K&A Canal Semington stoppage — update

The stoppage at the Buckley's lock(15) to Barratt's Lock(16) pound at Semington has been put back for a week and this section of the canal will now be closed from Monday 30th January with completion expected on 9th March 2012. 

This stoppage, along with the others on this stretch for the canal between Semington Swing-bridge(161) and Whaddon Bridge (163) will be lifted for the weekend of 11&12 February. 

The seven week — now six week — stoppage at Semington is not only for work on the private dry-dock but also to allow British Waterways to inspect the lock chamber walls at Buckleys Lock (15) which is adjacent to the lock cottage that has suffered problems with its cellar flooding. Repairs and maintenance to the lock gates will also be done during the stoppage.

K&A Canal 60 acre oak wood project needs volunteers

The new Woodland Trust 60 acre Diamond Jubilee oak wood on the Caen Hill Flight in on the edge of Devizes on the Kennet & Avon Canal needs volunteers to help with planting. 

Caen Hill Flight: Picture by Bob Naylor©

Everyone is welcome to the community planting days — but it would be helpful if you contacted British Waterways to let thme know you are coming … and bring your own spade.

29^th January, 10am – 3pm

12^th February, 11am – 1pm

17^th March, 10am – 3pm

Groups of ten or or more can come on different days — just get in touch with Karen Fishwick the BW Volunteer Co-rdinator(South).

Email Karen at: Karen.fishwick@britishwaterways.co.uk,

or Phone her on:  07917424590

Previous story: ➠➠ 60 acre oak wood for Caen Hill to mark Queen's 60 year reign

K&A Canal central section re-opened until 9th January

The Kennet & Avon Canal central section between Locks 60 and 80 which has been closed since mid-November because of a shortage of water has re-opened temporarily to allow boat movements.

Boaters should be aware that Hungerford Marsh Lock (73) closes on the 9 January 2012 for planned winter works and travelling eastwards Monkey Marsh Lock (90) closes for scheduled works on 30 January 2012.

British Waterways will make a decision later on whether to keep the locks to the east and west of Hungerford Marsh Lock open while it is closed for maintenance.

There is no news of when Victoria Bridge on the River Avon in Bath might be re-open and make travel from Bath to Bristol possible again.

British Waterways take Claverton Pumping Station back from canal trust

The historic water powered  pumping station at Claverton on the Kennet & Avon Canal that was designed by John Rennie has a secure future now that British Waterways has taken it back from the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust. 

Claverton Pumping Station: Picture by Bob Naylor

The Trust had been running the pumping station since 1978 when Trust volunteers and students from Bath University completed a 10-year restoration project.

Now more than 30 years on the water wheel is in need of extensive restoration work that the K&A Canal Trust was unable to finance because of its shaky financial position.

Mark Stephens the Waterway Manager and Pete Dunn the Chairman of the Claverton Pumping Station Group have come up with a rescue plan that will mean that the team at Claverton will follow the example another K&ACT team, the Avon Vale Group, and they will volunteer directly for British Waterways.

British Waterways will fund all of the materials for the restoration and Pete Dunn and his team will provide skills and voluntary labour to bring it back to full working order. 

The machinery will be 200 years old in 2013 and the aim is to have it pumping water to the canal by then which will make a huge saving on electricity costs.

Pete Dunn said: "During the year-long restoration Claverton will be open to the public on the normal open days and the progress and processes of the restoration will be on view."

For more information about Claverton Pumping Station go to their website at: http://www.claverton.org

Open days for 2012
The pumping station is open to the public every Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday (except Friday 6th April and Tuesday 5th June) from March 31st until October 28th inclusive

Opening Hours
Wednesdays: 10am until 4pm (last admission 3:30pm)
Other open days 10am until 5pm (last admission 4:30pm)
Admission: £3
Children under 16 are admitted free, but all children must be accompanied by an adult 

K&A Canal Avon Vale volunteers' Christmas single

The Avon Vale Group of British  Waterways volunteers on the Kennet & Avon Canal restored a sunken BW workboat which they are now using to clear off-side growth that is narrowing the navigation. The team have taken time out to make a Christmas single... watch them in action.

