Thames Conservancy ?

boatone said:
Theresa May is suggesting the revival of the Board of Trade in the wake of Brexit.

Might be a good time to revive and fund the Thames Conservancy to care for and control the river as a valued recreational resource before it's too late.
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Something needs to change! I don't think the EA are the right people to be running a navigation. Too many feet in too many camps, no focus and swallowed up by it's parent organisation, which is vast.

I believe a smaller organisation with the right legislation regarding licensing of boats and abstraction behind it would deliver a better service. All this talk of economies of scale just don't add up when you create an organisation so large it becomes a cash black hole. The cash needs to be directed at frontline services not desk jockeys in Whitehall.
 
If you want to make enemies,try to change something..........
To many ancient vested interests over 120 miles all protecting their little kingdoms some of which were founded by the Normans..
You are going to need an organisation given real power and prepared to overide and ignore a lot of people with the ear of the establishment and to remove a lot of rights and priviledges from people who will probably fight you to the death.
Some of the objections could probably have Windsor postcode.
The registration dispute will as minor skirmish compared to this one.:)
 
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oldgit said:
If you want to make enemies,try to change something..........
To many ancient vested interests over 120 miles all protecting their little kingdoms some of which were founded by the Normans..
You are going to need an organisation given real power and prepared to overide and ignore a lot of people with the ear of the establishment and to remove a lot of rights and priviledges from people who will probably fight you to the death.
Some of the objections could probably have Windsor postcode.
The registration dispute will as minor skirmish compared to this one.:)
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Whatever are you on about?

The OP suggested reinstatement of the TC-which I well remember sending my £1.00 postal order to for a permit to fish the Thames weirs.

Nobody is thinking of significant change to set in stone rights but of a better body than the EA to be responsible for our river.

I suspect it may come down to the Canal and River Trust.
 
rotrax said:
Whatever are you on about?
The OP suggested reinstatement of the TC-which I well remember sending my £1.00 postal order to for a permit to fish the Thames weirs.
Nobody is thinking of significant change to set in stone rights but of a better body than the EA to be responsible for our river..
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But significant change may be the only path to prevent the navigation becoming an entirely self service river just like every other waterway in the UK. ?
Call the organisation what you like but its still got no power to raise funds to pay the staff who make the river such unique place..
The Thames needs a method of independantly raising cash from all who benefit from its existance ,not just a few ?
 
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hi boatone----i think you are looking back at the TC days with rose tinted specs-----i worked at head office in the strand for a year----river purification dept.---in that year no one was prosecuted for polluting the river and no one prosecuted for navigation offences----i then worked in the yard at sunbury----the TC was overmanned and inefficient-----if you get a new thames authority i hope it is more dynamic
 
Can remember when The Medway Conservancy had far greater remit, running several boats ranging from the heavy lifting barges and all sizes of motor launches tasked with the smooth running of the tidal river.
Not that long ago that the EA funded a number of small vessels above Allington Lock including a dredger,however cuts in both budget and staff led eventually to no money to repair dredger or staff to use it. So it was flogged off.
Suprise suprise a short time later the cash had to be found to replace the plant vital to the upkeep of the waterway..
3/4 of the entire EA waterway capitol spending budget was recently swallowed by a minor lock on an obsqure unregarded river.
Our two new lock gates look splendid in the photographs.

http://www.allingtonlock.co.uk/
 
lenten said:
hi boatone----i think you are looking back at the TC days with rose tinted specs-----i worked at head office in the strand for a year----river purification dept.---in that year no one was prosecuted for polluting the river and no one prosecuted for navigation offences----i then worked in the yard at sunbury----the TC was overmanned and inefficient-----if you get a new thames authority i hope it is more dynamic
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Unless something completely unexpected and different happens, I suspect there are only two ways this can go.
1. C&RT will put forward clear and viable proposals to take over the management of the EA waterways, including the non-tidal Thames, which will be acceptable to the government of the day.
2. The EA waterways will remain under the control of the Environment Agency until some other plan for the future develops.

Option 1 will undoubtedly require government to commit to medium to long term funding contributions from the public purse, without which I seriously doubt that the C&RT will be prepared to take on the transfer.
Option 2 I prefer not to think about as it will almost inevitably result in further reductions in public purse funding leading to further reductions in maintenance and services.

Either way, I fear those of us that pay now will be expected to contribute more.
 
oldgit said:
But significant change may be the only path to prevent the navigation becoming an entirely self service river just like every other waterway in the UK. ?
Call the organisation what you like but its still got no power to raise funds to pay the staff who make the river such unique place..
The Thames needs a method of independantly raising cash from all who benefit from its existance ,not just a few ?
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I posted on here before about our delivery trip last May from Gloucester Docks to Gosport. The first bit was on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. That is a serious waterway and is not self service down from Gloucester, all the many swing and lift bridges being manned. The C&RT do a good job with the G&S Canal.

What is wrong with self service anyway? First Mate and I have travelled most of the UK's canal and many of the river systems at some time or other without requiring the locks to be operated for us. It was nice if they were, but not essential.

You are right about funding-ALL users should pay for the use of the waterway and amenities provided. I have no problems with that, but I suspect many wiil be reluctant. Its been too cheap too long.
 
rotrax said:
You are right about funding-ALL users should pay for the use of the waterway and amenities provided. I have no problems with that, but I suspect many wiil be reluctant. Its been too cheap too long.
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By cheap, I presume you're referring to rowing clubs? It's not cheap for the rest of us.
A separate body would be a great idea, something has to change. The river deserves better and it should be actively promoted as a leisure facility. If they want more money, refusing to let an unlicensed boat into a lock until they've coughed up would be a start.
 
byron said:
I've seen this in the past. Problem is the boat is in the Lock but so is everyone else. What does the Keeper do? Hold them all up?
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Good point, but they could refuse entry, as most of the dodgers on this stretch are well known. There was a time when they only moved at night to avoid being challenged, but not anymore.
 
Actionmat said:
Good point, but they could refuse entry, as most of the dodgers on this stretch are well known. There was a time when they only moved at night to avoid being challenged, but not anymore.
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EA staff do not have legal powers to stop a vessel from navigating the river, which includes passing through locks. Boats without a valid registration are pursued by the enforcement process which may, in extreme cases, lead to being seized but the legal process is protracted and expensive. Legislation would be needed to give the EA 'on the river' powers to impose on the spot fines or any other restrictive remedy and DEFRA has made it quite clear that they have no current plans to change primary legislation.
 
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