Richardsons

[garryn]

I've been hearing rumours for a long time now but plans are now in for a major revamp of Richardsons site in Stalham and also the site at Acle. There's a story in the edp but can't do the link thingy.

[marshman]

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/24013813.richardsons-leisure-reveals-plans-hemsby-stalham/

[Broads01]

Mmm, interesting and good news I think. I'm pleased to see Richardsons are thinking beyond what they currently do and diversifying. Redeveloping at Acle is particularly encouraging because it's looked sorry for itself since Pedro's closed and I was under the impression Richardsons had given up on that site. The only thing which surprises me given they're focusing on day visitors is why they've chosen Stalham and not Wroxham from where they run the day boat operations.

[Hylander]

If their high draft boats are going to have difficulty in getting through Ludham Bridge it would be a good idea to site them at Acle.

[RS2021]

Great to see some major investment in the current economic times. I'm not sure how long they plan to take to do it, but the work at Stalham looks very significant. New lodges, masses of new moorings (new basins and basins extended - visitor moorings on the main river), canopies over the hire fleet hand over area for wet days, visitor centre (I wonder if Richardson's or the BA will run that?) etc etc. I don't know how to post it directly here, but this link will take you to the master plan on the BA's planning area

https://planning.broads-authority.gov.uk/PublicAccessDocs/planningDocs.aspx?doc=/sites/planning/2023/Documents/Development Control/BA20230443FUL/7762-p03g proposed master plan-compressed.pdf

[Vaughan]

Well well.

My immediate reaction is - how are they going to maintain their hire fleet or service it on turn-round days, if they are pulling down all but one of the boatsheds?  I see that there will be moorings for 130 "charter craft" which is well less than half of what the site had originally.  So where will all the cleaners be, or the linen store?  Or the engineers' shops?

As a hire fleet operator, I think I am looking at a long term plan to get out of hiring weekly cruisers.  Watch this space.

I notice that both plans, for Stalham and Acle include a National Park day visitor centre.  No doubt a great help when getting planning permission out of the BA.

[Hylander]

Like most things Vaughan ,  I doubt they have thought it through.       As you say the fundamentals still have to be maintained otherwise the whole shebang will come to a standstill.     Sounds dreadful.    

[Vaughan]

12 hours ago, garryn said:

There's a story in the edp but can't do the link thingy.

You're not the only one, Garry!          

[Roy]

I think they will out shop most of the laundry and I guess the boat maintenance could be done in one shed with a much reduced hire fleet which I guess will come a few years down the line. 
 

must admit it would be nice that there’s something at acle as I think the site at the minute looks very run down especially first impressions on people picking a boat up a bridge craft. 
 

[NorfolkNog]

Local notice (thanks Sally Ann) 

[NeilB]

As a Richardson's berth holder my main concern so far is, will I get a discounted massage in the spa?? 

[kpnut]

Me too Neil. 
There is laundry/domestic and engineers shop on the master plan, plus extension to main shed. 

[Vaughan]

53 minutes ago, Roy said:

I think they will out shop most of the laundry and I guess the boat maintenance could be done in one shed

If you are running even a reduced fleet, of 130 boats at an average 6 berths in 3 cabins, that is the logistical equivalent of running a hotel with 400 bedrooms.

In addition it is self catering, so facilities must be there to clean and store kitchen utensils.  Dirty pots and frying pans will simply be replaced on the day and then cleaned in the stores during the week. Linen may be shopped out but you still need a large amount of storage space to stock it, and sort it into stacks, ready for each boat departure.  Cleaners don't just step onto a boat and start cleaning : they have to have a large workshop to store all the materials, as well as an upholstery shop for quick repairs to mattresses and curtains.

Servicing engines means workshops.  To do the repairs as well as to have a large stores for all the spare parts that are necessary.  If something breaks down on a hire boat, there is no excuse for saying "we have ordered the part and it should be delivered next Monday".  The part has to be there : on the yard, ready for use.

Boat repairs need a lot of materials : wood, paint, varnish, GRP matt and resin, etc., a lot of which is flammable and hazardous.  This needs safe storage as per the Factories Act.  This also means another separate workshop for the boatbuilders and laminators.

The shed that will be left is called "The Ponderosa" because of the nicknames that a lot of the staff had in the old days, (such as "Hoss" and "The Wonder Horse")  but is nowhere near the operating basins and was meant for winter maintenance.

The reason why Richardsons' hire boats always look so clean and tidy is because they are all hauled out in winter to be repaired and re-painted.  If all the facilities I have noted above will now also have to have space in that shed, then there won't be much left for boat maintenance in winter.