The AVON VALE ALLSTARS perform Rocking around the Christmas Tree
Words & Music by Johnny Marks — Pictures by Bob Naylor

Government insists that Canal & River Trust will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act

Waterways Minister

Richard Benyon

The new waterway charity will have to comply with the Freedom of Information Act for the statutory functions it inherits from British Waterways said Waterways Minister Richard Benyon today when he gave the Government's response to the supplementary consultation on the transfer of British Waterways in England and Wales to the Canal & River Trust. 

John Bridgemen of BW and

Canal & River Trust

This decision by Government comes after BW Vice Chairman and Canal and River Trust transition trustee, John Bridgeman, said recently: "The new charity will not be 'precious' about information. "We will disclose as much as we possibly and reasonably can, but that does not mean we should be bound by the Freedom of Information Act... it is a heavy cumbersome tool intended for the public sector — and we are coming out of the public sector. This new charity has a hell of a challenge anyway keeping the waterways open — we don't think it is fair to bind us to the cumbersome bureaucracy of the FOI Act."

Bridgeman complained that last year BW had two requests from people who wanted to know about directors' expense accounts going back over 7 years: "It is costing an absolute fortune, but the law tells us we have to do it. But I am sorry — no other charity is exposed to that and I don't see why we should be," he said.

Tony Hales

Canal & River Trust  Chairman

Tony Hales, Chairman of the Canal & River Trust said: “The Trustees support the Government’s conclusions including those relating to the Freedom of Information Act.

"We are committed to ensuring that the new Trust operates to the highest standards for openness and transparency in its new status. The Minister’s statement is another important step towards the establishment of the Canal & River Trust next year.”


More on this subjuct:

➤➤ Exemption from Freedom of Information Act a benefit of charity status says BW Vice Chair

➤➤ Waterways Minister pre-empts BW consultation and says Canal & River Trust will be subject to FoI Act 

➤➤ Minister back-tracks on British Waterways FoI statement

➤➤ Benyon's statement on Freedom of Information gaffe

National boating group support Boaters' Manifesto

The National Association of Boat Owners (NABO) have thrown their weight behind the Boaters' Manifesto which has been presented to the Transition Trustees of the Canal & River Trust that will replace British Waterways on April 1st next year. Simon Robbins, Vice Chair of NABO said: "We are pleased to see that an independent group of boaters shares broadly the same concerns as we identified in our formal submission to DEFRA during the Summer, about ensuring that navigation remains a central element in the proposed Canal and River Trust. “Boaters represent one of the core funders of the navigable waterways and this will continue for the foreseeable future. Apart from the direct fees paid to BW we contribute substantially to BW’s commercial income through the services we buy from waterside businesses. “The Transition Trustees are clearly anxious to identify new funding streams for the new Charity and this is an aspiration that boaters and representative groups have consistently lobbied for over many years. “However, many boaters feel that our interests as a major existing stakeholder may be sidelined. We hope that the Transition Trustees will not overlook the fact that on a conservative estimate over 20% of BW’s annual income comes from boaters’ pockets. Boaters represent a committed group of long term shareholders in the waterways and many feel that we need to be embraced rather than, as it sometimes feels under British Waterways, simply being taken for granted. Robbins said that he is encouraged by the news that there is to be a meeting with some of the Transition Trustees to discuss the manifesto and concluded: "We are conscious that NABO are regarded by some as being among the ‘usual suspects’ in these matters and think it is important that other boaters express their concerns too.” Boaters' Manifesto — key points Waterways are about boats and boaters and the Canal and River Trust needs to listen to boaters more closely and have more representatives on the board. Before the Canal and River Trust accepts the legal burden of running the waterways it must ensure proper funding to keep all waterways open, navigable and properly maintained, otherwise it should refuse to do so. Boaters have lost faith in the most senior management of British Waterways and believe that the government should accept the cost of making them redundant to give the Canal and River Trust a fresh start. The Canal and River Trust must develop a system of working that values full time paid staff and their skills above the expediency of using cheap contractors in order to maintain the skilled workforce the waterways require. The Canal and River Trust must enforce a simplified set of mooring rules across the entire waterways system without fear or favour. The Trust must make it a priority to ensure non-boating users of the system make a financial contribution to its upkeep and that their use of the system does not impinge on its primary purpose of navigation. The Canal and River Trust must ensure it is open to Freedom of Information Act requests and operate in a totally transparent fashion if it is to earn and retain confidence. Those for whom the waterways are a home have a special interest in and value to the Canal and River Trust and should be clearly represented at board level and consulted on all navigational issues. Read the Boaters' Manifesto in full at: http://tinyurl.com/d8nuhlx The NABO submission to DEFRA can be seen at:  http://tinyurl.com/ctvaox6

Boaters to be elected to Canal & River Trust Council

Boaters can get involved in shaping the future of Britain’s waterways say British Waterways who are calling for boaters to stand for election for the Canal & River Trust Council.

