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Eco-mooring zone in development in Islington


Ray T

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CRT Press Release

 

8 October 2018

 

ECO-MOORING ZONE IN DEVELOPMENT IN ISLINGTON

 

The Canal & River Trust and Islington Council are creating an ‘eco-mooring zone’ for visiting boats between York Way and Danbury Street on the Regent’s Canal.  Supported by funding from Defra, the zone will include electric charging points to provide boaters with an alternative to running boat engines to generate energy.

 

This comes as the issue of air quality gains greater public attention, with both local and national Government increasingly committed to measures to reduce air pollution in cities.

 

Research from the Trust shows that, while the impact of boat emissions is minimal in comparison to pollution from road traffic, the people most at risk from engine fumes are boaters themselves.  Using cleaner sources of energy, like electric charging points, will benefit boaters’ health.

 

While living on the waterways can be a sustainable and environmentally friendly choice, in some busy areas the impact of engine noise and fumes can affect both waterside residents and other boaters.  Boaters live close to nature and many are keen to embrace ‘green’ initiatives like solar panels and clean fuel.  The new ‘eco-mooring zone’ will enable boaters to reduce their reliance on using their engines for energy and to embrace a greener way of life.

 

With grant funding from Defra secured, alongside their own contributions, Islington Council and the Trust will now work together to implement the scheme, including defining the area the eco-mooring zone will cover, with plans for the site to go live in October 2019.  There will then be a transition period of a further two years, during which there will be no running of diesel engines or generators permitted on site, and a progressive encouragement for boaters mooring here to move from burning of solid fuels to electricity for their heating and cooking.

 

Ros Daniels, Director for London and the South East at Canal & River Trust, said: “Many boaters are keen to embrace green initiatives and often have already established a smaller environmental ‘footprint’ as they pursue a low impact way of life.  However, some urban areas can present particular challenges.  In Islington, the ‘funnel’ effect created by the canyon around the Islington Tunnel section of the Regent’s Canal means that noise and fumes can have a greater impact than in other areas.  The new eco-mooring zone will significantly reduce these problems, as well as giving boaters the opportunity to increase their use of mains electricity as an energy source.

 

“While the impact of canal boats on air quality is minimal when compared to other sources of pollution, we appreciate that the local effects can be perceived as a problem and we are pleased to work with Islington Council and, with Defra’s support, to introduce this new facility over the next year.”

 

Cllr Claudia Webbe, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Islington is the most densely-populated borough in the country and the boating community are an important part of that vibrant mix.  At the same time there are high levels of air pollution across Islington, making this a very serious issue for every one of us – it is literally a matter of life and death.

 

“The potential for bringing cleaner power to the canal is an exciting and ground-breaking development that will surely benefit boat owners and all those who use and enjoy the canal and towpaths, as well as neighbours in the immediate surroundings.

 

“While recognising the challenges for some boat owners in leaving diesel generators and solid fuel burners behind in favour of electricity, the benefits for all of using a cleaner, greener fuel are clear

 

“I look forward to working with the boating community and the Canal & River Trust on monitoring the success of this positive step forward.”

 

During the transition period there will be ongoing work with the boating community to identify the support required to move fully to electrical power. Islington Council and the Trust will act together to support this, including offering training and technical advice.  Towards the end of the transition period, in 2021, there will be an evaluation of the progress made ahead of the implementation of the full restrictions planned for the eco-mooring zone.  This will include looking at the wider availability of electric charging infrastructure across London’s waterways, the impact of tighter restrictions on boaters and the use of these moorings, on local air quality measures, and the wellbeing of local residents.

 

The commitment to an eco-mooring zone is part of the Trust’s London Mooring Strategy, which was developed in consultation with boaters to address the unique challenges, and opportunities, of boating in the capital.

 

ENDS

 

For further media requests please contact the Canal & River Trust press office:

T: 0203 3204 4514 E: press.office@canalrivertrust.org.uk

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It's at least 2 years since this was first suggested, to placate the residents overlooking the moorings, and will be another year before electricity is actually available and another 2 after that before they decide if it is viable. 

 

Don't work too hard. 

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Is there going to be a checkpoint at either end of the mooring where you can leave your stove and genny until you move on.

