Tolls - Speechless

[dnks34]

http://www.edp24.co.uk/business/broads-boaters-facing-increase-in-tolls-1-5245499

[Guest]

3% rise is around the official inflation figure so to be expected, I would not want them to go with a below inflation figure as it would give them an excuse to cut boating and navigation services.

[dnks34]

After what they got away with last year any increase at all for the next few years at least is just unacceptable in my opinion. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, 40something said:

3% rise is around the official inflation figure so to be expected, I would not want them to go with a below inflation figure as it would give them an excuse to cut boating and navigation services.

Why would it they have said they can maintain existing services with a below inflation increase , and besides they have admitted to being in a better than expect position financially so why not give boater's a break for a change , if I remember correctly inflation last yr was a third of the same time this yr , mostly to do with rising costs that all have to endure boater's or not , but the fact is BA have gained and its high time that gave something back .

[CambridgeCabby]

The trouble with no increase would be in the future when they use it as a reason for a much higher increase , a 3% increase although unwelcomed is not unexpected ; perhaps with the extra income more moorings may appear but I won’t hold my breath

[dnks34]

The BA stated a loss in hire boat toll income was a reason for last years extortionate increase, was it 20% for some, then they actually ended up better off.

Reading through other threads today it also occurs that some hire boat companies need to start putting something back insteasd of taking all the time. 

Rather than tapping private boat owners for a few quid each time they are short the Broads Authority should be looking at how they can cut the wastage and start saving some money as every other "authority" across the UK is having to do. 

[SteveO]

If the BA would do something to address the chronic shortage of moorings, then I think a 3% increase would be forgiven.

[dnks34]

8 minutes ago, SteveO said:

If the BA would do something to address the chronic shortage of moorings, then I think a 3% increase would be forgiven.

I think they should be doing this anyway! 

[JennyMorgan]

The chronic shortage of moorings is not down to the Authority and subsequently the tollpayer, it's down to the industry itself.  The industry relies on selling off ex hire boats in order to finance their new-build programs.  Those ex hire boats, now private, then need moorings and all to often those will be in ex hire yards, the hireboats from which have been moved into centralised locations that will largely be empty during the week.  There is a very strong case for upping the tolls multiplier for the hire fleets as a means of increasing the casual mooring stock, in my honest opinion.

As for a 3% increase, it's to be expected, however I feel very strongly that the recent toll review itself urgently needs reviewing.

A 'little birdy within' tells me that the good Doctor is in damage limitation mode so perhaps we should be grateful that the proposed rise is only 3%. Anything more really would be unacceptable.

[dnks34]

Id prefer to read the Dr is in looking for a new job mode! 

[Aboattime]

Dnks says hire companies should start putting something back....... They have by taking part of the river on there new mooring development at wroxham. Check the web cam for Barns encroachment, a disaster waiting to happen??

[SteveO]

 

2 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

The chronic shortage of moorings is not down to the Authority and subsequently the tollpayer, it's down to the industry itself.  The industry relies on selling off ex hire boats in order to finance their new-build programs.  Those ex hire boats, now private, then need moorings and all to often those will be in ex hire yards, the hireboats from which have been moved into centralised locations that will largely be empty during the week.  There is a very strong case for upping the tolls multiplier for the hire fleets as a means of increasing the casual mooring stock, in my honest opinion.

As for a 3% increase, it's to be expected, however I feel very strongly that the recent toll review itself urgently needs reviewing.

A 'little birdy within' tells me that the good Doctor is in damage limitation mode so perhaps we should be grateful that the proposed rise is only 3%. Anything more really would be unacceptable.

The loss of moorings to which I refer are those which have been leased from local landowners where, when the lease is up for renewal, BA decides that the amount of money required is too much. The decision not to renew these lease arrangements is surely within the remit of the BA. 

[dnks34]

I agree the BA should be maintaining the level of visitor moorings and ensuring there are a good selection available offering the highest possible capacity to private boat owners and hirers alike. 

I do wonder if the recent losses were down to the BA trying to drive the price down and then being stubborn when they were not getting their way rather than the landowners Initially asking for increaseing sums, the BA stubborn never! 

We will never know!

[Paladin]

15 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

I do wonder if the recent losses were down to the BA trying to drive the price down and then being stubborn when they were not getting their way rather than the landowners Initially asking for increaseing sums, the BA stubborn never! 

We will never know!

The BA "use independent property advisors to value the land we lease and we cannot go against their advice.  A few landowners have recently been looking to derive commercial rates of income for the sites we lease and we are not in a position to agree to this."

That is a direct quote from John Packman.
 

[Wonderwall]

Hands up who is getting a 3 % rise in their income this year 

Everything goes up,except my wages. The system must be close to bursting , ( society in general, not uniquely the broads) , they can't keep sucking all we have out of us , we will have nothing left 

Once upon a time , wages went up with inflation, that stopped a long time ago .

[dnks34]

2 minutes ago, Paladin said:

The BA "use independent property advisors to value the land we lease and we cannot go against their advice.  A few landowners have recently been looking to derive commercial rates of income for the sites we lease and we are not in a position to agree to this."

That is a direct quote from John Packman.
 

It would be really interesting to see the figures,  when they say commercial rates what is it if not commercial, the BA are indirectly charging for use of the facilities after all. 

I also fully accept that landowners might have seen that cash cow coming and have just got greedy. 

[Paladin]

4 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

It would be really interesting to see the figures,  when they say commercial rates what is it if not commercial, the BA are indirectly charging for use of the facilities after all. 

I also fully accept that landowners might have seen that cash cow coming and have just got greedy. 

It's unlikely we would ever see those figures, as they are considered to be 'commercially sensitive'. In any case, there are different forms of lease. Some include maintenance, others don't. Some are in more popular spots than others, and so would attract a different 'going rate'.

[dnks34]

As and when more leases come up for renewal in the future might more of these visitor facilities be lost? 

This is not an appealing prospect yet the Broads Authority continue charging Toll payers the same or more when facilities are being lost and no longer paid for.

Cant be right can it. 

[KaptinKev]

40 minutes ago, Wonderwall said:

Once upon a time , wages went up with inflation, that stopped a long time ago .

Unless you're an MP.

[dnks34]

Just now, KaptinKev said:

Unless you're an MP.

Or a Council chief

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, SteveO said:

 

The loss of moorings to which I refer are those which have been leased from local landowners where, when the lease is up for renewal, BA decides that the amount of money required is too much. The decision not to renew these lease arrangements is surely within the remit of the BA. 

Yes, it is, but wisely, in my opinion, the BA is making a stand against what they consider to be excessive demands.

However, please don't think it's just down to money,  you never know, there might be other factors involved !

[JennyMorgan]

4 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

Or a Council chief

Or a certain quango CEO, grrrrrrr.

[dnks34]

I can find the monthly expenditure sheets but not details of the CEO's salary.

http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/broads-authority/spending/monthly-spending

I recall seeing a figure of 80-90k?

Which when compared with what some council chiefs are on he is in the wrong job..... 

Suffolk County CEO on around 170k 

[KaptinKev]

9 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

Suffolk County CEO on around 170k 

Some football players earn this in a week, and I still can't get my head around this.

[Paladin]

15 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

I can find the monthly expenditure sheets but not details of the CEO's salary.

http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/broads-authority/spending/monthly-spending

I recall seeing a figure of 80-90k?

Which when compared with what some council chiefs are on he is in the wrong job..... 

Suffolk County CEO on around 170k 

Take a look at page 10 of this document http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/1012076/Financial-Performance-and-Direction-ba290917.pdf