Stoke Bruerne £25 per day after two days

[Gwydion]

What's all this rubbish? Does this apply all year round? The locks are shut for another week. Am I going to have to go back through the tunnel to avoid getting my arse charged off for the sake of a few days?

[alan_fincher]

If you are in the "museum green" or "tunnel" pound at the top of the locks, then you are allowed 2 days in the months April to October, but this is relaxed to 7 days in the months November to March.

 

So at the moment you are allowed 7 days, (which actually means 7 nights) before the £25 charge might get applied.

 

The signs ought to say this, if you read them.

 

Map here.

 

(Don't shoot the messenger - I'm only passing on the facts, not necessarily saying I agree with them!)

[Gwydion]

Fantastic! Cheers, Alan!

[matty40s]

And if the locks are still shut tell em to shove it anyway.

[DHutch]

If you are in the "museum green" or "tunnel" pound at the top of the locks, then you are allowed 2 days in the months April to October, but this is relaxed to 7 days in the months November to March.

 

So at the moment you are allowed 7 days, (which actually means 7 nights) before the £25 charge might get applied.

Fair enough!

 

And if the locks are still shut tell em to shove it anyway.

 

I agree that if the locks are out of action, they will likely wave the charge.

 

 

Daniel

[bassplayer]

 

 

I agree that if the locks are out of action, they will likely wave the charge.

 

 

I'm not sure CRT would push for the 'charge' anyway seeing as I thought we'd established that they can't enforce it.

[Gwydion]

And if the locks are still shut tell em to shove it anyway.

My thoughts exactly!

[waterworks]

If it is the same small four inch square sign on the wooden posts then ignore it, because it is a fraud, the charge can only be given voluntarily by the boat owner, and CRT have no legal right to demand it or take any action against you if you don't pay it, like for instance refuse to renew your licence until its paid. The mooring is 14 days unless signposted differently, and this sign does not change that.

 

That is just my understanding and i have researched this a bit after they were put up at Soulbury three locks. I welcome any one who can correct me though.

[Keeping Up]

If a mooring IS signposted as 48 hours maximum, for example, what can CRT do legally to enforce it? And what can they do if that same person not only overstays the 48 hours but also stays for more than 14 days?

[alan_fincher]

If it is the same small four inch square sign on the wooden posts then ignore it, because it is a fraud, the charge can only be given voluntarily by the boat owner, and CRT have no legal right to demand it or take any action against you if you don't pay it, like for instance refuse to renew your licence until its paid. The mooring is 14 days unless signposted differently, and this sign does not change that.

 

That is just my understanding and i have researched this a bit after they were put up at Soulbury three locks. I welcome any one who can correct me though.

 

Can you provide a shred of evidence that CRT have ever put up signs referring to the £25 or tried to charge for overstays at Three Locks.

 

My belief is there have never been signs, nor have they tried to levy charges.

 

You are not the first to suggest this, of course, but I doubt you will be able to provide the evidence any better than anybody who has been challenged on the point in the past

[Tuscan]

Can you provide a shred of evidence that CRT have ever put up signs referring to the £25 or tried to charge for overstays at Three Locks.

 

My belief is there have never been signs, nor have they tried to levy charges.

You are not the first to suggest this, of course, but I doubt you will be able to provide the evidence any better than anybody who has been challenged on the point in the past

You are right , seems a bit inconsistent that one mooring say 3 locks has to be made 48 hrs due to its popularity but you can stay a third day without charge yet at another location also made 48hrs due to its popularity CRT charge £25 for a third night.

[Gwydion]

The signs ought to say this, if you read them.

Well, they don't. I've had a good walk up and down today, and nowhere does it say that the charges change according to season.

 

I'm here until the locks open next week, and if CRT want to charge me, I've got a two worded reply for them.

[bassplayer]

Well, they don't. I've had a good walk up and down today, and nowhere does it say that the charges change according to season.

I'm here until the locks open next week, and if CRT want to charge me, I've got a two worded reply for them.

Here's a few pictures I took just before Christmas there. Same old confusing rubbish I'm afraid. You might also find the whole thread entertaining.

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=81214&p=1716360

 

As I keep saying, the signage is not only having the desired effect of P'ing off P takers, it's also P'ing off genuine well intentioned boaters.

[alan_fincher]

Well, they don't. I've had a good walk up and down today, and nowhere does it say that the charges change according to season.

 

I'm here until the locks open next week, and if CRT want to charge me, I've got a two worded reply for them.

 

The charges don't vary according to the season - they are always £25 per day.

 

It is the maximum stay times that vary according to whether it is "summer" or "winter".

 

The signs certainly used to detail this, so if they genuinely no longer do, you would need to ask CRT why the signs do not match what is on the web-page and map that I posted a link to.

Here's a few pictures I took just before Christmas there. Same old confusing rubbish I'm afraid. You might also find the whole thread entertaining.

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=81214&p=1716360

 

As I keep saying, the signage is not only having the desired effect of P'ing off P takers, it's also P'ing off genuine well intentioned boaters.

 

Do you have a photo of what is on the large moorings information boats, situated at each end of the controlled zone, and (I think) replicated by a board on "Museum Green".

 

I'm sure they mention the winter relaxation, don't they?

[Jerra]

Not having visited Stoke B since the notices went up I must be missing something as they don't seem confusing to me.

