Environment Agency Blues

[FadeToScarlet]

The drip drip of C&RT take over is probably still happening.

 

One very fundamental change is the abandoning of lock reversal on the Nene from June of this year.

Reasons given are the safety of the inspectors.

 

I will grab a shot of a communication our club has received tonight.

Those of you who wrongly think the Nene is a scary wild river may well have a point in the near future.

 

Watch this space.

What?! That's bonkers

[gazza]

What?! That's bonkers

Yup!!

[erivers]

What?! That's bonkers

 

Never mind. The EA has graciously offered to provide flood barrages to the properties and businesses which will be affected (or potentially ruined) by flood waters several times a year.

Edited May 25, 2016 by erivers

[gazza]

 

Never mind. The EA has graciously offered to provide flood barrages to the properties and businesses which will be affected (or potentially ruined) by flood waters several times a year.

Titchmarsh mill would be under no doubt.

 

Now, if the lintels were removed from the vee gates more would get away but it's not the answer to leave it to its on devices.

 

Sounds very much like those now in charge have no clue about the river.

[peterboat]

The system used to be much better,there was an office in Kings Meadow,Reading where you could purchase a licence over the Counter.

 

It is now all done at a Call centre in Rotherham and confusion abounds!

 

CT

Really? must be out of Rotherham where all the call centers are at Wath on Dearn

[GUMPY]

The drip drip of C&RT take over is probably still happening.

 

One very fundamental change is the abandoning of lock reversal on the Nene from June of this year.

Reasons given are the safety of the inspectors.

 

I will grab a shot of a communication our club has received tonight.

Those of you who wrongly think the Nene is a scary wild river may well have a point in the near future.

 

Watch this space.

So that's more flooding for Woodford Mill/ Tea Rooms.... Hope it doesn't make it to my front door, hasn't got that far in living memory but there could be a first.

Why are these people so stupid.

[erivers]

Why are these people so stupid.

 

The people of the Somerset Levels asked exactly the same question when their homes and businesses were destroyed.

 

It's just YOUR turn.

[GUMPY]

If it gets to my house all the pontoons in the local marina will be off down the Nene and half the village will be flooded. Even in 1997 or was it 8 it still had 250metres to go to reach the village.

[gazza]

Easter 1998, a period i will never forget.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire/content/image_galleries/easter_floods_1998_gallery.shtml

Edited May 25, 2016 by gazza

[erivers]

If it gets to my house all the pontoons in the local marina will be off down the Nene and half the village will be flooded. Even in 1997 or was it 8 it still had 250metres to go to reach the village.

 

The Environment Agency's "Do nothing", "Leave it to nature", "New science" will get you in the end. Keep the sandbags handy.

[Claude]

In 5 years of Thames boating I always found the EA very helpful, but the OP's case does sound like bureaucratic bungling.

 

If I happen to be speaking to an officious or obsinate person on the phone, I try to keep calm and ask to speak the person that they normally report to. Supervisors or managers can usually sort out a problem much more efficiently than an office peon.

 

I've generally found Thames lockkeepers friendly and helpful too, apart from Dave, the miserable bloke at Bell weir.

[magnetman]

In 5 years of Thames boating I always found the EA very helpful, but the OP's case does sound like bureaucratic bungling.

 

If I happen to be speaking to an officious or obsinate person on the phone, I try to keep calm and ask to speak the person that they normally report to. Supervisors or managers can usually sort out a problem much more efficiently than an office peon.

 

I've generally found Thames lockkeepers friendly and helpful too, apart from Dave, the miserable bloke at Bell weir.

I have been up and down the Thames every year since 1994 about half of that living on the River. There have been staff changes over time but in general I have found all the lock keepers likeable.

 

Dave is ok. He is a bit officious but he is an enthusiast about the River and history and things. He will ask about license (I motored a small boat down from cookham with a rowing boat license and he was the first one to be concerned I had an engine on the boat) that is 5 locks before (with lock keepers at 4 of them). I said can I buy a day license to get me to Teddington with cash but he had no change in the office I suggested he phoned Penton Hook which he did so they had the day license ready and the change

 

I did once have a bit of agro years ago with a patrol officer called Paul Smith (not THE Paul smith) I had a dinghy without a license at Reading and he stopped me. I said I could go to sonning and buy a license but he preferred to do me for unlicensed (a stern letter in post ) and actually phoned the lock keeper to tell them not to sell me a license for the dinghy !!

