Lock keepers face uncertainties with cuts at the Environment Agency

[Riverleak]

An interesting article. I encourage you to read the comments at the end of the article.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/mar/02/floods-river-levels-lock-keeper

 

[Danbury]

An interesting article. I encourage you to read the comments at the end of the article.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/mar/02/floods-river-levels-lock-keeper

Firstly, this article is from The Guardian, which is so left wing, they decide on what political message they want... then write a story to fit. Secondly, because the EA are left wing managed (like most of the Quangos !) its financial management leaves alot to be desired... There have been all sorts of breakdowns recently of the main expense items. To blame this on the coalition is utterly ridiculous, as any sane person would know... but hey, why let some facts get in the way of some thinly veiled tory bashing !

Please let me know if you need any further info on the above... I would be glad to help...

 

[oldgit]

Firstly, this article is from The Guardian, which is so left wing, they decide on what political message they want... then write a story to fit. Secondly, because the EA are left wing managed (like most of the Quangos !) its financial management leaves alot to be desired... There have been all sorts of breakdowns recently of the main expense items. To blame this on the coalition is utterly ridiculous, as any sane person would know... but hey, why let some facts get in the way of some thinly veiled tory bashing !

Please let me know if you need any further info on the above... I would be glad to help...

Always appreciate thoughtful and balanced comments here on the Thames forum and of course give them the consideration they deserve.

 

[boatone]

Firstly, this article is from The Guardian, which is so left wing, they decide on what political message they want... then write a story to fit. Secondly, because the EA are left wing managed (like most of the Quangos !) its financial management leaves alot to be desired... There have been all sorts of breakdowns recently of the main expense items. To blame this on the coalition is utterly ridiculous, as any sane person would know... but hey, why let some facts get in the way of some thinly veiled tory bashing !
Please let me know if you need any further info on the above... I would be glad to help...

Given the general tone of your post I somehow doubt that any further contribution you are prepared to make will be likely to contribute to a resolution of the root problem = i.e funding.
Always happy to be proved wrong but you will need to provide some evidence of your credentials !

 

[boatone]

Lock keepers face uncertainties with cuts at the Environment Agency

I am under no doubt that Lock keepers face an uncertain future under any complexion of control/management. Indeed, an uncertain future is something most of us are having to come to terms with, and, in the main, because of our own failure to plan for it.
I am actually quite sad to see the lockies getting caught up in the politics, especially as the articles are so shallow and full of misinformed comment. The article contains nothing new, except, perhaps, a couple of wild suggestions I have not heard previously - i.e. boats fracturing riverbed sewers and houseboats falling over if they take the ground if levels are allowed to drop too low. Perhaps the Grauniad needs to understand that floods are caused by too much water rather than too little?

For the umpteenth time - I value lock keepers highly and would like nothing better than that there be a resident at every lock. I, personally, would actually be prepared to pay more for my licence fee if it could be guaranteed that the money would be directed specifically for that purpose. Regrettably most boaters are adamant that they will resist any further increases in fees and the EA have NEVER given us the opportunity to pay more for guaranteed services or to see a budget that will clearly demonstrate the level of funding required.

So, lets all hope that the furore over flooding will do the trick ........... but make no mistake, even if a short term reprieve is granted the subject will raise its head again once memories have dimmed a little.

 

[Actionmat]

For the umpteenth time - I value lock keepers highly and would like nothing better than that there be a resident at every lock. I, personally, would actually be prepared to pay more for my licence fee if it could be guaranteed that the money would be directed specifically for that purpose. Regrettably most boaters are adamant that they will resist any further increases in fees and the EA have NEVER given us the opportunity to pay more for guaranteed services or to see a budget that will clearly demonstrate the level of funding required.

So, lets all hope that the furore over flooding will do the trick ........... but make no mistake, even if a short term reprieve is granted the subject will raise its head again once memories have dimmed a little.

We river users are not a cash cow to be treated in the same manner as road users (which is the way it's probably going).
Tourists don't go to the locks and rivers to watch the water go by.
A record number of commercial trips were taken last year generating £8.5m for the industry.

How about a £2 per commercial trip tax? A bit like the one they sting you for at airports?
I don't have my head in the sand. This is not a poor country. If there is to be a next generation of thames boaters, then we should accept the fact that they are unlikely to be as well off as the previous generation. You may be happy to pay more, good for you. But please don't tell the EA.

 

[Danbury]

Given the general tone of your post I somehow doubt that any further contribution you are prepared to make will be likely to contribute to a resolution of the root problem = i.e funding.
Always happy to be proved wrong but you will need to provide some evidence of your credentials !

You entirely missed the point... the root cause is not funding, it's management !! We need new management at the EA not more money !!

It reminds me of a trip recently to a local council office... it was not the main office as it was a small town. The lady behind the counter had run out of forms... "its the cuts" she declares... Oh, can't we afford to print anymore off ? I asked... Oh no, she says I just need to ask Head Office to send me some more... It's not money all the time... it's management !!

 

[Chris_d]

You entirely missed the point... the root cause is not funding, it's management !! We need new management at the EA not more money !!

It reminds me of a trip recently to a local council office... it was not the main office as it was a small town. The lady behind the counter had run out of forms... "its the cuts" she declares... Oh, can't we afford to print anymore off ? I asked... Oh no, she says I just need to ask Head Office to send me some more... It's not money all the time... it's management !!

