Mooring Charges At Reedham

[Roy]

I’m just looking through the new broad caster and it states the authority intend to introduce mooring charges at reedham quay 

[Vaughan]

And I wonder if they are going to admit how much it has cost them (us) in legal fees, to obtain the necessary permission?

I think it will be a number of years before they show "a profit".

[Vaughan]

I seem to remember that the last set of accounts, published around the time of the latest river toll hike, showed an overspend of around £18,000 in legal fees, which was put down to the cost of re-negotiating the lease on Reedham Quay.  And that was before the "negotiations" were concluded.

So what is the actual full cost, in public money?

[SwanR]

Hmmm … we thought we heard one of the rangers say this was likely when someone asked about paying as they moored up. 

All I can say is that we were helped by two very friendly rangers a couple of weeks ago. They provided a valuable service, helping us in and out, and re-checking the ropes before they finished for the day. Once moored up they also asked folk whether they knew Reedham or not, and gave useful information and directions, promoting what the local businesses offer. Paying would not put us off at all. 

[Broads01]

I agree the rangers at Reedham provise an excellent and much needed service. When I've moored there recently they've set my ropes for me without being asked for which I've been grateful. I think therefore it's a very different "to charge or not" issue to the Ranworth one where help from the rangers is superfluous in my view, even for less experienced boaters (who have to manage stern-on moorings without them everywhere else).

[Troyboy]

It's a place I've never really cared for. Concrete Staithe always put me off and not really much there. Fast flowing river as well. 

[MargeandParge]

They should justify this against navigation tolls ,health and safety and realise that they are there for the boating community.  We as boaters are The Gift Horse that doesn't need another look in the mouth. 

I have a suspicion maybe unfounded that Polkies Mill has been abandoned to encourage a mooring at Reedham. 

Sorry just fed up with politics and being used as always tried to help all

Kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

[Roy]

57 minutes ago, MargeandParge said:

They should justify this against navigation tolls ,health and safety and realise that they are there for the boating community.  We as boaters are The Gift Horse that doesn't need another look in the mouth. 

I have a suspicion maybe unfounded that Polkies Mill has been abandoned to encourage a mooring at Reedham. 

Sorry just fed up with politics and being used as always tried to help all

Kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

That’s what I thought about the polkies mill moorings too ! 
I think as Jean says the rangers are needed more at reedham then ranworth but this is another mooring now to be charged a free seems one is added to the list every season! 

[catcouk]

Sigh... Looks like I'll have to update my metro map. It is a shame that the BA don't make enough money from river tolls to provide this service as part of the fee. I do think this is a very different site to Ranworth - Ranworth is just profiteering.

[ExSurveyor]

Might be worth holding off as charges at Reedham haven't been confirmed yet. 🤞

[Bluebell]

I thought that it was to remain FREE for 24 hours, and then a charge for anything over…😎

[Bytheriver]

On 12/05/2024 at 09:43, Roy said:

I’m just looking through the new broad caster and it states the authority intend to introduce mooring charges at reedham quay 

The 2023 edition said the same thing

[rightsaidfred]

1 hour ago, Bytheriver said:

The 2023 edition said the same thing

They have been trying to introduce them for the last 22 years since the last lease expired, last I heard they were still trying to negotiate a new lease.

Fred

[Vaughan]

8 hours ago, rightsaidfred said:

last I heard they were still trying to negotiate a new lease.

And will continue to spend extortionate amounts on legal fees (already way over budget) until they "succeed".

How many years will it then take before this "bright idea" actually starts to pay its way?

 

[Norfolkangler]

Why don't you just mud weight a meter of the Bank at Ranworth and use a plank to get ashore. Cant charge you if you aint tied up to the bank can they !!!!  

[grendel]

4 minutes ago, Norfolkangler said:

Why don't you just mud weight a meter of the Bank at Ranworth and use a plank to get ashore. Cant charge you if you aint tied up to the bank can they !!!!  

I have considered doing just  that- off the roped off section then they cant say I am blocking anyone else from mooring.

then if asked for my name and address I will provide it with a GDPR restriction that it can only be used in connection with a lawful criminal action (effectively meaning if they send me an MCN they will be breaking GDPR as that is just a civil offence not a criminal one.)

