Bytheriver

For those who did not watch either the Navigation Committee or Full Authority there was little the members of either could say against the proposed increase.

4% was agreed at last meeting to cover safety issues including extra rangers and more patrolling (less NP work though) and using National Park Reserve Budget for next two years.

I will take great interest in seeing how many look into Fridays BA meeting - 24 last time I am sure the Authority & Officers are quite aware of the number of people who are watching & listening.

OOps - Fridays Meeting

Just had this appeal from the Canal & Rivers Trust who are clearly in financial difficulties https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mktg_emailsend_17nov&utm_content=winterappeal2020&utm_term=logo&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTmpBd09HWmhPVGczWldRMyIsInQiOiJOR1FOaEhPWHBOa3NpaDR3R0tVQnl4aVJFZVFTK3B2VWkwWUVxWm9PQUxBWXF4cTRETnhzckxOVHZ0MFo2ZTVMRiszMXZPdUlHZVwvSEtrcTNwYWNjWnJ3bjJ6WDg2VWN1VnJUMGVKQlcyNW03dWdEVk00RG1Wdkg5OW9hZmZ1YTUifQ%3D%3D

More info at tomorrows (Wed 20 Nov 2020 at 10am) BA Meeting - watch it live - Link by opening Agenda page https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/about-us/committees/broads-authority/broads-authority-20-november-2020

Not a full time job - more in line with that of members with a lot of meetings to attend including at neighbouring Authorities - if appointed under the strict criteria laid out could be successful. Incidentally full National Park Status moves a step forward with the issue of this https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-national-parks-and-thousands-of-green-jobs-under-plans-to-build-back-greener?utm_source=4247d3fc-a408-40a3-92c0-7a4786af2c42&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate More details any day ( open the links)

For many years till recently (It had shrunk from 14 to 4 pages) the Government issued weekly flu statistics & was noting in the summer that in the Southern Hemisphere Flu was a a very low level possibly due to covis19 precautions. The last I can find was this https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/923246/National_Influenza_report_1_October_2020_week_40.pdf Now I can only find the larger version https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/926213/Weekly_COVID-19_and_Influenza_Surveillance_Graphs_W41_UPDATED.pdf

The "Boat" industry is certainly not the only one where the initial announcement brought gloom & doom - I was just talking to an ex colleague who works in a privately owned garden open to the public who's owner assumed that under the classification that Botanic Gardens would have to close(Monday) by Tuesday it turned out that only the glasshouses would have to close (Pressure from Kew Gardens maybe)?

A number of ministers in the May era promised that the constant changes in staff caused by the end of the incremental pay system meaning people had to apply for new jobs to get a pay increase following up-skilling or wanting to move up the ladder was to end but this seems forgotten & I do wonder if Covid/working from home or other linked factors may have not helped. It must be quite difficult not to just be able to turn round or go to the next office to bounce ideas around, or just update something. I found it bad enough when my manager went on 6 months sick leave just at the start of a new contract & though he was contactable (with a knee problem) it was not ideal as I had not been in many of the negotiations & there was a particularly difficult client officer (who had been a colleague just a month earlier)

Maybe we should remember the government were bounced into announcing the Lockdown on Saturday due to leaked information rather than Monday, all whilst most civil servants were off duty at the weekend that gave boat owners a head start at wanting the finer details so the system had to play catch up & with different ministries involved I suspect that is not always as easy as it sounds, especially with there still ,despite pledges by ministers, frequent re-shuffles of government staff especially those responsible for signing off announcements (we are told one of the reasons for the delay in publication of the Landscape Review White Paper is due to the change in senior officials in DEFRA) Maybe that leaves some wriggle room too 😊

Re Chris Packham - I'm sure it took more than just him having a rant to launch an investigation on that scale!

This is the full info from DEFRA which I received on Friday but was not expecting any interest from the forum! https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-gamebird-releases-on-and-around-european-protected-sites?utm_source=5de6822e-97ef-4b03-853d-380b743390a6&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate It is worth registering with DEFRA you can always delete unopened if the subject does not appeal

(Its raining hard here in Norfolk by the way)

Neap tides at the moment so not too much variation at Wroxham anyway - someone last October trying to re-position their new boat had to wait a week!

Beat me to it but you cant drive past in Norwich as its Buses Taxis & Cycling only

If it takes a week to prepare a case for CPS imagine the cost of having to train all of the Rangers - having a specialist I would have thought is the right way to go?

Upgrading along the years was always a bit of a trauma but at least, other than when it suddenly changes colour Windows 10 updates happen quite often & hopefully will do so for the foreseeable future (assuming you have automatic updates turned on)

Chasing unpaid tolls was not mentioned & these would not go to the Crown Prosecution Service as they would be civil not criminal prosecutions

Spirit of Braydon came to Reedham a week or so ago & they pressure washed the duck poo off of the pontoons!

There are lees this summer as several shielding due to age & I think Summer only

The do maintenance work as per their % of "National Parks" funded work currently 40% of annual working time (likely to equate less this year & programmed 30% next)

Further details will be presented with Nav Ctte recommendations to BA Members meeting on 20th Nov & back to Nav Ctte on 14th Jan There were between 19 & 22 people "looking in" on todays proceedings. A good turnout to show interest can, my opinion do nothing but good whether you support the work of BA or not.

I have to admit to having made a very modest investment probably equivalent to what I would spend on beer in 6 months were I still able to participate in a few pints . Apparently they are looking to have investments of £50+ once they get organised (certainly no dividends anticipated for 3 years A number of people were asking in various places the sort of amounts they were looking for.

To fund pre visit training of yard staff & a reduction of craft numbers especially weekly hire 800 to 736 & larger craft Ctte went with 4% Toll increase providing they can use part of National Park reserve to fund pre - hire training of Hire yard staff training especially regarding areas with strong tides & increased patrolling (all patrol boats out 7 days a week in season )with 4 Seasonal Rangers + one to cover preparing for prosecution as per published reports No extension in season of staffing of Yacht Stations. Increase in % of time rangers spend patrolling over maintenance work in season.