byron
RIP
Just out of interest I was wondering what the feelings are about who would be better suited to running the Thames. BWB or ENVAG.
BWB or ENVAG ?
- Thread starter byron
- Start date
sarabande
Well-known member
Either, provided there was a statutory couple of places on the Board for genuine users - with full voting rights!
Brayman
Active member
My guess, they would be as bad as each other.
TrueBlue
Well-known member
You must be joking?
Neither -
The EA is far too large to look after such a small part of its' total holdings. It would be fine if the Thames was treated as a stand alone division of the EA (may be), but as it is the management has to call on different sections of EA - and outside bodies to do anything. Even the River is divided into three sections - whom I am told don't speak to each other. Boaters can get a measure of this by looking at the lock gear and apparently the round-type-with-a-carbuncle-on-the-top has different operating sequences between sections.
BW has perhaps more funds and more wellie, but would want to turn the river into a linear park for - NARROWBOATS; I say again, NARROWBOATS. You'd love that wouldn't you, Byron.
Ah, But, I have a fiendish plan. What about a single authority responsible for the whole non-tidal Thames, with its own staff, local accommodation for resident lockkeepers, a tree cutting gang, smart launches - especially a girt big one for senior management outings, nice uniforms and so on.
What about calling it <span style="color:blue">The Thames Conservancy</span>?
Revolutionary or what???
Neither -
The EA is far too large to look after such a small part of its' total holdings. It would be fine if the Thames was treated as a stand alone division of the EA (may be), but as it is the management has to call on different sections of EA - and outside bodies to do anything. Even the River is divided into three sections - whom I am told don't speak to each other. Boaters can get a measure of this by looking at the lock gear and apparently the round-type-with-a-carbuncle-on-the-top has different operating sequences between sections.
BW has perhaps more funds and more wellie, but would want to turn the river into a linear park for - NARROWBOATS; I say again, NARROWBOATS. You'd love that wouldn't you, Byron.
Ah, But, I have a fiendish plan. What about a single authority responsible for the whole non-tidal Thames, with its own staff, local accommodation for resident lockkeepers, a tree cutting gang, smart launches - especially a girt big one for senior management outings, nice uniforms and so on.
What about calling it <span style="color:blue">The Thames Conservancy</span>?
Revolutionary or what???
Sammo
New member
I don`t care who runs it as long as they are fair and the environment agency are a long way off implement fair business practices…..The way they charge from the 1st January for a licence applied for anytime before 1st Sept gives them money for nothing and that is no way to win the hearts and minds of it`s customers……BW don`t do that..and charge for shorter periods…...even south coast marinas are not that hardfaced……
Someone said that they were short of money as they had been fined 8 million pounds for some EU farming thing they cocked up….well if that’s the case it explains their attitude….but I don`t see why we should have to foot the bill..
Remember the EA are charged with dishing out fines to industry for waste disposal offences so they’re not used to dealing with the leisure industry. ….
It`s a bit like putting the VAT man in charge of Disneyland….
……
Someone said that they were short of money as they had been fined 8 million pounds for some EU farming thing they cocked up….well if that’s the case it explains their attitude….but I don`t see why we should have to foot the bill..
Remember the EA are charged with dishing out fines to industry for waste disposal offences so they’re not used to dealing with the leisure industry. ….
It`s a bit like putting the VAT man in charge of Disneyland….
……
TrueBlue
Well-known member
FYI -
[ QUOTE ]
I don`t care who runs it as long as they are fair and the environment agency are a long way off implement fair business practices…..The way they charge from the 1st January for a licence applied for anytime before 1st Sept gives them money for nothing and that is no way to win the hearts and minds of it`s customers……BW don`t do that..and charge for shorter periods…...even south coast marinas are not that hardfaced……
[/ QUOTE ]
EA say their licensing structure is bound by their enabling legislation for the Thames, which fixes the rules under which they offer licenses. That seemed a reasonable excuse until one notices that they have been offering discounts to some classes of visitors. I can't find anything in the published byelaws that give them that power....