Tony Hales, chair of the Canal & River Trust, said:  “The boating community has a wealth of hands-on experience of the waterways, and having boaters on board is essential to the success of the Canal & River Trust.  I am writing to all licence holders and I encourage them to put themselves forward and add their voices to those shaping the Canal & River Trust’s future.”

The new charitable trust takes over from British Waterways in April 2012 and the nominations for boaters’ positions on the Council open on 12 December 2011.

Seven positions on the 35-strong council are to be filled by boaters or boating businesses.  Four positions are to be elected by boat licence holders and two positions elected by boating businesses.  

The British Canoe Union, which holds a collective licence for around 60,000 individual and club members, will be asked to nominate a person to fill a further position representing all those who use the waterways for waterborne sport and recreation without holding individual licences.  

A  Canal & River Trust employee will also be elected by all employees at this time to serve on the Council. 

The Council will help to shape policy, raising and debating issues, and providing guidance, perspective and a sounding board for the trustees.  It will also have the power to appoint or dismiss trustees. 

Members of the Canal & River Trust Council will be expected to bring the experience and perspective of the constituency they represent and to provide a voice for their interests.  In exercising this role they will have tact in the interests of the charitable purposes of the Trust.  

Members will serve for a term of four years.

Boaters who want to stand for election in any of these groups will need to complete a simple nomination form which will be available to download from 12 December 2011 at: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/councilnomination and must be returned by 18 January 2012.  

To be eligible to stand for election and vote in the election, boaters must hold a 12-month boat licence on 18 January 2012.  Nominations must be supported by ten sponsors who each also hold a valid 12-month boat licence on this date. 

Voting will take place between 8 February and 9 March 2012 via a designated website or by SMS text.   Voting by post will also be possible, but only for this first set of Council elections.  The election is being managed by Electoral Reform Services.

The Boaters' Manifesto — final version published

Boaters' Manifesto
New Website at: http://boatersmanifesto.weebly.com

This manifesto was compiled as the result of responses to a request made on half a dozen boaters’ groups of Facebook (total membership around 2,500) and through various individual boaters’ Twitter networks and discussion groups.

Boaters were asked to let the transition trustees know what they actually need from them so that they can respond to the new charity with enthusiasm and commitment. A first draft was produced and offered to same group of boaters for further amendments and additions and this is the result.

Key Points

1. Waterways are about boats and boaters and the Canal and River Trust needs to listen to boaters more closely and have more representatives on the board.

2. Before the Canal and River Trust accepts the legal burden of running the waterways it must ensure proper funding to keep all waterways open, navigable and properly maintained, otherwise it should refuse to do so.

3. Boaters have lost faith in the most senior management of British Waterways and believe that the government should accept the cost of making them redundant to give the Canal and River Trust and fresh start.

4. The Canal and River Trust must develop a system of working that values full time paid staff and their skills above the expediency of using cheap contractors in order to maintain the skilled workforce the waterways require.

5. The Canal and River Trust must enforce a simplified set of mooring rules across the entire waterways system without fear or favour.

6. The Trust must make it a priority to ensure non-boating users of the system make a financial contribution to its upkeep and that their use of the system does not impinge on its primary purpose of navigation.

7. The Canal and River Trust must ensure it is open to Freedom of Information Act requests and operate in a totally transparent fashion if it is to earn and retain confidence.

8. Those for whom the waterways are a home have a special interest in and value to the Canal and River Trust and should be clearly represented at board level and consulted on all navigational issues.

Why the Canal and River Trust should listen to boaters

Navigable waterways were not only created for boats, they are only still with us today because boats and boaters found a new use for them as commercial traffic came to an end.

