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Berney Arms Update


SwanR

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I think it's a lovely mooring spot, albeit it was even better when the pub was open. I have happy memories of climbing up the mill also and the views from there were fantastic.

From a practical point of view, when crossing south to north or vice versa, I like it as a stop off because between there and Stracey is plenty long enough in one hit.

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Probably not for those who seek civilization! 

Nowhere to plug in, probability of cow pats, no shops, stunning dawn chorus, lots of birds, stacks of dykes, plenty of mud, long walks, huge skies, no street lighting, few if any chavs, no street noise, no pavements, often the only company is your own, ghastly, primitive place! Can't think why any one would want to moor there. Heavens, might bump into some hippy locals!

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1 hour ago, JennyMorgan said:

Probably not for those who seek civilization! 

Nowhere to plug in, probability of cow pats, no shops, stunning dawn chorus, lots of birds, stacks of dykes, plenty of mud, long walks, huge skies, no street lighting, few if any chavs, no street noise, no pavements, often the only company is your own, ghastly, primitive place! Can't think why any one would want to moor there. Heavens, might bump into some hippy locals!

Perfick - except for the pub being closed of course.

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2 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

Probably not for those who seek civilization! 

Nowhere to plug in, probability of cow pats, no shops, stunning dawn chorus, lots of birds, stacks of dykes, plenty of mud, long walks, huge skies, no street lighting, few if any chavs, no street noise, no pavements, often the only company is your own, ghastly, primitive place! Can't think why any one would want to moor there. Heavens, might bump into some hippy locals!

Take me coat, I’m on my way. 

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  • 2 months later...

Even if you could sort out access, which I doubt, who on earth would want to live out there? Permanently?

Concrete marsh roads and an unmanned level crossing - in the middle of winter?

Methinks he is having a larf!!! The chances of that being approved is probably about nil to minus one!!! Whats the catch?

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28 minutes ago, marshman said:

who on earth would want to live out there?

A bird watcher?

Like Marshman I am curious as to whom might wish to live there. A writer who wants solitude perhaps? Perhaps not, not if the moorings are going to be open for bistro customers. Could such a mix work? Personally I doubt it.

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Interesting. The issues of access have been well documented on here many times. John and Tracy who were the last full time occupants had agreement with the landowners and were able to use the tracks for access. Tracy didn't drive, so basically it was one vehicle making the trips. One of our members accompanied John on one of these trips and it involved a lot of gates and travel over unmade tracks. I'd be surprised if the various landowners would collectively give blanket permission for access. Even by river its a lengthy trip to either Reedham or Yarmouth. There is the train but it only stops infrequently and then only in daylight hours for obvious reasons. It does make you wonder if these developers have really looked into it properly before making these proposals. I assume Mr H still owns the freehold so is he prepared to sell or is he involved in the background? We will await with bated breath! 

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besides all the points raised above there are the questions - how would they get building materials to site, and the more crucial point, services such as electricity, water etc. I have looked at the plans and the electricity supply is one (small by todays standards)cable fed at LV (240V) from the A47- a 4km run of cable , an install that wouldnt be allowed today due to unaccepatable voltage drop. a new supply would be necessary, at a cost I wouldnt dare to try and calculate, but that could easily reach 6 figures.

tthere is impractical and there is just plain daft.

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20 minutes ago, grendel said:

besides all the points raised above there are the questions - how would they get building materials to site, and the more crucial point, services such as electricity, water etc. I have looked at the plans and the electricity supply is one (small by todays standards)cable fed at LV (240V) from the A47- a 4km run of cable , an install that wouldnt be allowed today due to unaccepatable voltage drop. a new supply would be necessary, at a cost I wouldnt dare to try and calculate, but that could easily reach 6 figures.

tthere is impractical and there is just plain daft.

Hello grendel,

Whilst I was working for Thomas Ward subcontract for their alternator power division in the early seventies; they supplied a system that provided power that started when ever a load of 60 watts was called for. The cost for providing a mains supply the 1/4 mile from the main road would have been close to 30,000 and that was the customer digging his own trenches.

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2 hours ago, grendel said:

besides all the points raised above there are the questions - how would they get building materials to site, and the more crucial point, services such as electricity, water etc. I have looked at the plans and the electricity supply is one (small by todays standards)cable fed at LV (240V) from the A47- a 4km run of cable , an install that wouldnt be allowed today due to unaccepatable voltage drop. a new supply would be necessary, at a cost I wouldnt dare to try and calculate, but that could easily reach 6 figures.

tthere is impractical and there is just plain daft.

Never mind the leccy. Has it got fast broadband? A must these days for anyone moving from the city to a remote location!

 

I suspect the planning application is more about ruling out options C, D and E so you can go back with plan A and it has to be accepted because all other options have been dismissed.

 

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8 hours ago, NorfolkNog said:

One of our members accompanied John on one of these trips and it involved a lot of gates and travel over unmade tracks.

It was an interesting journey to say the least. I took a walk out there way in 2019 and a lot of money has been spent on improving the crossings whilst the line was shut for new signalllng work. Also a lot of the tracks had been much improved possibly by the EA and also by Railtrack gaining access to the crossings.