If just passing through, perhaps Islington council can issue charcoal chimney inserts to alleviate fumes, you can hand them back at the other end.

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13 hours ago, matty40s said:

Is there going to be a checkpoint at either end of the mooring where you can leave your stove and genny until you move on.

If just passing through, perhaps Islington council can issue charcoal chimney inserts to alleviate fumes, you can hand them back at the other end.

 

I suspect it will be like the low emision zones on London's roads. Daily fines (a nice revenue earner) for the non-compliant, hence most boaters will avoid London and continue to pollute and those who choose to live there will buy electric heaters.

 

However it will get rolled out to other major cities, so best visit those by boat now whilst you can.

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Broads Authority are installing more power points on moorings this year

 

edit to add

 

Our operations team will soon be starting works at our Neatishead Mooring to install electric charging pillars.

It is expected that the site will be closed between Monday 26 November and will be re-opened ASAP before Sunday 2 December. We advise boaters to seek alternative moorings during this period whilst the works are being undertaken.

In January the electric pillars will be connected to the mains which will entail a further day’s work by UK Power Networks planned for Thursday January 17 2019.

The final stage of installation will then be arranged with the supplier to make the electric pillars on site live in the February/March period.

For any site works enquiries, please contact the Maintenance Supervisor on 07795 107235.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Edited by ditchcrawler
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  • 2 weeks later...

Long term, it must come down to economics, the retail price  of electrickery must reflect the infrastructure, miles and miles of expensive wires and transformer things,  but there is scope for swingeing changes to prices where its only one big fat cable laid alongside the canal, I am not sure if Islington has really grasped the nettle. Its just a nod to the residents complaints. 

Scottish Power [who are Nationwide] are doing their bit for renewable energy https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-45880021/scottish-power-to-use-100-wind-power but I see my bills increasing year on  year in spite of all this "free" energy. There is something wrong when increased efficiency leads to increasing costs, but I see that all over.

Edited by LadyG
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9 minutes ago, Tuscan said:

The shortage of moorings in London is in some way down to the power cables buried under the towpath........

Or due to lack of Blue Sky Thinking :)

But mostly due to massive surge in the number of liveaboard boaters.

Edited by LadyG
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2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Isn't the housing shortage down to more people wanting houses than there are houses available ?

I am happy to house one London resident, its just the 12 hour commute that is the problem.

Edited by LadyG
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1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Isn't the housing shortage down to more people wanting houses than there are houses available ?

 

Demand for housing is infinitely flexible. The richer we get, the more of it we consume. It isn't as simple as one person, one house. 

 

 

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If folk stopped spending on the daft non essentials like Sky, phones, drugs, booze, fags, gambling etc. they would be able to afford to buy a house like we did 48 years ago. Prices were relatively high as far as we were concerned even then, we had to skrimp and safe for the deposit.

Folks want everything NOW regardless of whether they can afford it.

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18 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

If folk stopped spending on the daft non essentials like Sky, phones, drugs, booze, fags, gambling etc. they would be able to afford to buy a house like we did 48 years ago. Prices were relatively high as far as we were concerned even then, we had to skrimp and safe for the deposit.

Folks want everything NOW regardless of whether they can afford it.

looking at average house prices & wages for 1970 and 2010 with figures from various places  your argument looks to have a few holes in it

 

in 1970 the average house price was £4,975 with average wages at £1,664 per year, this meant that a house represented around 3 years worth of wages

by 2010 the average house price was around £252,000 and the average wage around £21,500 meaning that a house represented around 12 years worth of wages

 

could you have afforded a house in 1970 if they had cost 4 times as much?

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On 08/10/2018 at 18:10, Ray T said:

CRT Press Release

 

8 October 2018

 

ECO-MOORING ZONE IN DEVELOPMENT IN ISLINGTON

 

The Canal & River Trust and Islington Council are creating an ‘eco-mooring zone’ for visiting boats between York Way and Danbury Street on the Regent’s Canal.  Supported by funding from Defra, the zone will include electric charging points to provide boaters with an alternative to running boat engines to generate energy.

 

This comes as the issue of air quality gains greater public attention, with both local and national Government increasingly committed to measures to reduce air pollution in cities.