It has been boaters – not cyclists or walkers or fishermen – who have fought to reopen neglected canals in the face of official opposition; with British Waterways only jumping on the bandwagon in recent years.

Canals without boats don’t last very long for other users as there is no longer a reason to keep the unique industrial heritage in working order, the structures crumble, the water silts up and little is left. Waterways need boats as much as boats need waterways.

Boaters are the only group that has already made a substantial financial and personal commitment to the waterways as well as the only collection of individuals that pays substantial annual fees for their upkeep.

Boaters, especially those with many years of experience and those who live on their craft and travel widely on the system have a wealth of expertise that has been largely ignored by British Waterways and those who helped to compile this manifesto fear that the Canal and River Trust may continue this policy.

Most of all we would like to see many more experienced boaters, proper users of the system, taking a role at national and regional level than the current proposals suggest. Just five out of 35 (7 if you include boating business representatives) at a national level is simply inadequate. It is vital that many more than the proposed 50 per cent are elected by people concerned with the function of the waterways, primarily boaters.

Navigation

Boaters need to be assured that all existing navigations are sufficiently well maintained to enable the vessels designed to use them to travel the whole length of those waterways at all times of the year and operate locks and other equipment with relative ease and safety.

Waterways must not be allowed to deteriorate through lack of maintenance and the Canal and River Trust must have sufficient contingency funds to deal with a major breach – on the scale of those on the Shropshire Union Canal the Monmouth and Breconshire Canal in recent years - without delay.

This means that sufficient government funding is a prerequisite for the Canal and River Trust and if the levels of funding do not fill the massive gap identified by the IWA, and the specialist waterways MPs group, the trustees should refuse to sanction the creation of the charity. It will not be enough to depend on optimistic projections of future charitable income and would be dangerous to do so.

We believe some of the financial projections offered by British Waterways and Defra are simply wrong as they do not model the true cost of creating a well maintained system and accept the projections of a ‘steady state’ with a massive maintenance backlog and need to be tested far more critically than seems the case at present.

If the funding is not adequate to keep all waterways open, navigable and well maintained the Canal and River Trust should refuse to accept the task of running the waterways.

Management

Executive management

Boaters and many others have completely lost faith in the most senior levels of British Waterways’ management in recent years and almost all those who contributed to this manifesto want to see the current directors removed before the Canal and River Trust begins to run the system. It is our belief that government should bear the cost of making these people redundant as the new charitable role is essentially different. Our concern centres on the enormously expensive pay, pension and perks packages of the most senior directors and their willingness to grab bonus payments when staff are being penalised by pay rise well under the rate of inflation and we believe that their continued presence will make it extremely difficult to create any trust among boaters in the Canal and River Trust. That is especially the case as many of the commercial ventures in which they are supposed to be experts have failed to produce promised results.

Boaters do not believe the Canal and River Trust should be willing and will not be able to pay such large scale remuneration and feel that the removal of a group of directors who have little understanding of waterways or boats would do more to give the Trust a fresh start than any new logo.

Middle management

British Waterways’ workforce has become disconnected from the system it looks after. This is due to attempts to farm out much of the bankside and construction work to the cheapest available contractors, along with a policy that obliges the workforce to work in teams covering large areas.

Boaters would like to see visible individuals responsible for a particular stretch of waterway, with clear responsibilities and accountability in the event of failures. 

We believe the skills of the workforce should be valued, encouraged and passed on, especially as caring for a 200 year old artefact requires special expertise. We would like to see work brought back in house and apprenticeships encouraged along the lines of those provided by the National Trust.

Mooring

Whatever else the Canal and River Trust does it will achieve most with most boaters if it applies the same rules on mooring to all parts of the waterways system and enforces them without fear or favour.

This does not exclude setting up special rules in hot-spot areas; but they should then be available for all hot-spots in the country that want to adopt them. We do not believe there is anything wrong with the current mooring guidelines but feel they must be applied equally and effectively across the country. Don’t make rules the Canal and River Trust can’t enforce.

Towpath issues.

Boaters do not mind sharing the towpaths with fishermen, walkers, cyclists and dogs – although we draw the line at motorised vehicles and horses, other than those used to tow boats.

We do believe it is essential the Canal and River Trust finds ways of ensuring all those users contribute to the costs of upkeep and abide by a national set of rules.

