Orwell Crossing Focus Group

[michael_w]

I've just come back from a meeting. It seemed that I was the only person who lives in the western side of the river, and the only one with marine concerns.

Generally speaking there was no opposition to the upstream foot and cycle bridges serving the Wet Dock Island, though there might be a problem with current rights of way across the island.

Lots of strong opposition from the delgates who live in the Cliff Lane area, which is hard by the proposed eastern end of the road bridge. Increased traffic, noise, safety were among their concerns. I have similar concerns with the Belstead Road/Station Street area on the western side. There was a feeling that the downstream bridge would not achieve much and outside of rush hour, the ipswich traffic was not too much of a problem, provided the Orwell bridge wasn't closed.

The Sufolk County Council's claim that the down stream bridge would enhance the port was questioned.

There was no technical detail given on the bridge designs, nor opening schedules etc. I pointed out that Mean High Water Springs was the wrong critera for assessing clearance, I gave the organisers of the meeting an email from the National Oceanographic Centre which stated the HAT for Ipswich was 4.88m.

This afternoon there is another session with more of a marine slant to it. I've asked If I could attend as an observer. The delegates for this session are:

ABP
The Society for Sailing Barge Research
National Historic Ships UK
Ipswich Maritime Trust
Sailing Barge Association
Association of Bargemen
Thames Sailing Barge Trust
Ipswich Society
RYA
Neptune Marina
Ipswich Haven Marina
Debbage Yachting
Anglo Norden
Spirit Yachts
SB Victor
Ipswich Sea Cadets
Ipswich Canoe Club
Ipswich Rowing Club

Further info see:

http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/UpperOrwellCrossings

http://UpperOrwellCrossings@suffolk.gov.uk

Mike

 

[PeterWright]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for reporting that here, it's most interesting. I will also be interested to hear whether they adopt your correct recommendation to use HAT for reporting air draft available.

Peter

 

[Burnham Bob]

I couldn't go the navigation working group to represent the RYA but I did go to the exhibition the week before at Dance East. Crossing A is upstream of the lock into the marinas and I was told the air draft will be between 16-18 metres at HWS depending on the design. As the architect is Lord Foster who prizes form over function (remember the wobbly bridge?) if 16 metres looks better that is what we will get. My Trapper 500 will get in without an opening of the bridge but a Bavaria 38 (by no means a superyacht!) has an air draft of 15.39m but add a metre for the aerial and 16 metres is a problem.
HW is free flow on the lock and arriving on the flood and leaving on the ebb is quite usual. The opening regime is ‘yet to be decided’ and at the exhibition and when I made my apologies to the Navigation Working Group I made the point that 18 metres would be much better.
Ipswich does have a traffic problem so ‘open on demand’ will not happen. Just how much of a nuisance this new crossing will be remains to be seen.

 

[BoyBlue49]

I'm not in the Haven marina now but I had moored my boat there with it's 20 mt mast plus the VHF aerial. Does the proposed bridge mean yachts of similar mast height will not be able to use the marina ?

 

[toyboy]

I couldn't go the navigation working group to represent the RYA but I did go to the exhibition the week before at Dance East. Crossing A is upstream of the lock into the marinas and I was told the air draft will be between 16-18 metres at HWS depending on the design. As the architect is Lord Foster who prizes form over function (remember the wobbly bridge?) if 16 metres looks better that is what we will get. My Trapper 500 will get in without an opening of the bridge but a Bavaria 38 (by no means a superyacht!) has an air draft of 15.39m but add a metre for the aerial and 16 metres is a problem.
HW is free flow on the lock and arriving on the flood and leaving on the ebb is quite usual. The opening regime is ‘yet to be decided’ and at the exhibition and when I made my apologies to the Navigation Working Group I made the point that 18 metres would be much better.
Ipswich does have a traffic problem so ‘open on demand’ will not happen. Just how much of a nuisance this new crossing will be remains to be seen.

The lock only used to be opened for shipping on demand. The default position is for traffic across the swing bridge to be controlled by closing the route over the lock until shipping had passed. It must be remembered the dock is a dock established under statute and it is not a marina no matter what it is called.

 

[dennyjc]

This afternoon there is another session with more of a marine slant to it. I've asked If I could attend as an observer.
Mike

Thanks for the info Mike
The afternoon session sounds like the one that we would be interested in.
Did you learn anything new ?