TRIAL ELECTRIC CHARGING POINTS PLANNED AT ISLINGTON MOORINGS

[Ray T]

28 July 2016

 

TRIAL ELECTRIC CHARGING POINTS PLANNED AT ISLINGTON MOORINGS

 

The Canal & River Trust and Islington Council have won funding from DEFRA for electric charging points on the Regent’s Canal in Islington. Boaters will be able to use these charging points to top up their electricity and they will provide an alternative to running boat engines to generate energy.

 

The Trust is also developing a London mooring strategy for the capital and, working with boaters and other stakeholders, has discussed a range of ideas including eco-zones – where boats can get their power from electricity, not diesel engines – and how living on the waterways can be a sustainable and environmentally friendly choice. Islington is a popular spot for boats and the electric bollards could reduce the impact of engine noise and smoke that can affect both waterside residents and other boaters.

 

There will now be a period of discussions and consultations involving the Trust, the Council, boaters, canal users and other stakeholders to think about where the electric points should be located and how they should be managed.

 

Sorwar Ahmed, London boater liaison manager at Canal & River Trust, said: “In a busy city it’s more important than ever to be environmentally-minded and think about how the things you do can affect the people around you. Boaters live very close to nature and many are keen to embrace green initiatives like solar panels and clean fuel. I’m delighted that we’ve got the funding to trial these electric points, which will give boaters another option for topping up their batteries in town. Now we need to work with boaters and the wider community to see how they could work in practise.”

 

Cllr Claudia Webbe, executive member of environment and transport at Islington Council, said: “Islington Council is committed to cutting local engine emissions – particularly from diesel engines, which have a serious impact on health and air quality in our city.

 

“We have been working on this pioneering initiative for some time – it will remove the reliance many boaters have on using diesel engines to provide energy. We welcome this funding, which will help to provide a cleaner, better environment for residents, passers-by and boaters alike.”

 

The Trust will be keeping boaters updated via its monthly London Boating Bulletin and the website’s London pages. To sign up for the Bulletin or to get involved with the discussion on the bollards please contact: enquiries.london@canalrivertrust.org.uk.

 

ENDS

 

For further media requests please contact:

Fran Read, national press officer, Canal & River Trust

m 07796 610 427 e fran.read@canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------

Fran Read

National Press Officer

 

M 07796 610 427

Canal & River Trust, Toll House, Delamere Terrace, London, W2 6ND

Twitter: @CRTComms

[ditchcrawler]

I wonder how long you will be able to stay for, 3 month, a year? not a lot of point if its only 48hrs

Edited July 28, 2016 by ditchcrawler

[matty40s]

Will they be providing an electrical alternative to solid fuel stoves as well......

[WJM]

Clever - the new bollard system now knows the identity of the user. So it will become easier to move overstayers on - by cutting their electricity off and only allowing them to reconnect when they move far enough or stay away long enough.

[BEngo]

And what makes you thinl that the new bollards will use the same system as the others? Apart from the usual CRT silo mentality, existing bollards are AFAIK only available to those with a CRT Long term mooring- not many of those in the London CC.population I think!

N

[Lady Muck]

Clever - the new bollard system now knows the identity of the user. So it will become easier to move overstayers on - by cutting their electricity off and only allowing them to reconnect when they move far enough or stay away long enough.

it freaked me out slightly, when I set off on my summer cruise earlier this month and received an email from Metermacs informing me my 'vessel was disconnected from the power supply.'

[valrene9600]

I wonder how long you will be able to stay for, 3 month, a year? not a lot of point if its only 48hrs

I think the idea is to relieve the residents from boat engine noise. Time allowed to moor is irrelavent as the idea is quiet.

This could be CRT answer to pressure put on councils by residents complaining of noisy, smokey boats. As already mentioned perhaps an electric fire could replace the stove.

[ditchcrawler]

I think the idea is to relieve the residents from boat engine noise. Time allowed to moor is irrelavent as the idea is quiet.

This could be CRT answer to pressure put on councils by residents complaining of noisy, smokey boats. As already mentioned perhaps an electric fire could replace the stove.

But only if they can moor on mains power for long periods, if they have to move off after say 48 hrs then they will run the engine the next day again, it needs to be semi permanent like a long term mooring. If I moor where there is a bollard for a night I wouldn't use it and nor would I run my engine.

[valrene9600]

But only if they can moor on mains power for long periods, if they have to move off after say 48 hrs then they will run the engine the next day again, it needs to be semi permanent like a long term mooring. If I moor where there is a bollard for a night I wouldn't use it and nor would I run my engine.

Perhaps the idea is to have them along the canal so each mooring has one. My guess it will be in the area the council has had most complaints and tell the others it's an ongoing project.

[Lady Muck]

Those moorings are 14 days. They'll have to be heavily monitored. There is a single mains plug outlet in the now permanently locked up laundry facility near me (for ironing), I came home after the xmas holidays to find that it had been broken into and several cabin cruisers and some leisure batteries were all plugged in and an impromptu boatyard going on on the waterpoint, welding, angle grinding....it was enough to send the health and safety brigade into orbit.

But there are plenty boaters desperate for cheap/free places with mains electricity to do boat work. Maybe they'll have to add to the already big sign of rules there, 'no anglegrinders' . I've gone boating without announcing it anywhere and I've already had one request to sublet, from someone I don't know.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Lady Muck

[Jambo]

I'd assumed it was Noel Rd so 7 days? Last time we stayed there about 4 months or so ago there was a fairly lively widebeam fit out underway which made me cringe slightly. If you're going to fit your boat out on the towpath, please go and do it somewhere quiet out of town!

 

ETA: or better still: somewhere noisy so you don't wreck the quiet!

Edited July 28, 2016 by Jambo

[Lady Muck]

Its 14 days in the summer. 7 in the winter.

[Jambo]

Oh bugger! Didn't realise they changed that as well, thought it was just the double mooring. We could've stayed a week longer.

[Lady Muck]

I'd have to check though, they keep changing these things.

[Jambo]

They do. Will have a dig..

[valrene9600]

Its 14 days in the summer. 7 in the winter.

Usually moorings are shorter time in summer not winter. hi

[Lady Muck]

In London it can be opposite as residents complain about smoke from boats.

[Jim Riley]

Perhaps you'll be able to stay until your batteries are fully charged.

[cuthound]

Perhaps you'll be able to stay until your batteries are fully charged.

If they allow that, some people will use it as an excuse to moor permanently there, because a battery is never fully charged, unless it is in float for a long long time.

[Jim Riley]

If they allow that, some people will use it as an excuse to moor permanently there, because a battery is never fully charged, unless it is in float for a long long time.

 

correct