clyst
Well-Known Member
Just thought I'd give it a bump .Anyone know the latest ??
Their old project... MFV Wylam
- Thread starter MYStargazer
- Start date
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
I've just had this email from change.org:
Progress Report : Our Campaign to Save Rod & Annie from Eviction
Firstly, thank you so much to everyone who has signed the petition to save Rod & Annie. In less than a week, more than 1500 people have signed (still growing by the day), and this is a progress report on what's been achieved in such a short, hectic few days.
Tuesday : After we issued a press release on Tuesday, the ball began to roll slowly at first. Baroness Jenny Jones (Green Member of London Assembly) tweeted, “@GreenJennyJones : Boaters unite to support @BoatersRightsUK against the dastardly BWML the dysfunctional arm of @CanalRiverTrust !!”
Then Narrowboat World (1) ran the story, linking it to the 38 Degrees campaign and adding, “With over 5,000 having signed a petition asking CaRT to ‘Stop evicting disabled elderly and vulnerable boat dwellers', the Derek Newton letter represents a spectacular own goal.”
The topic even reached a Crystal Palace Fan Forum (2), where the Palace fans generously showed their support.
The comments sections of various boating publications began to fill up with discussion. There were, initially, a few negative comments as people took the Termination Notice at face value. Neighbours and supporters of Rod and Annie spent a lot of time pointing out that :
Rod is not a 'serial complainer' – he has simply followed the complaints process that BWML advertises (3) as a benefit of its marina berths. CRT has a policy for 'persistent complainants' (4) – BWML's Managing Director seems unaware of this.
Rod is not “aggressive” - if he had been so, would BWML management not have some documented proof of previous warnings? Would they have renewed his mooring contract in January 2014 if they were in fear for their lives from this “aggressive” 75 year old heart patient ? Could this be BWML trying to manage comments about their own aggressive staff in this Yachting and Boating World forum (5) ?
Rod is not trying to avoid paying his mooring fee. He has paid a full year's fees in advance.
Wednesday : Following our public pressure on CRT via social media, BWML issued a statement (6) that the eviction would go ahead as a “necessary business decision.”
Rod replied with a personal statement (7) : “Basically Mr. Bramhall’s statement to the CRT has avoided most of the key issues. This is nothing new...“
This was followed by a further statement from Poplar Dock Community Association (8) :
“...Residential boaters are unique in that they have no statutory protection, and do not have recourse to independent bodies such as the Residential Property Tribunal. This is a fact that BWML has exploited in introducing terms and fees to berth holders that would be explicitly illegal if applied to other forms of property...”
Friday : Then there was a dim chink of light. BWML issued a Media Statement (9), concluding, “If he wants to remain moored at this location then we would need his written assurance that he would stick to the agreement he has signed with us, just as all our other customers do.”
But this introduced new allegations against Rod. BWML now were saying that he has been “consistently in breach of... ...the terms and conditions.” The goalposts move again, and BWML simply ignore the uncomfortable questions that they can't answer. Welcome to our world, where we're constantly trying to get answers from a management which treats our genuine questions with contempt – because it can. Just so long as we keep paying up.
While we were fighting to save Rod and Annie, yet another eviction case (10) came to light.
Narrowboat World (11) again saw the big picture. “A million pounds worth of bad publicity that due to the longevity of stories on the internet will turn up again and again whenever someone does a web search on the 'canal and river trust'.”
Despite the conditional reprieve for Rod and Annie, questions remain unanswered, further allegations have been made by BWML to shore up a weak case. If BWML can evict Rod and Annie simply for following the prescribed complaints procedure, all their customers live with a '28 day' cloud hanging over us. BWML customers from other marinas have contacted us in support, but they are so fearful of reprisals and retribution from BWML that they will not identify their real names. This is the trading arm of a charity, not Stalin's regime of control through fear.
After 2 years of BWML deafness to our genuine concerns, we again call for an urgent meeting with Richard Parry, CEO of the Canal and River Trust. We desperately want to move forward in a spirit of co-operation and mutual respect, but cannot waste any more time negotiating with an intransigent and bullying BWML senior management who refuse to answer for their broken promises and maladministration.
Again, thank you all for your support.
Friends and neighbours of Rod and Annie
Links :
1. http://www.narrowboatworld.com/index.php/news-flash/6634-more-vulnerable-evictions
2. http://www.cpfc.org/forums/showthread.php?t=250717
3. http://www.bwml.co.uk/customer-info
4. http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/conta...t/unreasonably-persistent-complainants-policy
5. http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?375579-London-a-No-Go-zone
6. http://imgur.com/To9HLIq
7. http://wylam.boatersrights.org/a-statement-from-rod-taylor/
8. http://wylam.boatersrights.org/pdca-response-to-crtbwml-statement-19214/
9. http://www.bwml.co.uk/news/media_statement_21_february_2014
10. http://www.narrowboatworld.com/index.php/news-flash/6639-another-vulnerable-eviction
11. http://www.narrowboatworld.com/index.php/leatest/6640-sending-the-wrong-message
Firstly, thank you so much to everyone who has signed the petition to save Rod & Annie. In less than a week, more than 1500 people have signed (still growing by the day), and this is a progress report on what's been achieved in such a short, hectic few days.
Tuesday : After we issued a press release on Tuesday, the ball began to roll slowly at first. Baroness Jenny Jones (Green Member of London Assembly) tweeted, “@GreenJennyJones : Boaters unite to support @BoatersRightsUK against the dastardly BWML the dysfunctional arm of @CanalRiverTrust !!”
Then Narrowboat World (1) ran the story, linking it to the 38 Degrees campaign and adding, “With over 5,000 having signed a petition asking CaRT to ‘Stop evicting disabled elderly and vulnerable boat dwellers', the Derek Newton letter represents a spectacular own goal.”