 

I had just come off the K&A so it would have been around 2002.

 

Other than that all good.

 

They should be having a go at the marina owners if unlicensed boats turn up at locks with new owners having just come off brokerage

Edited May 25, 2016 by magnetman

[The Lockie]

Dont understand this!! There is a mechanism called the unregistered report whereby your details are taken, can include an interview under caution. You are then given a copy and sent on you way. The copy is then presented at each lock and signed by the lockkeeper.

[magnetman]

Dont understand this!! There is a mechanism called the unregistered report whereby your details are taken, can include an interview under caution. You are then given a copy and sent on you way. The copy is then presented at each lock and signed by the lockkeeper.

That's what I thought

 

I did suggest earlier in the thread that Bobbybass may have come across a volunteer lockkeepeer not fully trained but I'm not sure if they are let out alone

 

The detail of the original post is definitely interesting - if the OP has the time and date of the refused lock passage I would definitely suggest reporting it to the EA. They may even respond before they send the license out

[ditchcrawler]

That's what I thought

 

I did suggest earlier in the thread that Bobbybass may have come across a volunteer lockkeepeer not fully trained but I'm not sure if they are let out alone

 

 

I have come across them but only when the real one has been at lunch

[sueb]

Be careful what you wish for. If CRT take over EA the situation will get worse.

[magnetman]

Be careful what you wish for. If CRT take over EA the situation will get worse.

In what way would it get worse?

[ditchcrawler]

Be careful what you wish for. If CRT take over EA the situation will get worse.

But with CRT you can licence your boat on line, by post or even on the phone

[sueb]

In what way would it get worse?

One way would be if you upset CRT and got told to leave their waters, where would you go?

[magnetman]

Yes but the Thames has miles and miles of privately owned riverbank so if you have a cruising license it would be almost impossible to 'upset crt'. I see what you mean though about them being an inland waterway monopoly. Perhaps that's a good argument for a gradual selloff of individual waterways.

[erivers]

One way would be if you upset CRT and got told to leave their waters, where would you go?

 

But without new Primary legislation approved by Parliament the current EA managed waterways would never become "their" (i.e. CRT) waters and any demand to leave those waters would be entirely unlawful.

[Dave123]

In what way would it get worse?

 

I think I agree with magnetman.

My very limited understanding of this idea of transferring EA waters to CRT was that CRT have more money as they have lots of property due to owning land surrounding the canals? And money from the government that has a guarantee (for a while at least).

Whereas EA are subject to the government imposed budget cuts and have many other things on their plate apart from navigation...

[Bobbybass]

Dont understand this!! There is a mechanism called the unregistered report whereby your details are taken, can include an interview under caution. You are then given a copy and sent on you way. The copy is then presented at each lock and signed by the lockkeeper.

 

I was told by the woman at EA that this system no longer exists...

This was not unique to me...as another boater at the marina who had just put his boat back in the water...was told the same thing...that to not have a valid license plate on the window is a criminal offence whether you have applied or not.

 

My big problem is that I have no proof I applied. I was told that my application 'could' (if not lost in the post)...be amongst the hundreds that they have in piles... They do not bank the cheque until they find your application in a pile...with the cheque.

They will not 'hand search' the piles...as she said there are hundreds and they don't have the time.

 

At the end of the day...the EA..is a pile !!

[The Lockie]

I was told by the woman at EA that this system no longer exists

 

 

Absolute rubbish!!!

 

Stop trying to deal with office staff!!! Turn up at a lock explain the situation to the lockkeeper take it from there..I know you have alraedy done this, but it looks like you got a temp snd not a full time l)ckkeeper

[gazza]

 

Bit crude but the best I could do!

 

Sorry it's a bit late, been busier than I anticipated!