Unsightly houseboat in Lower Upnor on the Medway

Capt Popeye

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I’ve been a member since 2009 and things have certainly changed. There were a couple of occasions in my first 5 years where I nearly gave up on it. Two of these were jaw dropping.

More recently they’ve lost the formal interview and adopted a friendlier, let’s show you your new club, what services can we offer you etc position.

Most clubs have realised if they insist on formal attire to use a galley for example, nobody will bother with it so it’s very relaxed now.

Like anything there’s room for improvement, people want different things out of a club, I use and enjoy the bits I need and do my best to ignore the bits I don’t.

There’s cheaper options locally but none have the facilities I need.

Well yes lots of changes then with THAT club ; in my days living / boating there Edward Heath when PM was seen there complete with his Security Police detail , we used to be kept to the River side of that pathway and shooed of the Club grounds if taking a safer path to a 'Tea House' further along the Foreshore housed in a Concrete Barge or Lighter ; There was a Boatbuilder who's yard abuted THAT Club premises , Boatbuilder sold up to retire I guess , THAT Club bought his Yard so enlarging THAT Club premises for Slipway and ashore storage ; I had to argue with THAT club officials who wanted to claim ownership of a large Timber Barge dinghy that i stored on the Boatyard land ; real bgrs about it ; Had to move my Barge Dinghy to ARETHUSA land /forsore and pay them a token fee . In those days the Thames Sailing Barge was often moored up along there ; Bob Roberets is a name i Irecall ; I saw the East Coast , mainly Essex Yacht Clubs , decline as a Yachting Prime area , more South Coat Yachting Clubs with major Races and competion taking over ; locals there like Uffa Fox helped the South Coast ; But some notable East Coast yachtsmen could still hold there own against them ; My guess is thats when THAT club lost lots of its favour and social standing . Londoners could just as easily access the South Coast with the development of Motorways
 

Concerto

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I used to be a member of that yacht club. Back in the day there was a waiting list to apply for membership, but each class could propose 2 members (male, not female) each year. We were invited by the cruiser class to join in 1970 and my father had the interview, besides having a boat far newer and better than the majority of yachts moored there. It still took us several years before we obtained a mooring. There were plenty of rules that look strange today like having a collar and tie with a reefer jacket to use the dining room or small Dragon Bar (no longer there) in the evening. The Hon Sec was an ex naval officer and I could only say he was a pain in the arse most of the time as everything had to be done on time and following the exact proceedure. My father got into trouble when we sold one boat and did not return the warrant to fly the blue ensign for cancellation. Things started to improve once he retired. Some of the better things included having a full time steward living in the flat at the club. There was a professional chef using local ingredients, also on weekend afternoons there were always freshly cooked scones at tea time and you could easily have 60 to 100 people turn up for them. One of the changes my father made was to use a crane to lift out boat out. This evolved into a massive event over several days on a spring tide and lifting upto 40 boats, later my father became the cruiser class captain. I can remember the effort made to create the scrubbing trolley. The wheels came from a tank via the Royal Engineers for free as they were surplus to their requirements. Then the pontoon was another major improvement, which should have been by Walcon but dithering by some committee members delayed the project and then the prices went up beyond the budget so the project had to be revised to use the plastic barrels which were never as good. I left in 1992 when work and family got in the way of sailing, I still visit occassionally but no longer want to be a member. It is far more relaxed on its rules and there is no waiting list to be come a member but the moorings are full. The club is no where near as busy as it was in the 1970's and 1980's, even though the facilities are excellent.
 

oldgit

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To clear up a couple of points the 14 or 15 piles concerned ( for a single lighter ?) :ROFLMAO: speculatively installed without planning permission were nothing to with the MYC and were only fairly recently driven into the riverbed.
The piles, along with a landing stage and its associated shoreside securings also lacked planning permission.
The organisations who were charged with some sort of responsibilty for the river , become aware of the development and requested the site was returned to its previous condition.
The owner failed to comply and legal action was taken to enforce the council ruling.
The court found for the local council, and the owner of the "shed on a lighter" then appealed.
This involved a Public Enquiry and a court appointed Inspector.
The Public Enquiry took 3 days with the appellant represented by a London KC along with her two assistants over the period concerned.
The Inspector returned his decision a month or so later, stating that the council had been correct to request the restitution of the site to its original condition.
The Inspector extended the period under which the lighter and the piles/landing stage was to be removed after the date of the court ruling.
The lighter was moved a few months ago , the grace period for everything is about to end shortly.
The council then be able to get the piles drawn and to reclaim any expences inccured including storage of said piles.
The company who put the piles in has escaped totally without censure.
 
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Capt Popeye

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To clear up a couple of points the 14 or 15 piles concerned ( for a single lighter ?) :ROFLMAO: speculatively installed without planning permission were nothing to with the MYC and were only fairly recently driven into the riverbed.
The piles, along with a landing stage and its associated shoreside securings also lacked planning permission.
The organisations who were charged with some sort of responsibilty for the river , become aware of the development and requested the site was returned to its previous condition.
The owner failed to comply and legal action was taken to enforce the council ruling.
The court found for the local council, and the owner of the "shed on a lighter" then appealed.
This involved a Public Enquiry and a court appointed Inspector.
The Public Enquiry took 3 days with the appellant represented by a London KC along with her two assistants over the period concerned.
The Inspector returned his decision a month or so later, stating that the council had been correct to request the restitution of the site to its original condition.
The Inspector extended the period under which the lighter and the piles/landing stage was to be removed after the date of the court ruling.
The lighter was moved a few months ago , the grace period for everything is about to end shortly.
The council then be able to get the piles drawn and to reclaim any expences inccured including storage of said piles.
The company who put the piles in has escaped totally without censure.

Oh yea , so what damage , nuisance , danger or what is or was the reason to remove them Pikes then ; They would have come in handy for moorings , laying ups , etc , as I recall that area is rather short of such facilities since 'The Arethusa' was sold away ? Yes my recollections refered to earlier were were long out of date , so be it ;Thank you CP
 

oldgit

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How long have you got :)
Might suggest three 6 hour days with some of our very learned friends, going over about 100 + years of legal precedence, with a mere hour for a pretty meagre lunch ( non chargable) would give an idea of why this was not permitted.
The basic tenant of the dispute was that should our friend have been allowed to carry on with this single speculative escapade, there would always be those just waiting to pile in "geddit" behind.

A analogous event would be ones next door neighbour knocking up a house nearbye simply because if he got away with it, another three or four would follow, especially if you noted the foundations for same being dug at the same time.
Had he attmpted to apply through the correct channels for a couple of piles and a single vessel somewhat less in your face lighter moored alongside the existing wall, rumours it would have been difficult and not worth the councils expence , to prevent him.

Not sure how much to draw those piles suspect ,several thousands of pounds, do wonder if the company who put them in will be responsible for the cost of removal, the owner or both.
 
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