Mooring restrictions Goring 19 May to 30 June

boatone

boatone

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www.tmba.org.uk
Following posted on EA web page -
“Goring Downstream Visitor Moorings - Our contractor will commence refurbishment works to the towpath adjacent to the visitor moorings downstream of Goring Lock on 19 May 2022. The works are planned to be completed on 30 June 2022. During this time the visitor mooring will not be available for use and we ask our customers to make alternative arrangements. “

We were aware this work would run over beyond 31 March but expected it to be completed during April. To now learn that one of the most popular mooring facilities on the river is to be taken out of service from 19 May to 30 June is totally unacceptable.
I have emailed the EA asking them to rescind this and reschedule after the boating season.
 
Quite agree Tony.
The moorings and towpath are not in need of immediate action. We were there last week.
Another 'wise managerial decision.!!' from EA.
 
boatone said:
Following posted on EA web page -
“Goring Downstream Visitor Moorings - Our contractor will commence refurbishment works to the towpath adjacent to the visitor moorings downstream of Goring Lock on 19 May 2022. The works are planned to be completed on 30 June 2022. During this time the visitor mooring will not be available for use and we ask our customers to make alternative arrangements. “

We were aware this work would run over beyond 31 March but expected it to be completed during April. To now learn that one of the most popular mooring facilities on the river is to be taken out of service from 19 May to 30 June is totally unacceptable.
I have emailed the EA asking them to rescind this and reschedule after the boating season.
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I couldn't believe it when I read that, yes totally unacceptable.
Also Goring are having Jubilee celebrations in June and will be closing the bridge to traffic for a street party, which would probably delay works another day or too as well as denying boaters attending.
 
Apparently, so i was told, getting all the various concerns to agree a date was problematic. Rather than cancel the EA decided to push ahead despite the obvious disruption.

Am sure B1 will get the facts.
 
Reply from EA rejecting request to delay works to end of season. Don't know who from as its unsigned!
Reason no HM Notice … “We have not issued a Harbour Masters Notice for this work as it does not directly affect the navigable channel or the lock.”
 
boatone said:
Reply from EA rejecting request to delay works to end of season. Don't know who from as its unsigned!
Reason no HM Notice … “We have not issued a Harbour Masters Notice for this work as it does not directly affect the navigable channel or the lock.”
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The EA really have no idea what being a Navigation Authority means do they?
 
(Note:- Landed in Spam folder)

Response to Official Complaint:-

Thank you for your complaint dated 7 May 2022 regarding the Visitor Moorings at Goring Lock.

Your complaint has been logged and will be investigated in accordance with our complaints procedure. I apologise that I will not be able to share any outcomes of our investigation.

We prioritised refurbishment projects that had a direct impact on our customers’ ability to use our locks during the most recent investment programme. We were aware that some works would extend beyond 31 March 2022 and have minimised the impact to our customers, where possible. Although our customers have been mostly unaffected with passage through locks since 1 April 2022, we accept that works to visitor moorings in May / June will affect some customers and we apologise for the disruption this may have.

River Users were updated regarding formal lock closure on Gov.uk throughout the winter period. We also provided details of other major works, including the works planned at Goring, to our Thames Navigation Users’ Forum and subscribers to our River Thames Updates. Please use this link if you would like to register to receive periodic updates from our River Thames mailbox.

Alternative moorings situated upstream of Goring can be found in Wallingford and downstream at Pangbourne Meadows or Beale Park. Please note, these are not Environment Agency moorings and river users will need to comply with the owner’s terms and conditions.

Our most recent Public Safety Risk Assessment associated to the Goring Visitor Mooring has identified safety concerns with the adjacent deteriorating footpath. Uneven, cracked and slippery sections need to be addressed in order to safeguard river users and towpath users while using our assets. We would have preferred to undertake this work prior to the boating season, however the constraints that our contractor experienced over the winter period, with other priority projects, has created the need to extend their programme into June 2022. We regret this being necessary, but in order to remove the immediate safety hazards we must complete the works as soon as is practicable. If we delay the works to after the boating season, the towpath in this location maybe affected by high water, as it sometimes is, which would increase the risks to our customers.