Once again enforcement will be the key to stopping dog fouling, rubbish and speeding cyclists putting lives at risk.

We would encourage the new Trust to get into schools, angling clubs, cycling, ramblers etc and educate them about the policies on the towpath, and about canals and waterways in general so we can all enjoy them

An open society?

The Canal and River Trust needs to be completely open with boaters and other supporters and we would urge Trustees to stop avoiding the inclusion of the charity in Freedom of Information legislation.

Given the sensitive existing issues over directors pay, commercial operations such as BWML, pub chains and property development it is essential that the Canal and River Trust’s supporters are able to assure themselves that the murky goings on under British Waterways are brought out into the open and that complete transparency is the rule as soon as the charity begins business.

The Canal and River Trust is vitally important to boaters. Other users can always find what they're looking for somewhere else, if the new trust is not up to scratch, their stake is minimal. If the canal system crumbles then where are all the boat users going to go? 

Liveaboard boaters

The Canal and River Trust should endeavour to help those who live on their boats by the provision of more residential moorings where needed and perhaps usable postal addresses (BFPO can do it for the forces), recycling facilities, more potable water and sewage disposal points.

Those who live on the waterways system, several thousand people, should have specific representation on the board of the Trust.

Peter Underwood compiled the manifesto following requests from half a dozen boaters’ groups on Facebook (total membership around 2,500) and through various boaters’ networks on Twitter.

For more information go to: Boaters' manifesto Facebook page 

And you can follow Peter Underwoods blog 'Living Afloat' at: http://peterunderwood2.blogspot.com

Boaters' Manifesto — A transtion trustee responds

John Dodwell, one of the Transition Trustees for the new waterway charity, The Canal & River Trust, has responded to the draft Boaters' Manifesto document prepared by Peter Underwood 

John Dodwell's response can be seen in full on Peter's Blog 'Goodbye Blackberry Way' at: http://peterunderwood.blogspot.com/2011/10/boaters-manifesto.html

'Why archive?' — a talk by Elaine Kirby

Elaine Kirby with a picture of Archivist, Richard Pearce-Moses

Picture by Bob Naylor©

"Archivists keep records that have enduring value as reliable memories of the past, and they help people find and understand the information they need in those records."

The words of renowned American archivist, Richard Pearce-Moses who is the inspiration for Elaine Kirby's talk 'Why Archive' which Devizes Boat Club have organised at the Canal Centre on Devizes Wharf on Saturday — all are invited.

Elaine is the Administrator and one of a team of volunteers at the Kennet & Avon Canal Archive based at the British Waterways offices at Caen Hill in Devizes. 

She brings to the talk many unpublished old pictures of the Kennet & Avon Canal along with some memorable early film — including some old colour film shot by the Army Air Corps that highlights the many changes to the look of the canal in recent years.

Stills from the Army Air Corps film of the K&ACanal

Saturday 12  November 2011 at 7pm in the upstairs meeting room of the Canal Centre on Devizes Wharf.
There is a charge of £2 a head. Tea and coffee will be provided and any surplus money from the evening will go towards the work of the archive.

You are welcome to bring your own wine and beer.

The K&A Canal archive team are a mine of useful information — they can be contacted at:  kamuseumandarch@yahoo.co.uk

Dundas Wharf building on the K&A Canal declared unsafe

Because of the dangerous state of the Sanitary Facilities building on Dundas Wharf boaters are advised not to moor there — and the services are out of use until further notice.


The nearest British Waterways facilities are at Bradford on Avon Wharf. 

BW impose massive pump-out price hike

Boaters using British Waterways pump-outs will face a huge increase in costs from tomorrow.

The price will rise from £10 to £14.75 with BW claiming that it actually costs them more than £30 to provide the service.

They blame the price hike on the cost of call-outs for breakdowns which they say are mostly caused by customer mis-use — and on the cost of emptying septic tanks in remote areas. They say that they will consult locally about closing the most expensive sites.

British Waterways say they did not give notice of the price changes because they wanted to avoid stock-piling of cards prior to the increase which comes into effect tomorrow.

