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Change of visitor moorings at BoA


gary955

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There was a previous thread about the proposed change of use, of a visitor mooring below the lock at Bradford on Avon, to a permanent mooring for a widebeam hairdressing salon.

It's all gone a bit quiet so I thought I'd have a peek at the planning application on Wiltshire councils website (I urge you to have a look, the application number is W/13/00589/FUL ) to see how it's getting along. There are very many well considered objections. Most pointing out the congestion at that lock, the danger to navigation presented by a widebeam just before a lock on a bend, the fact that this is the first lock encountered by many inexperienced hirers, the loss of scarce visitor mooring at a popular attraction, the noise of a permanantly running genny or engine for running hairdryers.... the list goes on. As well as all these objections by concerned individuals, there are objections from the BOA Preservation Trust, Wiltshire Councils rights of way/countryside dept, The K&A Trade Association, the River Avon Users Group and the Inland Waterways Association.

What about the C&RT? surely they won't condone such a use in such a congested spot! not with such pressure on visitor moorings on the western K&A!

Nope. In the response in their official capacity as consultees on this matter and after considering all aspects including navigational safety, the operational needs of the waterway and the impact on recreational use of the waterway they can raise no objection at all!

to the canal being used as a surrogate high street for a business with no intrinsic link to the waterway at all, in an area with several hairdressers within a mile radius.

Do the C&RT care about the needs of boaters at all?

Discuss

 

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I posted the original thread , my understanding was that the hairdressers were well known on the Cut . When I spoke with Wiltshire Council ( who it seems own the moorings , not CRT ) they made it clear that it was not a residential mooring at all , I cannot believe that the hairdressers will make enough money out of owning a widebeam , a mooring and also be able to pay for a seperate residence . The obvious answer is that they may believe they can live on the boat as well , they cannot , and I only hope that they are informed of this before waisting alot of money .

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If it is who I think it is, they've been running the business for quite a while now, as well as cutting hair, she makes hair accessories and sells them online and he is a boat engineer. If you have more than one string to your bow and/or you have customers on the bankside, then there's no reason why a floating business can't work. Don't ask me how I know this. biggrin.png

 

CRT really don't care about liveaboards on moorings without planning permission. And I don't think many of the local authorities do, either, I think they'd rather that than add yet more people to a waiting list for social housing that doesn't exist.

 

Although I welcome trading boats (we've got a lively bunch of trading boats in London, now, selling allsorts), I don't necessarily agree with what they're doing with this visitor mooring, if it is as you say, needed.

Edited by Lady Muck
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It is who you think it is. And it is so ill-thought out that I'll bet Suzie Mercer has a hand in it.

 

It's possibly the busiest leisure visitor mooring on the whole of the K and A - I am not exaggerating. It is used by hire boats, leisure boats, liveaboards, day boats and canoes and the KanA Trust trip boat if the lock operating moorings (2 boats) are full.

 

It's just before the lock and at most an hour away from 3 hire bases so often used the day before hand back. It's an ideal stop for Bradford-on-Avon, historic tithe barn right outside etc. It's rarely used by liveaboards except as intended, an overnight stop just below the busiest lock. It fills up at night every night for 6 months of the year.

 

This thing is a monster widebeam, the lock at BOA has a fierce flush and the canal is particularly narrow right there. Exactly where they want to put it is the first place you can see if the lock gates are open. If they're not that is one of the very few moorings you can use before the lock operating ones which take two boats. So any queue and you're stuffed with a fierce flow almost certainly pushing you into anyone stupid enough to leave a widebeam right there.

 

It is such a stupid idea only CRT could come up with it.

 

And the last thing BOA needs is another hairdresser.

Edited by Chris Pink
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Well, Chris, did I tell you about the 5 foot draft Tjalk that CRT decided to move to the mooring next to me? Where the actual depth is little over 2 foot.

 

The boat owner knew better than to trust CRT and showed up here with a yard stick a week before he was to be moved! So nothing, ever, surprises me anymore.

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I stand corrected about the mooring ownership , however , I will repeat , Wiltshire Council was very clear that it cannot be used as a residential mooring . Now knowing that income would also be coming from a different source , the engineer , it seems obvious to me that this is a back door attempt to get a prime mooring . I will always wish a fellow boater well in making a living on the Cut , but I'm sorry , this is at my and other boat users expense , and simply not acceptable . Chris raises very valid points about the location having sat there myself as hire boats bang about .

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  • 2 weeks later...

As of Friday the 12th the application has been approved , however , and I have this from the boat owner , they will not be living aboard . I think the location is still a bad one and the loss of a space very unfortunate for those of us that use that location , however I wish them luck in their venture .

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I moored my monster widebeam immediately after the visitor moorings below BoA lock last May - next to the tithe barn. It was a sunny bank holiday and the only mooring available at the time so I was fortunate to get in. I left it there for a few days and don't think it got in anyone's way, but 2 NBs would have had trouble passing each other next to my boat.

 

If the boat in question is the one I'm thinking of it's the same beam as mine, but 3ft longer. So I don't think the fact that it's a widebeam is the main issue here, it's more a concern that a prime visitor mooring is being handed over to an individual's business interest, and that does seem wrong to me. How do those who are losing a mooring benefit from this - apart from being able to have their hair done and nails manicured?

