Osborne Bay claimed anchoring ban 

In January 2012 English Heritage (EH) applied for a marine licence under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (the 2009 Act) to lay a series of buoys off Osborne Bay, Isle of Wight.

EH's original application indicated that the function of these buoys was to mark a swimming area and to protect the eelgrass in the bay. The application also requested that anchoring and navigation be prohibited within the area marked by the buoys.

The RYA objected to this application and pointed out that EH's statutory remit is confined to the built environment rather than the natural environment. As a result, a revised proposal was put forward by EH that no longer included the requested anchoring and navigation ban.

However, the RYA's objection that the linking together of the marker buoys with rope would present a significant hazard to navigation was not addressed by EH and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) issued a marine licence despite the fact that serious navigational safety concerns remained outstanding.

In addition, it has been reported that a representative of EH has been instructing boaters that they cannot anchor on the foreshore, despite the fact that EH does not have this authority.

The RYA is challenging both EH and the MMO over their involvement in this issue in order to ensure that boaters may continue to exercise their right of navigation in the bay.