Minister back-tracks on British Waterways FoI statement

Waterways Minister, Richard Benyon

Picture by Bob Naylor©

Waterways Minister Richard Benyon was quite clear when he responded in Parliament on 13 October 2011 to a question from Chippenham MP, Duncan Hames, about how the freedom of information legislation would affect the new waterways charity. 

He said: "I am grateful for the opportunity to point out that all the provisions that currently exist for British Waterways in that regard will follow through to the new charity. If the new charity is to have the credibility that it must have, it is important that we assure all those who really mind about this matter that we are protecting those rights.”

The story has taken a bizarre twist and Richard Benyon has now written to Duncan Hames saying that his statement in Parliament was 'premature' and that the issue would be decided by Defra once the responses to the latest consultation have been considered.  He further said that he will be laying a Written Ministerial Statement today to put the record straight. We will publish this as soon as it is available.

Read ➤➤ Waterways Minister pre-empts BW consultation and says Canal & River Trust will be subject to FoI Act

Also read ➤➤ Exemption from Freedom of Information Act a benefit of charity status says BW Vice Chair

Waterways Minister pre-empts BW consultation and says Canal & River Trust will be subject to FoI Act

Waterways Minister Richard Benyan: Picture by Bob Naylor©

The Waterways Minister, Richard Benyon has made it clear in a statement to Parliament that despite the protests of the eight Transition Trustees that the Freedom of Information Act would place an unfair and discriminatory burden on the charity they will, nonetheless, be bound by the legislation.

Eleven days before the closing date of the consultation Chippenham MP Duncan Hames asked Waterways Minister, Richard Benyon what plans he had to ensure the new Trust's decision-making is transparent and accountable and would he consider applying to it the Freedom of Information Act?



Richard Benyon responded, saying: "I am grateful for the opportunity to point out that all the provisions that currently exist for British Waterways in that regard will follow through to the new charity. If the new charity is to have the credibility that it must have, it is important that we assure all those who really mind about this matter that we are protecting those rights.”

BW Vice Chairman John Bridgeman
Picture by Bob Naylor©

But a few days after the Minister's announcement in Parliament, the Vice Chairman of British Waterways, John Bridgeman, who is one of Transition Trustees for the new charity,  said: "The new charity will not be 'precious' about information. We will disclose as much as we possibly and reasonably can, but that does not mean we should be bound by the Freedom of Information Act... it is a heavy cumbersome tool intended for the public sector — and we are coming out of the public sector. This new charity has a hell of a challenge anyway keeping the waterways open — we don't think it is fair to bind us to the cumbersome bureaucracy of the FOI Act."


Also read: Exemption from Freedom of Information Act a benefit of charity status says BW Vice Chair

K&A Canal navigation note — Aldermaston Lift Bridge is now working normally

The repairs on Aldermaston Lift Bridge (28) are complete and the bridge is working normally.

British Waterways needs a 'Social Media Executive'

To help promote its transition from a quango to a charity on 1 April next year BW is looking for someone to review its existing social media activities and guidelines and to develop a new strategy to help the new Canal & River Trust to build new audiences and attract supporters — and for this they are offering between £27k and £31k to the right person.


The job involves taking responsibility for the charity's social media activity on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and elsewhere and their ad says: "Your skills will include social media techniques such as blogging, video editing and the competent use of cameras and smartphones etc."

The job is a fixed-term contract until the end of November 2012

The closing date for applications is noon on Friday 4th November 2011.

More information at ➤➤ BW Social Media job ad 

Kennet & Avon Canal Winter Moorings — now online

British Waterways short term winter moorings for boaters without a home mooring are available online now.

The winter moorings generally take up about half the length of established visitor moorings so that space is left for cruising boats to use.

Moorings on the Kennet & Avon Canal are at:

• Bath — Top Lock 
• Bath — Darlington Wharf 
• Bathampton  
• Dundas
• Avoncliff 
• Semington 
• Seend 
• Devizes Wharf 
• Horton
• All Cannings 
• Honeystreet
• Pewsey
• Wootton Rivers
• Crofton 
• Great Bedwyn
• Hungerford Church
• Hungerford Wharf
• Kintbury 
• Newbury Lock
• Newbury Wharf 
• Thatcham Bridge
• Woolhampton 
• Tyle Mill 
• Theale Swing Bridge

Go to ➤➤ Winter moorings