We were extremely grateful to Defra for increasing the investment into our Navigation infrastructure in 2021/22 to c. £9.5m and c. £10m in 2022/23. This has enabled many more projects to be delivered than has been possible previously, but it has meant that our contractors have had much more to plan and resource. We have been discussing the impacts of increased investment with our national colleagues and are looking to improve how our framework partners can deliver future programmes of work.

My capital works team are aware of the significance of this matter and I have asked them to accelerate as much as they can, where safe to do so, to bring the project completion date forward,

Please do not hesitate to contact me at WaterwaysThames@environment-agency.gov.uk if you have any further queries.


Yours sincerely,

Maria Herlihy

Operations Manager for Thames Area
Waterways Manager – Hurley Lock to Teddington Lock
-----------------------------

Complaint

I wish to register a complaint about the recently announced suspension of EA visitor mooring facilities downstream of Goring Lock.

  • Goring Downstream Visitor Moorings - Our contractor will commence refurbishment works to the towpath adjacent to the visitor moorings downstream of Goring Lock on 19 May 2022. The works are planned to be completed on 30 June 2022. During this time the visitor mooring will not be available for use and we ask our customers to make alternative arrangements.

1. River licence fees continue to increase and it is not unreasonable for users to expect that, during the prime boating months of May to September, the EA will fulfil their customer focused services; scheduling works of major inconvenience to users outside of these months.

2. Having used Goring visitor moorings last year, they did not seem to be in an unsafe state so the proposed works could be scheduled after September.

3. The EA refer to “make alternative arrangements” without any apparent consideration of, or suggestions as to what such arrangements might be. (To the best of my knowledge, there are no alternative visitor moorings at Goring).

This late announcement, after summer cruising plans have been made, indicates a significant lack of customer consideration to financially contributing river users.

I would request that this decision be revisited in the light of the above comments and works rescheduled to October or later.
 
The EA has duty ? to check of the state of any footpath they are responsible for via regular inspection and react ASAP to any safety concerns .
A duty of care regards the general public who pay most of the revenue to maintain the river and its environs also has to be considered.
Inconvenient for 6 weeks to boaters but hardly the end of the world, little more required than to avoid planning a stop there during late May and June.
We shall mostly certainly do so on our upcoming visit. :)
 
oldgit said:
The EA has duty ? to check of the state of any footpath they are responsible for via regular inspection and react ASAP to any safety concerns .
A duty of care regards the general public who pay most of the revenue to maintain the river and its environs also has to be considered.
Inconvenient for 6 weeks to boaters but hardly the end of the world, little more required than to avoid planning a stop there during late May and June.
We shall mostly certainly do so on our upcoming visit. :)
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Good point. And in this case it is a very easy detour for any pedestrians via ferry lane.

I never moor at the Boring Goring mooring myself but it is popular and because it has rings and bollards it does get a lot of visitors.

Childe Beale could be the best alternative or push up to above Cleeve lock opposite the old Saunders Roe boatbuilder site.

Nice up there but you will need mooring pins. Left hand side going upstream after the Leatherne Bottel.
 
Outinthedinghy said:
Good point. And in this case it is a very easy detour for any pedestrians via ferry lane.

I never moor at the Boring Goring mooring myself but it is popular and because it has rings and bollards it does get a lot of visitors.

Childe Beale could be the best alternative or push up to above Cleeve lock opposite the old Saunders Roe boatbuilder site.

Nice up there but you will need mooring pins. Left hand side going upstream after the Leatherne Bottel.
Click to expand...


Surely you are not suggesting that every boat on the "Boating Lake " should have set of mooring pins + hammer and a knowledge of how to use them !
You do realise that Deliverroo may not be prepared to adventure that far off the beaten track and that the nearest Waitrose and Leisure centre will be miles and miles and miles away.
Shame on you :)
 
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