Clearing up at Stevens Eyot, Kingston

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angelaquayle

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Latest press release from EA.

Agencies are working together to clear up visitor moorings in Kingston.



Monday 23 June was the start of a week long programme to clear up visitor moorings at Stevens Eyot in Kingston. The Environment Agency, Surrey Police, Metropolitan Police, Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames and the RSPCA joined forces to remove an abandoned boat. An individual was arrested and four Alsatian dogs were taken away by the RSPCA during the operation.



On Thursday 26 June the Environment Agency will be raising a boat which recently sunk on the moorings which made that section unusable. Environment Agency staff will also be clearing up the island to make it a more pleasant place for boaters to stop.



Environment Agency Waterways Operations Manager Russell Turner said: “Stevens Eyot is a beautiful island and should be a lovely place to stop for the night. Unfortunately part of the island has been misused recently and we have had many reports of overstaying and abandoned boats, together with anti-social behaviour on our land. We are working with the Kingston Small Boats Club who manage most of the island over the coming months to improve things even further.



“Visitor moorings can be scarce on the Thames and we are doing all we can to increase them. In the meantime, we need to make best use of what we have.” says Russell. "The joint agency operation on Monday shows that by working together we can clear up moorings and make sure they are available for legitimate river users.”
 
Probably very wrong of me to ask but its a subject close to me (literally)...

Why was the individual arrested not arrested when he was on the Teddington tow path and allowed his dogs to foul the lower path to the point where you could not pass?

Sorry had to ask and dont mean to put you in a difficult position!
 
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now all you need is a free ferry to the Boaters Inn and we are laughing!

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I would say your boat is admirably suited for such a role, Richard, so let me have a few dates and we will arrange a rally there so that you can oblige /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I understand new signage is to be ercted there to deter long stay boaters:
First night Free
£5 per day for the next 3 days then
£50 per day.

Similar activities are planned at Walton and Reading and persistent offenders will have their boats siezed after having been warned. Siezed boats to be stored upriver!
 
Also saw a copy of this letter recently:

Dear Boater

Overstaying at public mooring sites

Our patrol teams have let me know they've needed to speak to you within the last 12 months about leaving your boat at a short-stay public mooring place for too long.

I am writing to explain the requirements for mooring on the River Thames and to let you know about the enforcement action we will be taking on boats that do not follow them.

* Unless signs state otherwise, you may moor for a maximum period of 24 hours only and subject to the landowner's permission.

* If your boat is kept or mainly used on the Thames, you must have a proper base mooring (i.e. you must return to it when you are not cruising), at a boatyard or marina for example. We do not have a 'continuously cruising' licence option.

* If you live on your boat as your only place of residence, you must have an approved residential mooring.

Short-stay public moorings on the river are at a premium. The Environment Agency and other landowners provide them to encourage visiting boats to stop for short periods to enjoy the waterside environment and use local amenities.

We cannot tolerate the over-use of these moorings by boaters who want to avoid paying for a proper commercial mooring, as other boats are consequently unable to find a mooring space.

Enforcement action against boats abusing short-stay public moorings can
include: -

* Penalty charges after first 24 hours

* Licence suspension

* Removal of boat under Court Order (at owner's expense)

If you live on your boat and we need to start court proceedings, it is likely you will need to make arrangements for alternative accommodation.
In these circumstances we suggest you contact your local Council Benefit and Housing Department. You might also like to obtain appropriate legal advice.

Further information about finding a genuine residential mooring may be available from the Residential Boat Owners Association at www.rboa.org. uk <http://www.rboa. org.uk/>

We will shortly be publishing further information about finding a base mooring on our own website www.visitthames. co.uk <http://www.visittha mes.co.uk/>

If you would like to discuss any of the issues in this letter with us, please telephone your local Waterway Office between 0900 and 1700: -

Upper Thames (Cricklade Bridge to tail of Cleeve Lock) -
01491 828459

Middle Thames (tail of Cleeve Lock to tail of Bray Lock) -
0118 9535533

Lower Thames (tail of Bray Lock to Teddington Boundary) -
01276 454900

Yours sincerely

Eileen McKeever

Thames Waterway Manager
 
It's a reasonable place to moor (if you don't need to get ashore) but surprisingly noisy, but much quieter than the boat "park" in the town centre.

When we last moored there it was full of abandoned / miscellaneous unloved vessels, and the island was deep in Canadian Doodoos. Spent a night on Turk's (?) trots instead.
 
Great the hear the EA doing something about this Island in particular as it is very unsightly and as a result I have always been put off mooring there.

Also good to hear about the removal of that wreck which has been there for a couple of weeks now. It wasn't marked in any way apart from a floating fender and could have been a danger to anyone mooring up in the dark. I also dread to think what substances are leaking from it's various tanks.

Also good to see some action taken about the various live aboards which have given that strech of river a kind of shanty town appearance at times.
 
1. Does the EA have a 'HotLine' we can ring to report problems like this?

2. Whilst you've got Kingston in a helpful mood, any chance you could nudge them to improve the finger jetties area just above the town centre? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
If a boat sinks that could cause pollution, I think I would advise calling the "incident hotline" which is 0800 80 70 60 (info should be visable at all locks and is in the thames user's guide)

If you want to report people unregistered or overstaying for us to investigate, I'd call the relevant local office which is:

Cricklade to Cleeve Lock: 01491 828459
Tail of cleeve lock to Bray Lock: 0118 953 5533
Tail of Bray to Teddington: 01276 454900

Again, info is in the users guide.
 
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1. Does the EA have a 'HotLine' we can ring to report problems like this?


[/ QUOTE ]

ATYC advised phoning the normal Hotline to report persistent overstayers with Place, Date, Time and Boat name.
 
The local authority in Reading are reported to have been active trying to move on some of the long stay moorers so it seems there is a bit of a blitz on at the moment. Well done.
 
I hadn't realised it until my last visit but the mooorings at Tescos are actually EA 24 hours so my views on those that stay put rather than moving when they've done their shopping may have been unjust.

However, given the special nature of that location is there not a case for a 'short stay only' provision ?
 
there is a boat out where we moor with no name and no license but seems so be moving about after a 3 month stay at shepperton so no doubt the owner has taken the name off for a reason as it did have a name previously. Ea launch just passes it by although it has been moved so why dont they take action?
 
[ QUOTE ]
1. Does the EA have a 'HotLine' we can ring to report problems like this?

2. Whilst you've got Kingston in a helpful mood, any chance you could nudge them to improve the finger jetties area just above the town centre? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

#2 seconded!

While we are at it, is there anywhere in Kingston where one might get alongside and permit a semi-disabled (few short steps) mother-in-law to get ashore? The fingers are not long enough for her and I don't think the bow gate jump is one of her rehearsed moves:-) I've always gone to the fingers beforehand.
 
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