[rightsaidfred]

54 minutes ago, Norfolkangler said:

Why don't you just mud weight a meter of the Bank at Ranworth and use a plank to get ashore. Cant charge you if you aint tied up to the bank can they !!!!  

There are two applicable Byelaws that can be applied to this.

Place of Mooring. Byelaw 57 Subject to Byelaw 62(2) the master of a vessel: Mooring (a) shall ensure that the vessel is not anchored, moored, berthed or stopped in such a position or manner as to impede the clear and free passage of any other vessel, or otherwise to obstruct the navigation of a waterway or channel or the use of a right of way on the banks thereof;

Obstruction of Moorings. Byelaw 66 No person shall prevent, obstruct or hinder the lawful mooring of any vessel.

Fred

[Paladin]

4 hours ago, rightsaidfred said:

There are two applicable Byelaws that can be applied to this.

Place of Mooring. Byelaw 57 Subject to Byelaw 62(2) the master of a vessel: Mooring (a) shall ensure that the vessel is not anchored, moored, berthed or stopped in such a position or manner as to impede the clear and free passage of any other vessel, or otherwise to obstruct the navigation of a waterway or channel or the use of a right of way on the banks thereof;

Obstruction of Moorings. Byelaw 66 No person shall prevent, obstruct or hinder the lawful mooring of any vessel.

Fred

There is a third byelaw to consider. There are very few laws that don’t have statutory defences. In respect of the Navigation Bye Laws, the defence is contained in bye law 88:

Penalties and Defences

88 (1) Every person contravening any of these Byelaws without reasonable excuse shall on summary conviction for every such breach be liable to pay a penalty not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(2) In any proceedings for an offence under these Byelaws it shall be a defence for a person charged to prove:

(a) that he/she took all reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence to avoid the commission of such an offence;

or

(b) that he/she had a reasonable excuse for the act or failure to act.

I will also share the content of an internal BA email (neither party is still with the BA). The legal advice in the email relates to the Potter Heigham Staithe bye laws but are relevant to all BA bye laws which contain the the reference to "reasonable excuse".

Dear Trudi,

I don’t consider that the Byelaws are enforceable in relation to parking as, to forgive the metaphor, a coach and horses could be driven through the caveat “without reasonable excuse” in paragraph 4. I would look to:

·       Update the byelaws

·       In the meantime use civil enforcement of parking in a similar manner to a supermarket i.e. free for 2 hours then £45. These are unpopular types of scheme and may require use of a licensed intermediary

·       I could write to a number of repeat users with suitable warnings, using the law of trespass.

I am sorry, this all sounds a bit unsatisfactory, but if we get the balance right, we should avoid criticism.

Best regards,

David Harris

Solicitor to Broads Authority and Monitoring Officer

What individuals do with this information is entirely a matter for them.

 

 

[Norfolkangler]

5 hours ago, rightsaidfred said:

There are two applicable Byelaws that can be applied to this.

Place of Mooring. Byelaw 57 Subject to Byelaw 62(2) the master of a vessel: Mooring (a) shall ensure that the vessel is not anchored, moored, berthed or stopped in such a position or manner as to impede the clear and free passage of any other vessel, or otherwise to obstruct the navigation of a waterway or channel or the use of a right of way on the banks thereof;

Obstruction of Moorings. Byelaw 66 No person shall prevent, obstruct or hinder the lawful mooring of any vessel.

Fred

I don't see how you would impede the clear passage of any other vessels given that you are only a meter away from the quay heading. Nor do I see how you would hinder the lawfull mooring of any other vessel. Provided you were stern on a meter out from the quay heading with NO Ropes tied to the quay heading. You are after all just taking the same space as you would if you moored stern on tied up.

[MauriceMynah]

If you are not moored in a mooring space, but blocking it,  you are impeding it. Grens point was to do this at the point where the BA had cordoned off the space, thereby helping the BA to enforce their own instructions.  A much stickier situation for them.

Mind you, I might be talking out of my backside here.