Charity addresses challenges of soaring popularity of London's waterways

[Ray T]

 C&RT Press release

 

25 June 2018

CHARITY ADDRESSES CHALLENGES OF SOARING POPULARITY OF LONDON’S WATERWAYS

Boating in London has soared in popularity in recent years.  With the number of boats on London’s canals and rivers growing by 76% since 2012, the Canal & River Trust is today announcing a raft of initiatives that will benefit boaters and help manage the strain placed on the capital’s 200-year old network. 

The Canal & River Trust – the charity that cares for over 100 miles of waterways in the London region – has produced a London Mooring Strategy in consultation with boaters, boating groups, and local authorities, amongst others.  Initiatives include managing the increasing demand for mooring spaces, improving facilities, and fairly balancing the needs of everyone who uses the capital’s waters.  

In 2018/19, the Trust will be making the following improvements:
•    Water points: 
•    New taps at Harlseden, Sturt’s Lock (Shoreditch), Bow Locks, Alperton
•    Improve water pressure at Paddington Basin
•    Relocate tap from Old Ford to Sweetwater (Olympic Park)
•    Waste facilities: 
•    New compounds at Harlesden, Feildes Weir (Hoddesdon), Stonebridge Lock
•    Elsan (toilet) facilities: 
•    Carry out feasibility work to open an Elsan to the public on the Regent’s Canal
•    Working with boaters and volunteers to install additional mooring rings
•    Residential moorings developed at Millwall Outer Dock and Hayes
•    Pre-bookable moorings developed in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on St Thomas’s Creek (up to two berths), and on the Lee Navigation adjacent to the Park (three berths)
•    Clear signage for ‘watersports zones’ at Broxbourne and on the Lower Lee Navigation
•    Improved information at noticeboards, welcome stations and front-of-house

Customer priorities for which the Trust hopes to secure funding in future years include:
•    Development of 1800m of new long-term offside moorings, the majority of which, subject to planning permission, will be for residential use
•    More mooring rings to increase 14-day mooring capacity
•    Changes to short-term moorings to ensure the fairer use of space 
•    New facilities to meet growing customer demand, and improvement of existing sites 
•    Working with boaters to provide boating information and advice, as well as working with police to address concerns about towpath safety 
•    Creation of opportunities for boating businesses in key visitor destinations 
•    The introduction of further new pre-bookable visitor mooring sites following a review of demand, and a free pre-bookable eco-mooring zone

Matthew Symonds, boating strategy and engagement manager at the Canal & River Trust, said:  
“What used to be the capital’s best kept secret has gained popular appeal, and London’s canals are busier than at any time in recent history.  There are fantastic opportunities for water-based businesses, myriad ways to enjoy leisure time, and they are a place that many people call home.  The resulting boom in boat numbers has caused an enormous amount of pressure on what is, after all, a finite space. 

“The London Mooring Strategy is the result of our collaborative work with boaters, boating groups, local authorities, developers, and other stakeholders such as rowing groups.  There’s been a good level of support for the proposals and, following an extensive consultation, we’ve listened to feedback and made changes as a result.  Now we’ll work with boaters and other stakeholders to put the improvements into place and make things better for boaters and sustainable for our canals and rivers.

“Despite the challenges, London’s canals and rivers are a wonderful resource for all those who know and love them, and it’s vital that we make the best possible use of this ever-evolving space which makes so many people happy.  We believe the strategy fairly balances the differing needs of all those who live, work and play on the capital’s waterways.”

To develop the London Mooring Strategy, the Trust held various workshops, consultation meetings, and engagement events, as well as conducting a wide-ranging survey of boaters in the London region.  These helped shape a comprehensive strategy that identified detailed plans for each different London ‘character area’.  In autumn 2017 the Trust conducted an open survey consultation on the proposals.  The consultation closed in January 2018 having received over 1,200 responses.  

The full report, with a detailed breakdown of the improvements, can be found at: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/londonmooringstrategy

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   
 

London boat numbers:
   Total boats in London
Mar 2012    2326
Mar 2013    2581
Mar 2014    2964
Mar 2015    3255
Mar 2016    3662
Mar-2017    4001
Mar-2018    4098

Edited June 25, 2018 by Ray T

[Athy]

It looks broadly positive - though why they should seek funding to open the new offside moorings escapes me - surely these will be amply funded by mooring fees?

 

As for "a raft of initiatives", ho ho ho. Perhaps that's the only work boat they've got left.

[BruceinSanity]

20 minutes ago, Athy said:

It looks broadly positive - though why they should seek funding to open the new offside moorings escapes me - surely these will be amply funded by mooring fees?

 

As for "a raft of initiatives", ho ho ho. Perhaps that's the only work boat they've got left.

But if they can get the capital from elsewhere, affordable housing initiatives or what have you, then so much the better.

[Tumshie]

22 minutes ago, Athy said:

As for "a raft of initiatives", ho ho ho. Perhaps that's the only work boat they've got left.

Perhaps they're deploying some otters with some very special skill sets..... ?

[Machpoint005]

All looks pretty positive to me, but then I have no intention of taking our boat anywhere near that London. In fact, if I never have to go there again by any form of transport I'll be quite happy.

