trip boats, the Canal Museum and the Topiary). After a couple of days a visitor has probably spent what they had planned in the pubs and restaurants and are ready to move on. However, if there is space, and only if there is space I see no reason why a boat should not remain if they wish to without the £25 charge/fine.

 

The requirement should be to move on should be based on the demand for the moorings (and we've not seen much of that recently) and why charge £25 if that money could be spent having a beer (a G&T for me please) or a meal and supporting the local businesses.

 

What I do not support in any way is the imposition of these restrictions especially if the likes of Alan, John, Jenlyn and others have spent their own time discussing the changes and the changes are seemingly be imposed are not in line with the agreements thought to have been arrived at through proper negotiation. CRT and the boaters should be seen to be in a partnership to make the best of the unique industrial archeology and beauty we have in the canals.

 

There should be no need for a £25 charge/fine if the mooring warden (I saw one last night!) is doing their job properly. If it is your second night, and the moorings are full, a friendly chat, or a well worded letter left at the boat requiring you to move by 12:00 the following day unless you make prior arrangement to stay longer due to extenuating circumstances should be all that's needed. Contact numbers and valid generic reasons for staying longer should be provided.

 

Does that sound a more sensible and non-confrontational approach?

[koukouvagia]

There should be no need for a £25 charge/fine if the mooring warden (I saw one last night!) is doing their job properly.

 

Couldn't agree more. But see post #188 above.

[Tuscan]

I don't think you are far wrong. I had an email yesterday from CRT with the details of a Survey they will do at Foxton asking boaters of their opinion of the changes. As you would expect I have no problems with Surveys, if they are inclusive, but the only people who will be given the opportunity to answer this Survey will be boaters for whom they hold email address's and that are seen moored up at Foxton. As I understand it but am happy to be corrected CRT only hold email address's for just over 20% of boaters this means that about 80% of boaters going through Foxton will not be asked and I guess will exclude all Hire Boaters

Don't quite understand the validity of this as they didn't bother to survey the boaters who had no problem mooring on the visitor moorings before the new timings/charges and now they will survey those that who have had no problem mooring after the charges came in. As those that previously stayed for longer on the longer term moorings (probably but not exclusively CC'ers) now moor somewhere else as the vast majority are law abiding they will be excluded presumably.

 

I can't see how the survey can be anything other than positive as I expect it would have been before the changes.

[cotswoldsman]

I agree. At most of the meetings I attended boaters had no problem with CRT changing VM's if CRT could show sound evidence for the need to change and I personally do not think "Grumbles" and "Mumbles" is sound evidence.

[alan_fincher]

For the record, having spent the night above the top lock, where there was masses of free space, when we came down the "long pound" below the top two locks before 08:30 there was no boats in it - not a single one.

 

There is clearly a mismatch between what has been put on the signs, (which say the whole of the long pound is 2 day moorings), and what was agreed at the workshops, and is still clearly displayed on the map that CRT have on the relevant page of the website, which shows a stretch of 7 day mooring at the Southern end of the long pound.

 

I have raised this as another question, and am hoping I get a proper answer this time, which I certainly did not get to the last quite reasonable question I asked!

[Tuscan]

I agree. At most of the meetings I attended boaters had no problem with CRT changing VM's if CRT could show sound evidence for the need to change and I personally do not think "Grumbles" and "Mumbles" is sound evidence.

I am sure it will make a good sound bite, and CRT with the IWA will no doubt claim credit for the new availability of Visitor Moorings. Fortunately at least the evidence of the daily log at Stoke Breune illustrates that the changes have made little difference.

[Kwacker]

 

Yes, that's a self-selecting group. It doesn't include anyone who was put off mooring at Foxton and moored somewhere else

 

Richard

I must be missing something, why would a 48 hour restriction put you off mooring?

Unless of course you wanted to moor up, lock up and leave the boat for a week or so, then it would.

 

These are Visitor moorings, not part of a park-and-ride scheme

Edited August 29, 2013 by Kwacker

[RLWP]

I must be missing something, why would a 48 hour restriction put you off mooring?

Unless of course you wanted to moor up, lock up and leave the boat for a week or so, then it would.

 

These are Visitor moorings, not part of a park-and-ride scheme

 

Maybe it's just me. When I rock up to a mooring plastered with £25 signs, it puts me off

 

Richard

[Kwacker]

 

Maybe it's just me. When I rock up to a mooring plastered with £25 signs, it puts me off

 

Richard

 

So you are saying that even though you know you can moor there for 48 hours, and you do, you would not moor there?

Still missing something.

[john6767]

We came through Foxton on Saturday, but we did not stop there, we went straight up the locks and moored out of the "zone" beyond the bridge at the top. We could not have stopped at the bottom had we wanted to as the moorings were full, not least because there were 4 CRT work boats moored on the 2 day moorings taking up around half the available space. They really should be asking everyone who went through at least, then we could say why we did not stop there.

 

I must say all the signs make it look very tacky.

[RLWP]

 

So you are saying that even though you know you can moor there for 48 hours, and you do, you would not moor there?

Still missing something.

 

Yes. I don't want my boating to be intruded on by fines (sorry, service charges), rules, mooring officers, clipboards, is-this-one-day-or-two-days, is-this-going-to-count-as-a-return-or-another-day, invisible fines or any other officious guff

 

I just don't need all that crap when I'm on holiday

 

Richard

[Leo No2]

Tonight's figures are as follows (it's nearly empty again!). I came across this which I think is well worth a read. I have kept the text as well.

 

Well done to whoever brought the database back up - not an easy task I seem to remember from my days of doing similar things!

 

ETA: If anyone is braving the Stoke Bruerne moorings over the Village at War weekend do give me a shout - mine is the house that will have a WWII fire bucket outside!

 

Edit - Graph removed

Edited August 30, 2013 by Leo No2

[Tuscan]

Thank you for posting the link Leo No2 it might explain why CRT are not that keen to host more meetings. However it's rather strange that senior managers feel they have to police visitor moorings the whole episode seems very unprofessional in its introduction and management.

[alan_fincher]

Yes the link Kathryn has posted doesn't make comfortable reading.

 

The author of that blog actually attended one of the meetings on SEVM held with John Dodwell and Sally Ash, and although I didn't know her previous to this, seems to be a widely respected member of the canal community.

 

I can't see why she should be enhancing her version of events, frankly!

[jenlyn]

Thank you for posting the link Leo No2 it might explain why CRT are not that keen to host more meetings.

Meaning??

[cotswoldsman]

Yes the link Kathryn has posted doesn't make comfortable reading.

 

The author of that blog actually attended one of the meetings on SEVM held with John Dodwell and Sally Ash, and although I didn't know her previous to this, seems to be a widely respected member of the canal community.

 

I can't see why she should be enhancing her version of events, frankly!

I have never met her but I do know of her and that people have a lot of respect for her. What a terrible way for a senior member of CRT management to behave luckily there are members of CRT staff that I have a lot of respect for but it is behaviour like that that undoes all there good work, and makes me wonder is this the new CRT I hope not.

[Tuscan]

I have never met her but I do know of her and that people have a lot of respect for her. What a terrible way for a senior member of CRT management to behave luckily there are members of CRT staff that I have a lot of respect for but it is behaviour like that that undoes all there good work, and makes me wonder is this the new CRT I hope not.

Yep that was my meaning thought the record of events assuming its accurate was pretty self explanatory. If you read the job description of the volunteer mooring warden and then link this with the behaviour of the CRT management concerned I think some retraining is needed.