 

Research from the Trust shows that, while the impact of boat emissions is minimal in comparison to pollution from road traffic, the people most at risk from engine fumes are boaters themselves.  Using cleaner sources of energy, like electric charging points, will benefit boaters’ health.

 

While living on the waterways can be a sustainable and environmentally friendly choice, in some busy areas the impact of engine noise and fumes can affect both waterside residents and other boaters.  Boaters live close to nature and many are keen to embrace ‘green’ initiatives like solar panels and clean fuel.  The new ‘eco-mooring zone’ will enable boaters to reduce their reliance on using their engines for energy and to embrace a greener way of life.

 

With grant funding from Defra secured, alongside their own contributions, Islington Council and the Trust will now work together to implement the scheme, including defining the area the eco-mooring zone will cover, with plans for the site to go live in October 2019.  There will then be a transition period of a further two years, during which there will be no running of diesel engines or generators permitted on site, and a progressive encouragement for boaters mooring here to move from burning of solid fuels to electricity for their heating and cooking.

 

Ros Daniels, Director for London and the South East at Canal & River Trust, said: “Many boaters are keen to embrace green initiatives and often have already established a smaller environmental ‘footprint’ as they pursue a low impact way of life.  However, some urban areas can present particular challenges.  In Islington, the ‘funnel’ effect created by the canyon around the Islington Tunnel section of the Regent’s Canal means that noise and fumes can have a greater impact than in other areas.  The new eco-mooring zone will significantly reduce these problems, as well as giving boaters the opportunity to increase their use of mains electricity as an energy source.

 

“While the impact of canal boats on air quality is minimal when compared to other sources of pollution, we appreciate that the local effects can be perceived as a problem and we are pleased to work with Islington Council and, with Defra’s support, to introduce this new facility over the next year.”

 

Cllr Claudia Webbe, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Islington is the most densely-populated borough in the country and the boating community are an important part of that vibrant mix.  At the same time there are high levels of air pollution across Islington, making this a very serious issue for every one of us – it is literally a matter of life and death.

 

“The potential for bringing cleaner power to the canal is an exciting and ground-breaking development that will surely benefit boat owners and all those who use and enjoy the canal and towpaths, as well as neighbours in the immediate surroundings.

 

“While recognising the challenges for some boat owners in leaving diesel generators and solid fuel burners behind in favour of electricity, the benefits for all of using a cleaner, greener fuel are clear

 

“I look forward to working with the boating community and the Canal & River Trust on monitoring the success of this positive step forward.”

 

During the transition period there will be ongoing work with the boating community to identify the support required to move fully to electrical power. Islington Council and the Trust will act together to support this, including offering training and technical advice.  Towards the end of the transition period, in 2021, there will be an evaluation of the progress made ahead of the implementation of the full restrictions planned for the eco-mooring zone.  This will include looking at the wider availability of electric charging infrastructure across London’s waterways, the impact of tighter restrictions on boaters and the use of these moorings, on local air quality measures, and the wellbeing of local residents.

 

The commitment to an eco-mooring zone is part of the Trust’s London Mooring Strategy, which was developed in consultation with boaters to address the unique challenges, and opportunities, of boating in the capital.

 

ENDS

 

For further media requests please contact the Canal & River Trust press office:

T: 0203 3204 4514 E: press.office@canalrivertrust.org.uk

More of a Lower Pollution Mooring than 'Eco'? Eco means it must have one or more of those Incredible Fans!

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2 hours ago, Jess-- said:

looking at average house prices & wages for 1970 and 2010 with figures from various places  your argument looks to have a few holes in it

 

in 1970 the average house price was £4,975 with average wages at £1,664 per year, this meant that a house represented around 3 years worth of wages

by 2010 the average house price was around £252,000 and the average wage around £21,500 meaning that a house represented around 12 years worth of wages

 

could you have afforded a house in 1970 if they had cost 4 times as much?

I bought a house at that time, and I had £146 left to furnish it. I had a good job, but lets face it, I had to economise: second hand TV, cooker, and fridge, plus rubbish chairs and table from an auction house.  My single bed cost £30, and I was sorted . No central heating, I made my own curtains.

Later on I had a not so good job, but had two others on the side, so really, I don't have a huge amount of sympathy for those who don't bother to work hard enough to purchase a house, AND THEN  COMPLAIN.

