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Middle levels, New Parliamentary Bill


NigelMoore

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With the bill now an Act of Parliament, Has the new order worked out a series of charges for boaters?

 

I understand the Middle Level Commissioners has the distinction of being the fourth largest navigation authority in the country. 

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29 minutes ago, Heartland said:

 

 

I understand the Middle Level Commissioners has the distinction of being the fourth largest navigation authority in the country. 

 

Interesting - what criteria have been used to come to that conclusion?

 

Length of waterway ?

No of boats registered ?

No of moorings provided ?

 

Just as an example - the ML had some 341 boats registered, the Bridgewater had 750, whilst even the Wey had 2483 and Loch Lomond claims 9929 boats registered.

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46 minutes ago, Heartland said:

With the bill now an Act of Parliament, Has the new order worked out a series of charges for boaters?

 

I understand the Middle Level Commissioners has the distinction of being the fourth largest navigation authority in the country. 

The registration of boats will be in byelaws yet to be introduced.  Consultation on these is expected shortly and the latest indication is that registration charges will be introduced from 2020.

 

The designation as the fourth largest navigation authority is in terms of the length of waterway under the control of the MLC.  It controls 120 miles of waterway of which 100 miles are statutory navigations. 

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10 minutes ago, erivers said:

The designation as the fourth largest navigation authority is in terms of the length of waterway under the control of the MLC.  It controls 120 miles of waterway of which 100 miles are statutory navigations. 

If 'length' is the criteria then they certainly are the fourth largest.

 

C&RT = 3,500km

EA = 1,162km

Broads = 200km

ML = 150km

Port of London = 125km

 

The City Of York Council is then the 'smallest' navigation authority with only having 3km (River Foss)

 

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20 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If 'length' is the criteria then they certainly are the fourth largest.

 

C&RT = 3,500km

EA = 1,162km

Broads = 200km

ML = 150km

Port of London = 125km

 

The City Of York Council is then the 'smallest' navigation authority with only having 3km (River Foss)

 

It could be the oldest, though, with an Act of 1465 allowing York to control navigation on the Ouse.

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2 minutes ago, Pluto said:

It could be the oldest, though, with an Act of 1465 allowing York to control navigation on the Ouse.

Just a 'Johnny come lately' youngster then :

 

The Foss Dyke, or Fossdyke, connects the River Trent at Torksey to Lincoln, the county town of Lincolnshire, and may be the oldest canal in England that is still in use. It is usually thought to have been built around AD 120 by the Romans, but there is no consensus among authors. It was refurbished in 1121, during the reign of King Henry I, and responsibility for its maintenance was transferred to the city of Lincoln by King James I. Improvements made in 1671 included a navigable sluice or lock at Torksey, and warehousing and wharves were built at Brayford Pool in the centre of Lincoln.

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45 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Just a 'Johnny come lately' youngster then :

 

The Foss Dyke, or Fossdyke, connects the River Trent at Torksey to Lincoln, the county town of Lincolnshire, and may be the oldest canal in England that is still in use. It is usually thought to have been built around AD 120 by the Romans, but there is no consensus among authors. It was refurbished in 1121, during the reign of King Henry I, and responsibility for its maintenance was transferred to the city of Lincoln by King James I. Improvements made in 1671 included a navigable sluice or lock at Torksey, and warehousing and wharves were built at Brayford Pool in the centre of Lincoln.

It's an interesting debate (well I think so!) as to what constitutes a navigation authority, as distinct from someone (eg the Romans, or the Crown) just doing something to make a navigation.

The book I have on land drainage says the first commissioners of sewers (not the current use of the word!) date from 1258 in Lincolnshire, and were the first precursors for what evolved into modern local government structures. They were initially focussed on flood defence and land drainage rather than navigation, so it is maybe that Pluto is right and York wins.

Edited by Scholar Gypsy
incompetence
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2 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

The book I have on land drainage says the first commissioners of sewers (not the current use of the word!) date from 1258 in Lincolnshire, and were the first precursors for what evolved into modern local government structures. They were initially focussed on flood defence and land drainage rather than navigation, so it is maybe that Pluto is right and York wins.

 

I guess it comes down to 'what is a 'navigation authority' ?

 

 

It was reputedly used by the Danes when they invaded England and by the Normans to carry stone to build Lincoln Cathedral in the 11th century. During the reign of King Henry I the canal is recorded as having been scoured out to increase its depth in 1121, but it deteriorated until by the 17th century it was virtually impassable. Katherine Swynford, who lived in the area, is credited with having organized a protest to repair it, in 1375.

King James I transferred ownership to the Corporation of Lincoln and Acts of Parliament were passed in 1753 and 1762 for straightening and dredging it. It received further work in 1840 but with the coming of the railways its use declined. The Great Northern Railway bought the lease in 1846, and offered tolls on the railway which were significantly cheaper than those on the canal, with the result that the traffic declined quickly, although grain traffic continued to use the waterway until 1972.

 

 

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  • 8 months later...
2 hours ago, NigelMoore said:

The public has until 9th October to stick their oar in over the content and wording of the byelaws. Last chance to have your say over legislation on the Middle Level navigations.

 

https://middlelevel.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Draft-Navigation-Byelaws-for-web-1.pdf

What is your take on the draft?

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Just now, Mike Todd said:

What is your take on the draft?

I went through the original ages ago, and made various points which the now departed chap in charge said he would take onboard. He may have done so, but at this remove I cannot comment, not having read the latest as published in the link. Bit busy with other matters just now.

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