Have you not read any of B1 posts?

 

[boatone]

Have you not read any of B1 posts?

Does anybody ?

 

[byron]

Does anybody ?

Does anybody what?

 

[TrueBlue]

Does anybody what?

? Scusi ?

 

[oldgit]

You entirely missed the point... the root cause is not funding, it's management !! We need new management at the EA not more money !!

Explain why we need new management. ?

Do you have some information about preventing rainfall that the EA have wilfully ignored.

 

[Flynnbarr]

Boatone.
I read all your posts with great interest but ffs don't be encouraging the EA to take more money.i wouldn't trust them with the church collection plate.last time we had massive rises they didn't do as promised did they,they built shiny new offices,and before you say but that was a long time ago,it means they have previous.
Management,hah,doing the basics would be a start,there are numerous boats moored in the boulters to bray reach which are unlicensed,most are used between the locks on a regular basis,none are hidden away,they are all riverside,one on a big house private mooring has a 2010 license sticker.it is used most sunny weekends.

 

[oldgit]

We river users are not a cash cow to be treated in the same manner as road users (which is the way it's probably going).
Tourists don't go to the locks and rivers to watch the water go by.
A record number of commercial trips were taken last year generating £8.5m for the industry.

How about a £2 per commercial trip tax? A bit like the one they sting you for at airports?
I don't have my head in the sand. This is not a poor country. If there is to be a next generation of thames boaters, then we should accept the fact that they are unlikely to be as well off as the previous generation. You may be happy to pay more, good for you. But please don't tell the EA.

B1 has for ages been advocating that other users of the Thames should be asked to contribute a little more towards the upkeep of the river.
The uncomfortable fact is that leisure users of the Thames have long been subsidised by the taxpaying public and if you think 8000 boatowners paying a few hundred quid a year is going to finance upteen locks and 120 miles of navigation you may be in for a weeny shock when future cuts really start to bite.
Rolls Royce appetite......Bag of crisps budget.

 

[tr7v8]

I'd post this & also ask why we need a massive EA in the UK, the burgeoning public sector gone mad maybe?

http://www.insidetheenvironmentagency.co.uk/index.php?controller=post&action=view&id_post=27

 

[Flynnbarr]

I'd post this & also ask why we need a massive EA in the UK, the burgeoning public sector gone mad maybe?

http://www.insidetheenvironmentagency.co.uk/index.php?controller=post&action=view&id_post=27

Oh dear....maybe just maybe they have a big enough budget but just waste it,wouldn't be the 1st public body to do so would it

 

[watson1959]

Oh dear....maybe just maybe they have a big enough budget but just waste it,wouldn't be the 1st public body to do so would it

No kidding.

Figure out a way to set some efficiency targets and pay the staff a 'Success Reward' (trying not to use the B-word) upon achievement of the targets. I saw an earlier post on the number of vehicles the EA has......one example could be 'Reduce the EA-owned vehicle stock by X% and each employee will receive £Y as a 'reward'.

I imagine we would all be shocked to see just how quickly this could become effective.

 

[apollo]

You entirely missed the point... the root cause is not funding, it's management !! We need new management at the EA not more money !!

It reminds me of a trip recently to a local council office... it was not the main office as it was a small town. The lady behind the counter had run out of forms... "its the cuts" she declares... Oh, can't we afford to print anymore off ? I asked... Oh no, she says I just need to ask Head Office to send me some more... It's not money all the time... it's management !!

Totally agree, has anyone mentioned the £3000 EA spent on Gold Braid Hats for the Pageant?
and the garden centre uniforms, and the self service lock signs X2 etc etc etc
and I have read B1s posts just don't happen to agree that EA are doing the best they can.
While the rowers still pay £19 a boat, there obviously is not a budget problem.

 

[oldgit]

I'd post this & also ask why we need a massive EA in the UK, the burgeoning public sector gone mad maybe?

http://www.insidetheenvironmentagency.co.uk/index.php?controller=post&action=view&id_post=27

Nice hachet job,but it would no doubt be fairly straight forward to demolish just about all of those "facts".
Lets have quick dead simple example picked at random.

Total length of all water courses in England.Scotland and NI.
Total length of water courses in Denmark.

Google....There are no long or important rivers in Denmark because of its small size, low elevation and relatively low rainfall. Only two rivers, both in Jutland, attain more than 100 km in length and only five more exceed 60 km. The longest river in Zealand is 83 km, and the longest in Funen is 53 km.
Avg rainfall Denmark.260mm pa
Avg rainfall UK 850mm

Have a look at the UK rivers listed on Wikipedia, ........may take a while to go through them all
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rivers_of_England


As list of facts it falls to bits quicker than a UKIP candidates credentials .

 

[oldgit]

No kidding.

Figure out a way to set some efficiency targets and pay the staff a 'Success Reward' (trying not to use the B-word) upon achievement of the targets. I saw an earlier post on the number of vehicles the EA has......one example could be 'Reduce the EA-owned vehicle stock by X% and each employee will receive £Y as a 'reward'.

I imagine we would all be shocked to see just how quickly this could become effective.

You mean just like the banks ?