Boaters' Update February 2012
This month we are delighted to report on the long term government contract and funding agreement for the new waterways charity in England and Wales, bring you news about BW’s mooring permit price review and an update for all business licence holders. Plus we take a closer look at an exciting programme of entertainment planned for Crick Boat Show.
Funding agreement for the Canal & River Trust
The confirmation of a long term government contract means the Canal & River Trust will get off to the best possible start. In return for the excellent benefits that the waterways provide to the nation, Defra has committed to transfer BW’s property endowment worth £460 million to the Canal & River Trust, and to provide 'funding of approximately £800 million' over the next 15 years.
The investment will help put the nation's historic network on a firm footing, with Environment Minister, Richard Benyon, commenting: "The Canal & River Trust will be a national trust for the waterways, maintaining and restoring 2,000 miles of heritage sites, wildlife habitats and open spaces so that we can all enjoy them for generations to come.
"Bringing our waterways into the Big Society puts decision-making into the hands of the thousands of people who cherish the waterways near their homes. Our £1 billion investment will get this new charity off to the strongest start possible, and let local communities and volunteers shape the future of our world-famous waterways."
Releasing the nation's waterways from Government control gives their financial future more certainty than ever. The Canal & River Trust's charitable status will mean new opportunities for revenue through donations, charitable grants and legacies, increased borrowing powers, efficiencies and volunteering activity.
Crick Boat Show & Waterways Festival
The 2012 Crick Boat Show will be an extended four-day event and will take place from 2 to 5 June to coincide with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The Show will again be organised by Waterways World, in partnership with BW and Crick Marina.
With over 200 exhibitors signed up so far, the Crick Boat Show’s Kingfisher Marquee and Quayside Area are now over 90 per cent booked for this year’s event. There is still a limited amount of space available for boats within the marina and on land. Both the Show’s Village Area and Craft & Food Marquee have been extended to accommodate demand for space.
Plans for an exciting programme of entertainment are coming along with 60s favourites ‘The Bachelors’ booked to perform in the Show’s Real Ale Marquee on Sunday 3 June, as part of their 50th year in show business tour. With 18 hit records in the UK charts, they will be performing some of their many hits, including their number one “Diane” and “I Believe”.
And as part of Crick Boat Show’s special Jubilee Celebrations, celebrated folk singer Isla St Clair will be performing a fusion of traditional and modern folk classics, as well as some waterway themed songs on Tuesday 5 June.
For more information about exhibiting at the show, contact Ian Sharpe on 01283 742977. For more information about visiting the show go to www.crickboatshow.com or call 01283 742972.
2012 mooring permit price review complete
BW has completed its three-yearly market-pricing review for 12 month mooring permits to apply in England and Wales from April 2012. Following the review, customers on BW moorings will see an average price increase of 2.6% - although there will be no price increase for customers moored at over half of BW’s directly managed sites.
The pricing review takes into account the condition, facilities, occupancy levels, strength of local demand and changes in supply at each individual BW mooring site in England and Wales. As a result of the review, mooring customers on leisure sites will face an average increase of 1.6%. On average, those on residential sites will see a 4% rise, but in London, where demand is strongest, the average increase will be 8%.
Jenny Whitehall, BW’s National Moorings Manager explains: "Our regional mooring teams have spent a lot of time researching their local moorings market and understanding the price trends of tendered vacancies. The economic environment is still challenging and that’s reflected in the fact that 220 of our 413 directly managed sites won’t have any increase at all and seven will actually see a price reduction."
Update for all business licence holders
BW is changing the way it authorises any commercial or non-private use of boats on its waterways. At present, these boats all have a Business Licence and some operators have a supplementary Trading Agreement. Moving forwards, BW intend to transfer all boats to a standard boat licence and to issue anyone using a boat for any commercial or non-personal use with a separate Operator Agreement. The Operator Agreement will set out the terms and conditions relating to that use and will be subject to a fee.
BW acknowledges that preparing and publishing the various arrangements for the transition has taken much longer than it originally anticipated. This is the biggest ever change to Boat Licensing and the boating team endeavour to have the charges, agreements and processes for all trading sectors fully resolved during the coming year.
The Operator Fees apply from 1 April 2012. They have been increased by 4.4% over the fees discussed last year. This increase is in line with the Consumer Prices Index at September 2011.
BW’s Standard Licence fees and Business Licence fees will increase by 6.4% on 1 April 2012.
Read more information on boating businesses
Local waterways respond to drought conditions
Parts of the Midlands and South East are suffering one of the most serious droughts of the last century. BW’s reservoir levels in the region are at record low levels for the time of year, so over recent months the water management team has been working with interested parties to devise a strategy for stretching limited water resources as effectively as possible.
In addition to its programme of winter works BW is investing £700,000 in around 24 schemes to improve the availability of water into the main boating season, including pumped refill of reservoirs, lock gate repairs and installing new monitoring and control instruments at pumping stations. Consultations are under way nationally and locally with the boating trade representatives, boating organisations and businesses and canal societies in areas that are likely to be worst hit by the drought. Details of restrictions to be introduced in the early part of the season will be published towards the middle of March.
Meanwhile, restrictions currently in place on the Grand Union Canal at Tring are to be relaxed on Monday 26th March: the canal will be open for through navigation between 10am and 3pm. Outside these times locks 39 - 46 will be locked up.
These measures will put the network in the best possible position for the main boating season but boaters also have an important role to play. Please give careful thought to your cruising plans and try to avoid the worst affected areas if possible.
Read more about water management
Remember however that only a relatively small proportion of the country will be seriously affected by drought conditions so perhaps this is the year that you consider exploring some of the less-travelled parts of the network?
BW waterway boundary change
From April 2012 the waterway boundary between BW’s South Wales & Severn waterway (under manager, Nick Worthington and his team) and West Midlands waterway (under manager, Dean Davies and his team) will change.
The following areas will be transferred from the South Wales & Severn waterway to the West Midlands: a 1km length of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, incorporating Stourport Basins and a 4km length of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal from Kings Norton Junction to the south portal of Wast Hill Tunnel at Hopwood Cutting.
The main reasons for this proposed change are to have a better alignment with local authority boundaries and with stakeholders (for example, volunteer groups, community groups, canal societies and regeneration/enterprise areas). Plus efficiencies in redeployment of resources and operational bases (for example, to deploy BW staff on the Droitwich Canal).
The changes do not include transferring any permanent BW staff but seasonal staff and volunteers based at Stourport will be affected. Both waterways will be working with those affected to ensure that the switchover causes the least disruption possible.
As far as possible all on-going planned work will be completed in time for the transfer.
Election reminder for boating representatives on the Canal & River Trust’s National Council
And finally, voting is well underway to select the seven volunteers who will be elected onto the new 35-strong Council of the Canal & River Trust. Four positions will be elected by boat licence holders and two positions elected by boating businesses.
Tony Hales, chair of the Canal & River Trust, said: “We had a very good response to our call for candidates and now it is time for licence holders to take up their voting rights and have their say on who will be their representative on Council.”
Votes can be cast via a designated website, by phone, or post – with full details given in your ballot pack. The election is being managed by Electoral Reform Services. Voting closes at 12noon on 9 March 2012.