The topic even reached a Crystal Palace Fan Forum (2), where the Palace fans generously showed their support.
The comments sections of various boating publications began to fill up with discussion. There were, initially, a few negative comments as people took the Termination Notice at face value. Neighbours and supporters of Rod and Annie spent a lot of time pointing out that :
Rod is not a 'serial complainer' – he has simply followed the complaints process that BWML advertises (3) as a benefit of its marina berths. CRT has a policy for 'persistent complainants' (4) – BWML's Managing Director seems unaware of this.
Rod is not “aggressive” - if he had been so, would BWML management not have some documented proof of previous warnings? Would they have renewed his mooring contract in January 2014 if they were in fear for their lives from this “aggressive” 75 year old heart patient ? Could this be BWML trying to manage comments about their own aggressive staff in this Yachting and Boating World forum (5) ?
Rod is not trying to avoid paying his mooring fee. He has paid a full year's fees in advance.
Wednesday : Following our public pressure on CRT via social media, BWML issued a statement (6) that the eviction would go ahead as a “necessary business decision.”
Rod replied with a personal statement (7) : “Basically Mr. Bramhall’s statement to the CRT has avoided most of the key issues. This is nothing new...“
This was followed by a further statement from Poplar Dock Community Association (8) :
“...Residential boaters are unique in that they have no statutory protection, and do not have recourse to independent bodies such as the Residential Property Tribunal. This is a fact that BWML has exploited in introducing terms and fees to berth holders that would be explicitly illegal if applied to other forms of property...”
Friday : Then there was a dim chink of light. BWML issued a Media Statement (9), concluding, “If he wants to remain moored at this location then we would need his written assurance that he would stick to the agreement he has signed with us, just as all our other customers do.”
But this introduced new allegations against Rod. BWML now were saying that he has been “consistently in breach of... ...the terms and conditions.” The goalposts move again, and BWML simply ignore the uncomfortable questions that they can't answer. Welcome to our world, where we're constantly trying to get answers from a management which treats our genuine questions with contempt – because it can. Just so long as we keep paying up.
While we were fighting to save Rod and Annie, yet another eviction case (10) came to light.
Narrowboat World (11) again saw the big picture. “A million pounds worth of bad publicity that due to the longevity of stories on the internet will turn up again and again whenever someone does a web search on the 'canal and river trust'.”
Despite the conditional reprieve for Rod and Annie, questions remain unanswered, further allegations have been made by BWML to shore up a weak case. If BWML can evict Rod and Annie simply for following the prescribed complaints procedure, all their customers live with a '28 day' cloud hanging over us. BWML customers from other marinas have contacted us in support, but they are so fearful of reprisals and retribution from BWML that they will not identify their real names. This is the trading arm of a charity, not Stalin's regime of control through fear.
After 2 years of BWML deafness to our genuine concerns, we again call for an urgent meeting with Richard Parry, CEO of the Canal and River Trust. We desperately want to move forward in a spirit of co-operation and mutual respect, but cannot waste any more time negotiating with an intransigent and bullying BWML senior management who refuse to answer for their broken promises and maladministration.
Again, thank you all for your support.
Friends and neighbours of Rod and Annie
Links :
1. http://www.narrowboatworld.com/index.php/news-flash/6634-more-vulnerable-evictions
2. http://www.cpfc.org/forums/showthread.php?t=250717
3. http://www.bwml.co.uk/customer-info
4. http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/conta...t/unreasonably-persistent-complainants-policy
5. http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?375579-London-a-No-Go-zone
6. http://imgur.com/To9HLIq
7. http://wylam.boatersrights.org/a-statement-from-rod-taylor/
8. http://wylam.boatersrights.org/pdca-response-to-crtbwml-statement-19214/
9. http://www.bwml.co.uk/news/media_statement_21_february_2014
10. http://www.narrowboatworld.com/index.php/news-flash/6639-another-vulnerable-eviction
11. http://www.narrowboatworld.com/index.php/leatest/6640-sending-the-wrong-message
MYStargazer
Well-Known Member
Heartwarming. Thanks very much for that. Glad I raised this and signed.
FishyInverness
Well-Known Member
Signed - I can't believe the disparity - in London the Canals and Waterways have a trading arm trying to bully people out of berths - in Scotland we have the equivalent charity so desperate to sell residential berths they've been putting them in bulk on Ebay!!! :/ Shocking behaviour.
jerrytug
N/A
Where could I find details of them Fishy? Sounds interesting!
FishyInverness
Well-Known Member
Hi Jerry, I think it's all finished now, but :
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Muirtown-...l-Mooring-Berth-4-Just-Released-/181094494022
http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/livingonwater
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jerrytug
N/A
Ah well thanks for the links.. I was hopefully imagining stags and glens and heather not schemes 
FishyInverness
Well-Known Member
The ones at Muirtown Basin are just over from my house, and a very lovely tranquil little area it is - which the Highland Council have plans to...um...."Redevelop" :ambivalence:
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MYStargazer
Well-Known Member
Thanks.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Something to do with supply and demand. Things nobody wants end up on Ebay, but where there is more demand than supply you get waiting lists and increasing prices.
Only ways to balance it is to move the empty berths to London, or the excess people to Scotland.
FishyInverness
Well-Known Member
Completely agree, although I suspect there is a little more to it than that - as Muirtown Basin has a waiting list for standard berths, but Scottish Canals are really pressing to take on more residentials in all areas, to the detriment of those already with berths of various classifications, so further residentials were put in at Muirtown, and then have mostly remained empty while waiting lists are still there for the standard non-residential berths....I suspect there is a view that there is money to be made in residential, but it's been executed poorly.