[MtB]

30 minutes ago, Athy said:

- though why they should seek funding to open the new offside moorings escapes me - surely these will be amply funded by mooring fees?

 

Because the money (probably a seven figure sum) has to be spent creating the moorings before the mooring income begins to flow. So there is a major cashflow problem that needs a solution. 

 

And in addition I expect it will take several years for the accumulated moorings income to meet the cost of creating the moorings.

[dmr]

Trouble is, the lack of mooring space and facilities is the only control mechanism limiting growth, so more facilities will result in more boats turning up till the new facilities are taken to the same level of congestion. It will then be the same problem but even bigger. New boater facilities are good, but ultimately some way of limiting the number of boats to match the capacity of facilities available is the only real solution.

 

..............Dave

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, dmr said:

Trouble is, the lack of mooring space and facilities is the only control mechanism limiting growth, so more facilities will result in more boats turning up till the new facilities are taken to the same level of congestion. It will then be the same problem but even bigger. New boater facilities are good, but ultimately some way of limiting the number of boats to match the capacity of facilities available is the only real solution.

 

..............Dave

 

Agreed. 

 

A few years ago I suugested on here a 'one out, one in ' policy of allowing boats onto the congested London waterways would be one way of limiting the congestion. I got comprehensively condemned for suggesting it. 

 

I maintain this is still actually what will eventually have to happen.

 

 

 

[dmr]

3 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Agreed. 

 

A few years ago I suugested on here a 'one out, one in ' policy of allowing boats onto the congested London waterways would be one way of limiting the congestion. I got comprehensively condemned for suggesting it. 

 

I maintain this is still actually what will eventually have to happen.

 

 

 

This could best be done as a roving mooring permit with a quota, maybe auctioned to raise significant money for CaRT, and increased boater income must be better than destroying the canals in order to get a government grant. Trouble is, if it works in London then it would spread to the rest of the system and I don't want to see the canals become a pay as you go enterprise.

 

But, maybe boaters paying more is a better option than going the Scotland route were they have "re-imagined" the canals for new purposes that might not include navigation.

 

I should be outside doing a bit of paint touching up but its just too hot.

 

...............Dave

[Athy]

19 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

 

I should be outside doing a bit of paint touching up but its just too hot.

 

...............Dave

I, mindful of the old Boy Scouts motto "Be prepared", have spent the morning of this hottest day in ages chopping firewood to use in our stove next winter. Well, it was lying around making part of the garden look untidy. I think four barrowloads is enough for one day, though.

32 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

 

A few years ago I suugested on here a 'one out, one in ' policy of allowing boats onto the congested London waterways would be one way of limiting the congestion. I got comprehensively condemned for suggesting it. 

 

.

 

 

 

I don't think that I was included in that comprehensive condemnation - at least, I hope not. But I would question how it could be policed in such a vast area.

[MtB]

6 minutes ago, Athy said:

But I would question how it could be policed in such a vast area.

 

There are only about 6 entry points, at a guess. 

 

Toll offices at say Hayes on the GU, Brentford, Limehouse and the river Lee should do it? (From memory)

[David Mack]

What is a " free pre-bookable eco-mooring zone"?

[matty40s]

2 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Agreed. 

 

A few years ago I suugested on here a 'one out, one in ' policy of allowing boats onto the congested London waterways would be one way of limiting the congestion. I got comprehensively condemned for suggesting it. 

 

I maintain this is still actually what will eventually have to happen.

 

 

 

The press release is interesting in that it is all "Carrot" wonder when the London Boaters will tell is what the "Stick " is.

[john6767]

For those in London this all sounds positive, but beyond the short term, the improvements in facilities will I would think attract more people onto boats in London, so you end up back in the same place in one, two, three years, whatever it takes.  The logical next step is to control the numbers either by some limit and policing that somehow, or by a premium licence for people who want to stay in the London area for say more than 30 days a year.  You can then use supply and demand to limit numbers, and get some funding for the facilities.  Harsh on those already there perhaps.

[MtB]

18 minutes ago, john6767 said:

For those in London this all sounds positive, but beyond the short term, the improvements in facilities will I would think attract more people onto boats in London, so you end up back in the same place in one, two, three years, whatever it takes.  The logical next step is to control the numbers either by some limit and policing that somehow, or by a premium licence for people who want to stay in the London area for say more than 30 days a year.  You can then use supply and demand to limit numbers, and get some funding for the facilities.  Harsh on those already there perhaps.

 

So limit access based on the ability to pay.

 

My way was fairer.

[cuthound]

I would wait and see what the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan decides to do regarding air pollution.

 

That may have a severe impact on the number of boats ccing in London.

Edited June 25, 2018 by cuthound
Autocorrect changing the mayors sex (Sadiq to Sadie ?)

[Cheese]

18 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

So limit access based on the ability to pay.

 

My way was fairer.

Agreed your way was fairer.  But if we want C&RT to maximise their available income in order to maintain the rest of the network, then ultimately such a premium licence, or similar, may be the way to go.  If people want to treat certain canals effectively as a housing resource, then with a limited supply and an excess demand for space why shouldn't mooring / licencing work in the same way as house prices?