When I worked for Richardsons back in the mid 70s as assistant yard manager to Gerry Thrower, the main part of my job was to ensure the efficient repair and preparation of the boats on turn-round days, which were Saturday and Thursday.  And that was when half the fleet were still wooden boats.  I would not like to have that job now, under the new plans for the facilities.

I still think we are looking at a long term plan to get out of cruiser hiring.

 

[floydraser]

Good luck I say. Looking at the Stalham plan though, there seems to be a lot of private moorings but not as many parking spaces?

Coffee/tea shops and free parking are the way to go to get bums on seats- day visitors that is. Go to any garden centre round here and there will be more people in the cafe than actually buying garden stuff. There's no money about though...

[Roy]

Just looked at the plan didn’t see it before first comment.

it looks very well planed out and a good use of the space hope it all goes to the plan as it looks like a nice day out by the river and maybe a way to get some younger people interested in the broads. 

[ExSurveyor]

As the biggest leisure operator in Norfolk I guess they know what they are doing and where the profit is.

It is good to see forward thinking and investment in the industry, especially at the moment.

[rightsaidfred]

There might be a clue in the Company title Richardsons Leisure, its good business practise in any industry to adapt to current market trends, you either move forward or disappear backwards you can`t stand still.

Fred 

[bucket]

2 hours ago, Roy said:

I think they will out shop most of the laundry and I guess the boat maintenance could be done in one shed with a much reduced hire fleet which I guess will come a few years down the line. 
 

must admit it would be nice that there’s something at acle as I think the site at the minute looks very run down especially first impressions on people picking a boat up a bridge craft. 
 

Having hired from Horizon at Acle bridge I would love to see the basin busy and loved again!

Good luck to Richardsons.

[Vaughan]

30 minutes ago, ExSurveyor said:

t is good to see forward thinking and investment in the industry, especially at the moment.

Sure, but it doesn't look to me as though this is going to be the major Broads hire fleet any more, in a few short years.

So what effect will that have on income to the navigation (river tolls) or to the infrastructure of Broads river cruising? 

I "see the signs" and I don't like them.

[Broads01]

1 hour ago, Vaughan said:

Sure, but it doesn't look to me as though this is going to be the major Broads hire fleet any more, in a few short years.

But "Charter" moorings still feature pretty strongly on the plan, Vaughan. Are they not just continuing their current reduction of the fleet to reflect a reduced market whilst continuing a hire operation? I wouldn't agree that a reduced fleet necessarily signifies eventual removal altogether.

Could there be a return to an Acle fleet given recent clearance issues at Ludham Bridge? I loved hiring from Horizon Craft.

[grendel]

at acle I dont see any additional hire boat moorings - https://planning.broads-authority.gov.uk/PublicAccessDocs/planningDocs.aspx?doc=/sites/planning/2023/Documents/Development Control/BA20230444FUL/8407 P.02B Proposed Site Block Plan.pdf

48 new private moorings, 12 day boat moorings and 12 visitor moorings in the old basin, well I suppose if they are selling off half their fleet it makes sense to provide new private moorings for the new owners.

on a good note it does say 10 free side on moorings on rising pontoons along the bank, now that makes sense, as the wear and tear on the pilings will be less and floating pontoons are easier to maintain.

plus moving the entrance further from the bridge makes sense in a safety aspect.

 

[Wussername]

What is meant by "Charter" moorings? Presumably the hire fleet, if so why not say so. Or does it imply a better, more sophisticated boat (read posh hire boat.....expensive) for a clientel that can afford it and willing to pay. As seen on the Southern rivers.

[garryn]

At Stalham according to the plan there are moorings for 196 hire boats or charter as they call them which is pretty much what they have now. This is the first year in quite a while that they haven't sold any off at the end of the season. The overall capacity to moor the boats will actually increase as the centre basin will be widened and lengthened.

[webntweb]

I can only see 

15 minutes ago, garryn said:

At Stalham according to the plan there are moorings for 196 hire boats or charter as they call them which is pretty much what they have now. This is the first year in quite a while that they haven't sold any off at the end of the season. The overall capacity to moor the boats will actually increase as the centre basin will be widened and lengthened.

I can only see 130 hire boat moorings on the plan. The other 60 are listed as Charter storage moorings - are they for hire boats they intend to sell?

[garryn]

That is basically as it is now. The boats that are not going out on hire are put in the centre basin and moved to the other 2 basins when they are required for hire.