CRT Press Release - Views on changes to temporary moorings Paddington Basin

[Leo No2]

10 February 2014

 

BOATERS ASKED FOR VIEWS ON TEMPORARY CHANGES TO MOORINGS IN PADDINGTON BASIN

 

The Canal & River Trust is proposing to trial a range of temporary changes to the moorings at Paddington Basin and the Little Venice Pool in London to meet a wider range of mooring needs over the coming summer. The initiative follows feedback from boaters and boating groups.

 

The proposed changes include:

 

a. Allowing mooring alongside Rembrandt Gardens in the Little Venice Pool, to provide two new moorings;

b. Investigating the possibility of installing water points in Paddington Basin and changing a 14 day casual mooring to water point waiting only;

c. Changing three visitor moorings by Paddington Station to trade moorings; and

d. Allowing double mooring of narrow boats alongside St. Marys Hospital pontoon, providing four new visitor moorings.

 

These changes would provide more room and facilities for boats visiting this popular area. Creating new trade moorings in front of Paddington Station would bring vitality and vibrancy to the towpath and make the most of the high footfall in the area.

 

The Trust will be running an informal consultation on the proposals amongst boaters, boating groups and other stakeholders. The consultation will run until Monday 3 March 2014. To take part in the consultation, please visit: http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/5463.pdf

 

Sorwar Ahmed, boater liaison manager at the Canal & River Trust, said: London is an extremely popular destination for visiting boats, both traders and leisure cruisers alike, not to mention the many people who make their homes on the Capitals canals. We need to make sure that were making the best possible use of the limited space available to meet their different mooring needs. Weve been working with the Better Relationships on the Waterways in London Group to address a wide range of boating needs over the past 15 months, and the Group has been developing proposals to improve the way visitor moorings are managed. We hope that the proposals in Paddington will work as a good trial over the busy summer cruising season please get in touch and let us know what you think.

[Jambo]

Thumbs up to those proposals. We sneakily spent a night moored up by Rembrandt Gardens just after new year as it was blowing very hard and it was late when we arrived (we moved on at first light). it's a great spot with a lovely view and I always wondered why no mooring was allowed when it didn't really seem to be in use otherwise.

[RLWP]

 

 

a. Allowing mooring alongside Rembrandt Gardens in the Little Venice Pool, to provide two new moorings; +2

b. Investigating the possibility of installing water points in Paddington Basin and changing a 14 day casual mooring to water point waiting only; -1 = 1

c. Changing three visitor moorings by Paddington Station to trade moorings; and -3 = -2

d. Allowing double mooring of narrow boats alongside St. Marys Hospital pontoon, providing four new visitor moorings. +4 = +2

 

Nett gain, two moorings

 

Richard

[Pen n Ink]

Is a trade mooring for (example) trip boats or for trading boats?

[junior]

It's a step in the right direction of providing some extra visitor moorings in central London.

 

However, boats usually moor at Rembrant gardens anyway. So that's not really two new spaces, it's just making two current spaces legitimate. So by the time you have removed one space for the water point and 3 for trade boats and then added 4 additional spaces by the hospital, it's equilibrium.

 

London is crying out for more water points, i'm just not sure Paddington Basin is the right place. At the moment PB seems to not be on the radar of the London bridge hopping brigade (im not sure why) and that means there is usually a space available for genuine visitors to London coming in from the west. This is important as it's one of the first 'safe' places to stop once leaving Cowley. Fill up the basin and you could end up with 70 year old IWA members having no other option but to press on to Camden, where there is unlikely to be a space.

 

I'm not sure what CRT's motive is with these suggestions. If it is to create more spaces for people currently in London then it can only be a good thing, ditto the water point.

 

If it is to appease people who wish to visit/pass through London who vocally complain of overcrowding, then I don't think this will. I think the solution to this would be to put the water point elsewhere (Kensall/Camden?) And make these new moorings short stay/7 days.

Thumbs up to those proposals. We sneakily spent a night moored up by Rembrandt Gardens just after new year as it was blowing very hard and it was late when we arrived (we moved on at first light). it's a great spot with a lovely view and I always wondered why no mooring was allowed when it didn't really seem to be in use otherwise.

Rembrant Gardens is used as a casual mooring by community boats. At the Pirate Castle we regularly use it if we have a half day booking and the guests wish to stop for lunch somewhere. It would be a shame to loose this.

Although thinking deeper, there is space for 3/4 on the wall at Rembrant Gardens, so perhaps they plan on keeping a space for community boats still.

[Jambo]

yeah I was thinking there's room for more than two boats there so I would expect they'll leave space for the community boats.

 

I agree that Paddington isn't the best spot for a new water point given that there is already a supply at LV (although the number of boats there mean that further provision wouldn't be a bad thing).

 

I would favour installing one by the Sainsbury's at Ladbroke Grove, one somewhere around Haggerston and one in Springfield Park. That would fill in the big gaps between (and the pressure on) the existing provision.

[pearley]

 

I would favour installing one by the Sainsbury's at Ladbroke Grove, one somewhere around Haggerston and one in Springfield Park. That would fill in the big gaps between (and the pressure on) the existing provision.

 

My 1997 Nicholson's shows water points by the Sainsburys at Kendall Green and Alperton but they weren't there in 2009 when we passed through. Did they ever exist or were they removed when the stores were built?

[nbfiresprite]

My 1997 Nicholson's shows water points by the Sainsburys at Kendall Green and Alperton but they weren't there in 2009 when we passed through. Did they ever exist or were they removed when the stores were built?

I used both in 2002

[junior]

My 1997 Nicholson's shows water points by the Sainsburys at Kendall Green and Alperton but they weren't there in 2009 when we passed through. Did they ever exist or were they removed when the stores were built?

As far as I'm aware there is a tap at the Sainsbury at Kensall but it is not easily accessible and I don't think it is a CRT waterpoint. I have heard of people using containers and walking to the tap, I don't think it's close enough to run a hose to the boat.

 

I couldn't tell you about Alperton, I've only stopped there to clear the prop and that was long enough.

[MtB]

and changing a 14 day casual mooring to water point waiting only;

 

Why not put an extra water tap on the newly created 'water point waiting only' mooring, so people queuing for water can fill up their tanks while they are waiting....?

 

Err....

 

MtB

Edited February 10, 2014 by Mike the Boilerman