[ QUOTE ]
Someone said that they were short of money as they had been fined 8 million pounds for some EU farming thing they cocked up….well if that’s the case it explains their attitude….but I don`t see why we should have to foot the bill..
[/ QUOTE ]
Not guilty the 8 million was a DEFRA cock-up over the farm payments scheme - so they cut EA's grant in aid.
[ QUOTE ]
Remember the EA are charged with dishing out fines to industry for waste disposal offences so they’re not used to dealing with the leisure industry. ….
It`s a bit like putting the VAT man in charge of Disneyland….
……
[/ QUOTE ]
Now here I agree with you, all I see of EA and which is trumpeted on their web site is a list of prosecutions, not a list of what they have done well.
OK the EA want to show how they are punishing fly tippers and the like, but the impression they give is that is all they do.
Poor public relations.
<span style="color:blue"> Bring on Thames Conservancy - with Boris in charge </span>
[ QUOTE ]
I don`t care who runs it as long as they are fair and the environment agency are a long way off implement fair business practices…..The way they charge from the 1st January for a licence applied for anytime before 1st Sept gives them money for nothing and that is no way to win the hearts and minds of it`s customers……BW don`t do that..and charge for shorter periods…...even south coast marinas are not that hardfaced……
[/ QUOTE ]
EA say their licensing structure is bound by their enabling legislation for the Thames, which fixes the rules under which they offer licenses. That seemed a reasonable excuse until one notices that they have been offering discounts to some classes of visitors. I can't find anything in the published byelaws that give them that power....
[ QUOTE ]
Someone said that they were short of money as they had been fined 8 million pounds for some EU farming thing they cocked up….well if that’s the case it explains their attitude….but I don`t see why we should have to foot the bill..
[/ QUOTE ]
Not guilty the 8 million was a DEFRA cock-up over the farm payments scheme - so they cut EA's grant in aid.
[ QUOTE ]
Remember the EA are charged with dishing out fines to industry for waste disposal offences so they’re not used to dealing with the leisure industry. ….
It`s a bit like putting the VAT man in charge of Disneyland….
……
[/ QUOTE ]
Now here I agree with you, all I see of EA and which is trumpeted on their web site is a list of prosecutions, not a list of what they have done well.
OK the EA want to show how they are punishing fly tippers and the like, but the impression they give is that is all they do.
Poor public relations.
<span style="color:blue"> Bring on Thames Conservancy - with Boris in charge </span>
angelaquayle
New member
I'm sure there are lots of benefits of having EA as nav authority, the main one being the £2m+ that the Thames team get from Flood Risk Management to be available to operate the weirs and manage water levels for flood defence - we have 'Lock and Weir Keepers' after all. Remind me of BW policy on staffing locks......?
byron
RIP
[ QUOTE ]
I'm sure there are lots of benefits of having EA as nav authority, the main one being the £2m+ that the Thames team get from Flood Risk Management to be available to operate the weirs and manage water levels for flood defence - we have 'Lock and Weir Keepers' after all. Remind me of BW policy on staffing locks......?
[/ QUOTE ]
I pass no comment the thread was started to see what others thought. However my opinion is that any 'official' organisation rapidly binds itself in red tape and loads itself with expenses that a private organisation would not, nay could not allow. If you guys had to exist in a commercial world you'd last a but a few decimal minutes.
I'm sure there are lots of benefits of having EA as nav authority, the main one being the £2m+ that the Thames team get from Flood Risk Management to be available to operate the weirs and manage water levels for flood defence - we have 'Lock and Weir Keepers' after all. Remind me of BW policy on staffing locks......?
[/ QUOTE ]
I pass no comment the thread was started to see what others thought. However my opinion is that any 'official' organisation rapidly binds itself in red tape and loads itself with expenses that a private organisation would not, nay could not allow. If you guys had to exist in a commercial world you'd last a but a few decimal minutes.
