EA ditching District Enforcement

Ma Costa

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Just received this… I’m not actually sure on which stretches DE are contracted by the EA rather than town councils, but it’s interesting.

Dear non-tidal Thames boater,

The Environment Agency’s contract for our mooring management contractor, District Enforcement, will be brought to an end from 30th September 2021. This decision has been taken following a review that subsequently identified issues with our internal procurement processes, rather than as a result of any fault by District Enforcement.

District Enforcement will cease operations under the contract on 31st August 2021, with the following four weeks being spent removing their signage from our sites.

We expect to look into options to retender for this work in the future but in the meantime moorings will be managed by the Environment Agency’s Waterways staff.
 

Scapegoat

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The Environment Agency’s contract for our mooring management contractor, District Enforcement, will be brought to an end from 30th September 2021. This decision has been taken following a review that subsequently identified issues with our internal procurement processes, rather than as a result of any fault by District Enforcement.
District Enforcement will cease operations under the contract on 31st August 2021, with the following four weeks being spent removing their signage from our sites.
We expect to look into options to retender for this work in the future but in the meantime moorings will be managed by the Environment Agency’s Waterways staff.”

shame really as there seem to be more spaces available this year ?
 

TrueBlue

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It's only the EA moorings remote from tha locks that are affected - The Tesco moorings are a separate contract with Reading council.
To the boater it's all a bit of a muddle - but that's the nature of the Thames generally....
 

LimL

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Just remember, guys and girls, before you become too excited-whether you are pleased or disappointed… think of the money and resources that the EA has spent and now wasted on this enterprise. + likely costs of compensating DE . “Our” 58% will be paying for this, money that could have been spent on lock manning, vegetation clearance, dredging, repairs to pumpouts, better fresh water provision… one could go on… And still nothing is being achieved about mooring abuse and recovery of unpaid license fees.
 

Barge

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After two attempts at using outside contractors for river moorings, it's obvious to me that if a boat wants to stay put there is little they or the agency can do about it. We have all seen examples up and down the river...

As above, IMHO the agency are better off monitoring mooring themselves and keeping any revenue generated.
 

Scapegoat

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Just remember, guys and girls, before you become too excited-whether you are pleased or disappointed… think of the money and resources that the EA has spent and now wasted on this enterprise. + likely costs of compensating DE . “Our” 58% will be paying for this, money that could have been spent on lock manning, vegetation clearance, dredging, repairs to pumpouts, better fresh water provision… one could go on… And still nothing is being achieved about mooring abuse and recovery of unpaid license fees.
Unless EA bite the bullet and enforce boat names, BSC, insurance and registration nothing can be effective.
Even if DE were the most fantastic outfit they can’t take action if they can’t identify the “offenders”
 

Outinthedinghy

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Technically lock keepers have to let boats through due to the PRN but there should be an unregistered report filed and offender chased for prosecution.

As I understand it It's not a lock keeper's job to enforce registration but they should inspect and report breaches.

It is interesting to wonder whether the EA will start routine registration enforcement again at some point or if it is a thing of the past.

If it doesn't get done then it could get quite technical after a while especially in winter with flooding.
.
 
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Scapegoat

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Regardless of Registration, without a BSC, boats may be unsafe - this affects other river users. Without insurance, there could be problems in the case of an accident / collision. If an uninsured boat sinks it may impede other river users and costs of removal are ultimately bourne by fee paying registered users.
 

Outinthedinghy

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There is a fairly decent sized cruiser looks to be a steel one about 40ft half submerged across the channel above Abingdon lock on the bendy bits.

Been there for a while everyone knows about it.

It's a real hazard that one. Also another steel boat completely submerged below Shillingford (marked properly with buoys) and the sunk narrow boat behind the hallsmead ait above Shiplake. Again that is marked.

These are serious hazards if the buoys go missing or if the craft themselves move during flooding .

The Abingdon one is the worst one as it is almost in the middle of the River on a bend with limited visibility.

If that doesn't get sorted before winter floods it's going to get nasty.
 

LimL

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There is a fairly decent sized cruiser looks to be a steel one about 40ft half submerged across the channel above Abingdon lock on the bendy bits.

Been there for a while everyone knows about it.

It's a real hazard that one. Also another steel boat completely submerged below Shillingford (marked properly with buoys) and the sunk narrow boat behind the hallsmead ait above Shiplake. Again that is marked.

These are serious hazards if the buoys go missing or if the craft themselves move during flooding .

The Abingdon one is the worst one as it is almost in the middle of the River on a bend with limited visibility.

If that doesn't get sorted before winter floods it's going to get nasty.
I wrote to Mark Hill, EA Waterways Manager in June and this was his reply on 30th June:
“… with regard the sunken vessel. We let a contract with a local marine engineer in late May. Unfortunately his plant has been delayed by other emergency one (sic) the river in Oxford. As soon as this is completed we will remove the marked and obvious wreck.”

Maybe need to find another contractor then? And mark the obstruction professionally meanwhile.
 

normskib

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just wounded who paid for and looses out on all the DE signage that has appeared quite recently and extensively on every available space along the Entire length of the Thames must have cost an absolute fortune !
 

Northern Star

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Had a DE dick ask me if I had paid for mooring at Hampton Court today as I wasn't on his list which consisted of a hand written scrap of paper..

As they do not issue receipts even if you request them on their site I always take a picture screen shot of the confirmation of my arrival and payment of £8 for the second day so showed it to him.

He grunted and walked off without even a thank you but if I get a fine I will be issuing them with an invoice for my time that it will take to deal with it.
 
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Scapegoat

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Had a DE dick ask me if I had paid for mooring at Hampton Court today as I wasn't on his list which consisted of a hand written scrap of paper..

As they do not issue receipts even if you request them on their site I always take a picture screen shot of the confirmation of my arrival and payment of £8 for the second day so showed it to him.

He grunted and walked off without even a thank you but if I get a fine I will be issuing them with an invoice for my time that it will take to deal with it.
Even with a screenshot it doesn’t identify the site or site number. So I annotate the screenshot with a note of the number and location and take a photo of the board just before or after so the time data is the same.
can’t be too careful
 
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