Edited by blackrose
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I moored my monster widebeam immediately after the visitor moorings below BoA lock last May - next to the tithe barn. It was a sunny bank holiday and the only mooring available at the time so I was fortunate to get in. I left it there for a few days and don't think it got in anyone's way, but 2 NBs would have had trouble passing each other next to my boat.

 

If the boat in question is the one I'm thinking of it's the same beam as mine, but 3ft longer. So I don't think the fact that it's a widebeam is the main issue here, it's more a concern that a prime visitor mooring is being handed over to an individual's business interest, and that does seem wrong to me. How do those who are losing a mooring benefit from this - apart from being able to have their hair done and nails manicured?

I was moored right behind you the day you left . Apparently , and I'm hearing this through the Grapevine , there will be an added VM I guess past the Tithe Barn , I imagine it will be a 24H with new rings , in which case a 2 week spot will be lost . That aside where they will be moored I think there will be just enough room for a widebeam , I guess they will have to be extra careful using a cut throat razor as they will almost certainly have plenty of boats bouncing off their sides .

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I was moored right behind you the day you left . Apparently , and I'm hearing this through the Grapevine , there will be an added VM I guess past the Tithe Barn , I imagine it will be a 24H with new rings .

 

Ah, so you were the one with that nasty smokey exhaust that had me choking and gasping for air as I tried to remove my monster mooring pins! The wind was blowing it straight at me.

 

I couldn't get away quick enough! cheers.gif

 

If what you say is correct and where I was moored becomes a new 24hr visitor mooring, I think they'll have to do some dredging. I only draw 2ft 2in and I had trouble getting in there.

Edited by blackrose
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Ah, so you were the one with that nasty smokey exhaust that had me choking and gasping for air as I tried to remove my monster mooring pins! The wind was blowing it straight at me.

 

I couldn't get away quick enough! cheers.gif

 

If what you say is correct and where I was moored becomes a new 24hr visitor mooring, I think they'll have to do some dredging. I only draw 2ft 2in and I had trouble getting in there.

Sorry about that , you'll be glad to know the engine , Lister SR3 , has just had a complete overhaul ,new cylinders , pistons , and exhaust so should be marginally better !

Don't see dredging on the horizon .

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As of Friday the 12th the application has been approved , however , and I have this from the boat owner , they will not be living aboard . I think the location is still a bad one and the loss of a space very unfortunate for those of us that use that location , however I wish them luck in their venture .

I Dont "live aboad" my boat, the marina I'm moored in dont allow it. The evidence that I dont live aboard is that I have a postal address elsewhere.

There are lots of CaRT on line leasure moorings where people dont "live aboard"!

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I Dont "live aboad" my boat, the marina I'm moored in dont allow it. The evidence that I dont live aboard is that I have a postal address elsewhere.

There are lots of CaRT on line leasure moorings where people dont "live aboard"!

Very good point , however , I think , or rather hope , that Wiltshire Council will take a much dimmer view if the permit they have been granted is abused . If they do "" liveaboard " but with a postal address elewhere , there will be no shortage of complaints .

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I Dont "live aboad" my boat, the marina I'm moored in dont allow it. The evidence that I dont live aboard is that I have a postal address elsewhere.

There are lots of CaRT on line leasure moorings where people dont "live aboard"!

And lots of liveaboards with postal address elsewhere :-))
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This is a terrible idea. That lock is already a nightmare and heavily congested, I can't believe they granted permission.


There were at least eight boats queuing above the lock when I was there last saturday morning. This spot is third in the queue below the lock and the boat is enormous.

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Carnage

 

It could have at least been something twee and canal related, like a potter making roses and castle ware or something. What has hairdressing got to do with the canal? What value does it add to the towpath? And why does it have to be a widebeam to fit one bloody chair?

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Carnage

 

It could have at least been something twee and canal related, like a potter making roses and castle ware or something. What has hairdressing got to do with the canal? What value does it add to the towpath? And why does it have to be a widebeam to fit one bloody chair?

Because a widebeam makes a more comfortable home?

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Surely there are many other canal obstacles that boats have to negotiate - tricky bends, obstructions, lumps in towpaths, bridge holes and so on. This will just be another one, and the same thing will happen. Experienced handlers will have no problem, inexperienced ones will bump into it.

 

Richard

 

I'm not sure I'd want someone waving scissors around my ears when a hireboat hits unsure.png

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Surely there are many other canal obstacles that boats have to negotiate - tricky bends, obstructions, lumps in towpaths, bridge holes and so on. This will just be another one, and the same thing will happen. Experienced handlers will have no problem, inexperienced ones will bump into it.

 

Richard

 

I'm not sure I'd want someone waving scissors around my ears when a hireboat hits unsure.png

It's not just that it's a tricky location , it is also right in the middle of Bradford on Avon , very much a prime location , there will be accidents , there will be shouting , and there will also be one less 2 week mooring . Again , I think the "liveaboard" part of this whole saga is the bit to watch .

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