 

Rubbish possibly depending on your feelings/attitude/belief about the charge but I am not confused by them.

[bassplayer]

Not having visited Stoke B since the notices went up I must be missing something...

Yep

[alan_fincher]

Not having visited Stoke B since the notices went up I must be missing something as they don't seem confusing to me.

 

Rubbish possibly depending on your feelings/attitude/belief about the charge but I am not confused by them.

 

They would be "confusing" if the actual rules are that the mooring times are different in summer from in winter, but that none of the signage now mentions the winter relaxation.

 

We are being told in posts above that none of it now does, but I was there only a few weeks ago, and I know it did then.

 

Unless someone has tinkered further, (either an authorised or unauthorised person - the latter does happen!), then I can't see why at least some of the signs don't say that.

 

It is clearly not on every "totem" though, so to that extent if you only look at one that doesn't have it "confusing" seems a reasonable description to me.

[Jerra]

 

They would be "confusing" if the actual rules are that the mooring times are different in summer from in winter, but that none of the signage now mentions the winter relaxation.

 

We are being told in posts above that none of it now does, but I was there only a few weeks ago, and I know it did then.

 

Unless someone has tinkered further, (either an authorised or unauthorised person - the latter does happen!), then I can't see why at least some of the signs don't say that.

 

It is clearly not on every "totem" though, so to that extent if you only look at one that doesn't have it "confusing" seems a reasonable description to me.

So I was missing something. Thanks your reply is so much more enlightening then "Yep"

[waterworks]

 

Can you provide a shred of evidence that CRT have ever put up signs referring to the £25 or tried to charge for overstays at Three Locks.

 

My belief is there have never been signs, nor have they tried to levy charges.

 

You are not the first to suggest this, of course, but I doubt you will be able to provide the evidence any better than anybody who has been challenged on the point in the past

The signs at three locks were installed last year, I was moored there while they did the job, right by my boat. They read "2 days free" or "2 days free mooring" or similar. I can't prove it because I'm not near there anymore. The CRT workmen who I was chatting to said they won't be charging anyone yet. I don't know if anyone has, but isn't it obvious that they wouldn't have the signs made if they didn't intend to test out charging ? If not then its not really much better because its an attempt to lie and scare off boaters. I don't know which is worse.

[alan_fincher]

The signs at three locks were installed last year, I was moored there while they did the job, right by my boat. They read "2 days free" or "2 days free mooring" or similar. I can't prove it because I'm not near there anymore. The CRT workmen who I was chatting to said they won't be charging anyone yet. I don't know if anyone has, but isn't it obvious that they wouldn't have the signs made if they didn't intend to test out charging ? If not then its not really much better because its an attempt to lie and scare off boaters. I don't know which is worse.

 

Rightly or wrongly it is intended to try and make boaters adhere to the stay times on the signs, but in that case they are not levying the overstay charge.

 

I'm not defending it, only correcting the assertion that they are charging at that site, which currently they are not.

[Gwydion]

It is intimidating people against stopping here. The fella behind the bar in the Boat Inn says it has hit their trade. I understand it's necessary in peak season, but the lack of signage explaining when the charges apply is hurting the place, no doubt about it.

[alan_fincher]

It is intimidating people against stopping here. The fella behind the bar in the Boat Inn says it has hit their trade. I understand it's necessary in peak season, but the lack of signage explaining when the charges apply is hurting the place, no doubt about it.

 

Yes, the whole initiative in my view has damaged Stoke Bruerne considerably, in a way it has not yet fully recovered from, despite the maximum stay times actually now almost universally longer than before Mr Whyatt brought these schemes in. (For example the "long pound" was only ever 1 day stay for the entire year before all this, but now, after several further changes, allows 7 days in summer and 14 days in winter - hugely less restrictive than what went before).

 

However the review that was done some time after the new arrangements were first put in place reported that of the small number of local businesses that actually responded as to whether they were in favour or not half supported the changes and half were against it, (assuming CRT did not massage the responses, or ask the question in a loaded way!) There was certainly far from universal support that the hanges were "a bad thing".

 

I would also politely suggest that although I would like to be a fan of the Boat Inn, (a long established family run business), and use it regularly, part of its problem with trade is that it really doesn't try too hard, and just relies on its prime position at a key canal location. The food had become particularly lack-lustre, and you can generally get a better choice, better food, and better value at the Navigation, (a Marston's chain pub). So whilst I would like to support the boat, if I'm eating, I'm now instead generally supporting Marstons. I'm not alone in this as an outsider - many of the locals do the same, and that (of course) has nowt to do with the £25 signs!

[Gwydion]

The Indian is smashing. Burd and I had a great curry there last night. Bit pricey though. The Marston's does look a better option for food than the Boat, but it's not really a boozer, and they annoyed me yesterday by refusing me cashback to make me use their extortionate cash machine.

[bassplayer]

I would say that whilst thls forum is good for letting off steam and debate, the more of us who raise our concerns directly with CRT the better (otherwise they won't know they have a problem).

[Jerra]

I would say that whilst thls forum is good for letting off steam and debate, the more of us who raise our concerns directly with CRT the better (otherwise they won't know they have a problem).

That would IMO be true of many of the things complained about on the forum. True complaining on the forum lets others know of the problem (and probably lowers blood pressure) but it needs to be coupled with telling CRT about things.