MiskinDriver
New member
BW by a country mile. I've had much experience of them, and do not suffer from the rabid fear of narrowboats which seems to be prevalent on this Forum. As for staffing locks, the BW system is simple. Where they need to staff locks, either because its a flight (which obviously doesn't apply on the Thames) or because of vandalism etc, then they do so - and the staff wear nice green uniforms so you know who they are. If you've ever been escorted through the badlands of central Manchester (part of deeply attractive Cheshire Ring - and that's not irony) then you'd appreciate their staff forever. When the staff are off duty, then the locks are self operated, no fuss, no drama - just get on with it.
More than all that, however, is the fact that BW are primarily a navigation authority. They do have many other interests - including commercial ones - which they also discharge well - generally. An example close to my heart - when they realised that all the old canal side pubs were being bought up by Hungry Horse or other appalling 'family friendly' chain - they started buying the pubs and installing ladlords themselves to protect their character. Gets my vote every time.
But their credentials as a nav authority are beyond question - and they are good at it.
Yes, they were/are strapped a bit by DEFRA's inability to pay farm subsidies with anything approaching a level of competence (though how I manage to get farm subsidies and competence in the same sentence even I'm struggling to understand), but, thanks largely to the fact that they commercially exploit their considerable land and marina holdings effectively, they'll be OK. It may put the maintenance programme back - but it won't die.
Sorry if this sounds like a paen of praise (and, before anybody suggests it, I don't work for BW - I do aeroplanes) but they are so far ahead of EA its unbelievable. Try talking to them at the next boat show and see what you think.
And ask yourself, who has a pub on their stand........
More than all that, however, is the fact that BW are primarily a navigation authority. They do have many other interests - including commercial ones - which they also discharge well - generally. An example close to my heart - when they realised that all the old canal side pubs were being bought up by Hungry Horse or other appalling 'family friendly' chain - they started buying the pubs and installing ladlords themselves to protect their character. Gets my vote every time.
But their credentials as a nav authority are beyond question - and they are good at it.
Yes, they were/are strapped a bit by DEFRA's inability to pay farm subsidies with anything approaching a level of competence (though how I manage to get farm subsidies and competence in the same sentence even I'm struggling to understand), but, thanks largely to the fact that they commercially exploit their considerable land and marina holdings effectively, they'll be OK. It may put the maintenance programme back - but it won't die.
Sorry if this sounds like a paen of praise (and, before anybody suggests it, I don't work for BW - I do aeroplanes) but they are so far ahead of EA its unbelievable. Try talking to them at the next boat show and see what you think.
And ask yourself, who has a pub on their stand........
boatone
Well-known member
[ QUOTE ]
.....(BW) and do not suffer from the rabid fear of narrowboats which seems to be prevalent on this Forum.
[/ QUOTE ]
Oh come on now, this idea that this forum is violently anti NB's is getting tedious. Are we not allowed to draw attention to the way their increasing presence on the Thames is often to the detriment of long established cruiser users without being labelled slugaphobic?
As for BW being pro NB's, well, they would be , wouldnt they ?????? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
How long is it since you travelled any distance on the non tidal Thames and witnessed the way they have virtually taken over most mooring areas. Witness Hampton Court this last weekend.
Can somebody tell me how we can air a legitimate complaint that may soon lead me to decide the Thames has had it as a cruiser owner?
.....(BW) and do not suffer from the rabid fear of narrowboats which seems to be prevalent on this Forum.
[/ QUOTE ]
Oh come on now, this idea that this forum is violently anti NB's is getting tedious. Are we not allowed to draw attention to the way their increasing presence on the Thames is often to the detriment of long established cruiser users without being labelled slugaphobic?
As for BW being pro NB's, well, they would be , wouldnt they ?????? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
How long is it since you travelled any distance on the non tidal Thames and witnessed the way they have virtually taken over most mooring areas. Witness Hampton Court this last weekend.
Can somebody tell me how we can air a legitimate complaint that may soon lead me to decide the Thames has had it as a cruiser owner?
Chris_d
Well-known member
I tend to agree with you on current performance, what worries me about the EA is that they are curently having a review, to decide if they are maintaining a Navigation or a Flood relief channel.