They expect to be handed everything on a plate, and its not always going to happen.

 

Edited by LadyG
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2 hours ago, Jess-- said:

looking at average house prices & wages for 1970 and 2010 with figures from various places  your argument looks to have a few holes in it

 

in 1970 the average house price was £4,975 with average wages at £1,664 per year, this meant that a house represented around 3 years worth of wages

by 2010 the average house price was around £252,000 and the average wage around £21,500 meaning that a house represented around 12 years worth of wages

 

could you have afforded a house in 1970 if they had cost 4 times as much?

It also needs pointing out that inflation and mortgate rates were up to 3-5x higher in the 1970s than they are now, which suggests that mortgage payments were a similar percentage of wages, at least in the times of highest inflation. The low interest rates now are one reason that prices are so high.

 

The bigger issue is that a 10% deposit used to be 4 month's wages, in 2010 it was 15 months's wages, now it's about 2 years (gross) wages -- this is the biggest reason young people can't get onto the "housing ladder" unless they can get the money from the bank of mum and dad. It's nothing to do with not working hard (because the only alternative is paying sky-high rents, which they're having to do), it's that they've got no way of raising such an enormous amount of cash.

 

And the problem is much worse still in places like London (and Cambridge, and Bath, and Bristol, and...) because the prices compared to the countrywide average have gone up a lot more, average house price in London this year was £724,000. OK this is distorted by some very expensive properties, but if we take the median London price (reached by 50% or properties) that was £430,000 for a flat, £610,000 for a terraced house, £650,000 for semi-detached.

 

So you can't really blame people for trying to use the canals as a cheaper place to live, even though it's obvious that the number of moorings won't even make a tiny dent in the demand for affordable housing, and that lots of liveaboards crammed onto canals with not enough space makes them less attractive for "real boaters" -- meaning, the kind of people likely to be reading this forum...

Edited by IanD
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2 hours ago, Jess-- said:

looking at average house prices & wages for 1970 and 2010 with figures from various places  your argument looks to have a few holes in it

 

in 1970 the average house price was £4,975 with average wages at £1,664 per year, this meant that a house represented around 3 years worth of wages

by 2010 the average house price was around £252,000 and the average wage around £21,500 meaning that a house represented around 12 years worth of wages

 

could you have afforded a house in 1970 if they had cost 4 times as much?

When we bought our 1st house, banks would only lend 3x the 'breadwinners' salary and 1.5 times the "wife's" salary, since SWBMO gave up work 3 months after we were married it was all down to me.

We bought a semi-detached in a mining village - not where we wanted to be but 'in those days' you lived where you could afford.

 

Now banks are encouraging debt by offering 5x salary - and I seem to remember in the 'height' of the problems they were offering 10x salary and 50 year mortgages. If folk cannot see the trouble they can get into with just a small increase in Interest rates then  there is not much hope for them.

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1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

When we bought our 1st house, banks would only lend 3x the 'breadwinners' salary and 1.5 times the "wife's" salary, since SWBMO gave up work 3 months after we were married it was all down to me.

We bought a semi-detached in a mining village - not where we wanted to be but 'in those days' you lived where you could afford.

 

Now banks are encouraging debt by offering 5x salary - and I seem to remember in the 'height' of the problems they were offering 10x salary and 50 year mortgages. If folk cannot see the trouble they can get into with just a small increase in Interest rates then  there is not much hope for them.

They can see the problem, but unless they want to carry on renting forever what choice do they have?

 

Also you can still buy a cheap semi in an ex-mining village in many areas of the country, but unlike "the good old days" there aren't any jobs round there any more to pay for them -- living "where you can afford" doesn't work if you can't get a job there...

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I certainly don't "blame" anyone for wanting their own place,  at times I have lived in some really cr@ppy housing, I don't "blame" anyone, but long term, there are better places to live than in a leaky sewer tube in London. If people choose to live in London, then they have to accept the pros and the cons.

There are other places, other jobs.

It is quite possible to survive on very little, but its not something people are prepared to do. I have offered people jobs who send me their c.v., if they can knock on a few doors to find me customers, I am not asking them to invest anything other than a few hours, but they don't want to give it a try. 

Edited by LadyG
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