 

3 hours ago, grendel said:

how would they get building materials to site, and the more crucial point, services such as electricity, water etc. I have looked at the plans and the electricity supply is one (small by todays standards)cable fed at LV (240V) from the A47-

Not sure that's the case regarding the electric supply. When John and Tracy were there a lot of the catering equipment was electric catering equipment. Electric fryers in both the pub and cafe, electric hotplates etc. There was electric run along the pubs moorings to supply lights on the moorings as well as 2 16a shore power points directly outside the pub. John's background was something to do with electrical testing and he would often do electrical jobs in the area to help make the pub pay. 

Water is a different matter, drawn from a well that needs a lot of work done to bring it up to standard. One of the reasons the pub only used bottled water for drinking.

8 hours ago, NorfolkNog said:

It does make you wonder if these developers have really looked into it properly before making these proposals. I assume Mr H still owns the freehold so is he prepared to sell or is he involved in the background?

I seem to remember from some time back that Olive Court Properties is owned by Ray H. Dave Tarry who is also quoted also helped with the license application for the bistro and also runs the marina at Loddon, so it's all the usual suspects involved. 

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24 minutes ago, Meantime said:

seem to remember from some time back that Olive Court Properties is owned by Ray H. Dave Tarry who is also quoted also helped with the license application for the bistro and also runs the marina at Loddon, so it's all the usual suspects involved.

Hmmmmmm, very interesting and not suprising, I did wonder. Mr H doesn't like parting with his assets. I wouldn't be suprised if he has aspirations in that direction for the Beauchamp too. 

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5 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:

Hmmmmmm, very interesting and not suprising, I did wonder. Mr H doesn't like parting with his assets. I wouldn't be suprised if he has aspirations in that direction for the Beauchamp too. 

A quick search on companies house has just confirmed this along with William Alfred Hollocks who I assume is Ray's son. 

There seems to be a fascination with trees!!!! A previous company was called Orangetree Properties. 

It's interesting that one of the properties of wood is it's ability to go up in smoke!

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I dare say that building material could be delivered by rail or by barge but I don't see it being delivered by road, that being how the industry is geared up.  Strikes me that a great deal of ducking and diving is going on, both Berney and Beauchamp. Perhaps Mr Horrocks would have been better to have left things alone.

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31 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Perhaps Mr Horrocks would have been better to have left things alone.

That's it in a nutshell JM. I've said it many times - John and Tracy did an excellent job with the Berney because they had empathy and a deep understanding of the area and the environment they were operating in. They were brilliant at their job and had the added advantage which MT has alluded to in that John was a highly capable man of many trades and saved Hollocks a fortune in repairs. It was the rent that did for them. Just down to greed. Rather have a pub empty and decaying rather than let it for a market rent. Very sad. 

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I know nothing of the names here but some people are just so stonkingly rich that they can have stuff in their posession and just do nothing with it. Classic cars for instance. And every so often you're bound to find a neglected house and wonder who owns it, even in a town setting.

Solar panels and a wind turbine for power, emergency generator for back up.

Holiday lets, not permanent living.

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The biggest problem is always going to be one of access. John and Tracy had permission to use the track. Presumably so has Mr Hollocks, but I doubt that extends to all and sundry visiting the property which is why there was never vehicle access for customers to the pub.

The issue of services and delivery of building materials could be overcome, but who is going to buy a house there with no guaranteed vehicle access? I believe one of the land owners who John and Tracy had permission from to use part of the track was the RSPB. Need I say more when it comes to trying to negotiate a permanent legal right of way that would be transferrable to future owners of the properties.

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7 minutes ago, jeffbroadslover said:

I wonder how the emergency services would get to the development in a hurry if they needed to bearing in mind you could have 4 residences at risk in the case of fire.

Jeff

Simple answer is they wouldn't. When Chris Shepherd was there before John and Tracy he was sadly ill with cancer and in the end spent much of his time in bed out the back of the pub in part of the restaurant. A couple of times he was taken ill and they had to call the lifeboat out to him. That must have been at least 10 years ago now. The journey if you know where you are going, and have someone with you to assist with the gates and level crossings is a good 10 mins to the Acle straight. It often depends on where the cattle are as to which gates are left open or closed. For obvious reasons the level crossing gates are always closed. So if travelling alone you have to pull up, check then open two sets of gates. Then drive across and then close both sets of gates. I believe there is another way out towards Halvergate, but not sure on the access permissions.

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7 minutes ago, jeffbroadslover said:

- - - in the case of fire.

Jeff

That is relevant. One of the obstacles raised by the BA in regards to residential boaters. Regarding other emergencies the RNLI is near and handy but that is hardly ideal.

I have it in mind that up to five properties can use a prescriptive right of way. Access is a topic that makes a solicitor rub his hands together in glee. Something for the potential developers to sort out before anything else I would have thought.

Four residencies has the potential of at least eight cars, I don't see the RSPB ignoring that possibility. 

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