Wroxham Riverside Park

[kpnut]

Maybe pocket park is the bit by the electric and riverside the bit with the wooden circle and dyke/pond areas. 

I wonder if the disused ‘mound’ mentioned in the BA proposal is the thistle-ridden waste ground at the other end of the boardwalk. It would be a good area for a children’s play area as it’s well enough away from the water, and big enough for various activity areas. 

When you think about it, as parks go, the whole area is very small and shouldn’t really take that much money to maintain. Flooding issues and quay heading replacement aside, there’s not that much grass to mow or planting to see to. 

I agree Roy. I thought £10,000 for the pond renovation was well over the top. 

Regardless, it seems the dredgings from the upper Bure didn’t end up going there as planned. So the BA contribution to the costings was not fulfilled. It’s difficult to get more financial backing on board when the initial starter by the proposer was not completed. Maybe permission was not granted!

[Vaughan]

9 hours ago, kpnut said:

https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/380314/Hoveton_Riverside_Park.pdf

I really only have to quote from the first line of the first paragraph :

The Broads Authority has been working with local partners . . . 

That says it all, for me.  As the old saying goes - when in doubt, form a committee.

1.3. Identifying who benefits from a vibrant and inviting site and what resources are available to achieve our vision.

Which is followed by :

1.4. The funding required to achieve our vision exceeds current revenue budgets.

Which translates as ; we can't afford it in the first place.  Now where have we heard this sort of stuff before?  Oh yes, Acle marshes.

2.2. Now more than ever, it is important to encourage sustainable travel.  The park offers the opportunity of multi modal travel with connections to the railway station.

3.5. This type of agreement builds stronger communities and encourages people to become active in their local landscapes.

So who writes all this squit?  Do you have to have a degree in it?  And what is multi-modal travel?  Don't tell me - yet another cycle path.

I think I can read between the lines on this one :

They landed themselves with a 99 year lease and 20 years in, they find they can't afford to honour the obligations that they obviously didn't see coming.  They admit that they would need a budget of £300,000 over 5 years, just to honour their commitment.

So how do we get out of this?  Let's announce it as a new and vibrant project involving all sorts of "collaborative partners" and put it up for funding.  Then we can always say we were ready to turn it into a multi modal fairyland hub, but no-one else was interested.

And so what has become of "our vision" since March 2021? 

At the risk of a pun, it has been kicked into the long grass.

 

[ExSurveyor]

My favourite pointless projection,

 

4.2. Statistics recorded by CAP.CO, a company that designs and builds play spaces, show
that creating a children’s play space within an area can have an uplift in visitor numbers
between 40% and 1500%.

 

Pointless padding supplied by a company with a vested interest in supplying equipment.

I have put my finger in the air and would suggest between 0.0001% and a trillion % is just as accurate.

I bet the figures for the work are also a guess rather than using a Quantity Surveyor. That would involve a cost but at least they would have realistic figures to work from.

Given that construction costs have risen since this document was published it is even more important to get up to date, realistic costs.

 

I recall reading somewhere that an emergency repair and upgrade to the path was made to allow access to their boat.   Priorities !!

 

 

 

[eddybear]

On 02/07/2024 at 09:49, marshman said:

Its always been a problem area for many years, with a number of things causing issues. Part of the trouble is that is tucked away in a part of Wroxham which is a bit off the beaten track and even if you did spend £300k on it, I really doubt many people would use it. Sad I know but most people want to go to Roys or or on the boats and don't want somewhere to picnic or just wander around. 

It does not help that it probably floods in winter, or at least gets very wet and that won't help maintenance and to  be honest, despite living relatively close, I don't think I have ever been there or felt the urge to go there!

Yes I agree it doesn't help, but flooding would be a bit less if the river were able to drain out before the incoming tide, basically,

the mouth of the River at Yarmouth needs serious dredging, and we all know who that is down to.

[Aboattime]

9 hours ago, MargeandParge said:

Or get the BA off the hook and quote for the job.

Kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

How about Griff quoting for the restoration of the park,now that Griffs corner is coming along nicely,he must have some spare time?

[Gracie]

22 minutes ago, Aboattime said:

How about Griff quoting for the restoration of the park,now that Griffs corner is coming along nicely,he must have some spare time?

I don't think that will happen, I believe he has problems with blades of grass 

Grace x

[marshman]

Peel Ports amongst others perhaps, including those that have the final say, the EA I guess!

[Aboattime]

23 hours ago, Gracie said:

I don't think that will happen, I believe he has problems with blades of grass 

Grace x

And oranges !

[riverman]

Unless I'm mistaken, the tender for the renewal of the piling there and various works at the adjacent riverside park went out a couple of months ago? 

I'm certain it did because I remember reading the absolutely absurd piling spec. It'll be a miracle if it comes in under 300k. 

[Roy]

Update on wroxham moorings and riverside park 

today I took some friends around the broads by car as their family used to have a boat on the broads and wanted to see how things have changed. 

our second stop was wroxham I won’t repeat what they thought of the park and the moorings and when we arrived there was three live aboard boats playing loud music and trying to have a bbq in an old metal wood burner ? I think what ever it was it didn’t look very attractive/ safe. 
One comment I can repeat they made was about the waste bins being nearly in the river which is something I’ve always thought it seemed a strange place to put them there. 
 

we then walked to look at the viaduct moorings to find three more boats tied up that were obviously live a boards playing loud music and drinking at midday. 

When back in the car they said they couldn’t believe how bad wroxham has become! 
we also visited ludham bridge /how hill /potter h / acle and ranworth I thought I best show them some nicer places too. 
Roy 

 

[Norfolkangler]

I guess if liveaboards can get away with that sort of behaviour in what is considered the capital of the broads, then they can get away with it anywhere. They know that so are not bothered. Unfortunately these are the only sort of liveaboards that are generally seen. Unfortunately they seem on the increase. The good honest ones just get on with life and you would never know they were there as they have respect for the environment and other boaters.  

[Andrewcook]

Hi, Norfolkangler as things have changed in these people attitudes towards these Living have No respect that is because we have not got enough police and Rangers patrol Boats to calm things down or do them for Antisocial Behaviour this is what we need to have even on Land. Mind tonight is a special night for England Football ⚽ to Win.   

[SwanR]

There is sadly a group of “regulars” who seem to do little other than move between the Hoveton St John and Hoveton Viaduct moorings plus the space by the King’s Head. Maybe they go elsewhere from time to time. Strictly speaking they may be keeping to the rules but to me that’s not the spirit of the 24 hour moorings. However that’s no different than other similar situations we’ve seen in the past such as moving between Horning and Ranworth. Antisocial behaviour may also be unwanted and against what many people want to see but it doesn’t necessarily break anything. 

[Roy]

21 minutes ago, SwanR said:

There is sadly a group of “regulars” who seem to do little other than move between the Hoveton St John and Hoveton Viaduct moorings plus the space by the King’s Head. Maybe they go elsewhere from time to time. Strictly speaking they may be keeping to the rules but to me that’s not the spirit of the 24 hour moorings. However that’s no different than other similar situations we’ve seen in the past such as moving between Horning and Ranworth. Antisocial behaviour may also be unwanted and against what many people want to see but it doesn’t necessarily break anything. 

Yes I agree Jean officially they aren’t breaking BA laws by moving from one morning to the other like you say is not in the spirit of things. 
 

The language that was being used today was not for small ears I felt sorry for a young couple with small children they were having a pic nic but decided to move on because of the inappropriate language which is not on. 

[Norfolkangler]

22 minutes ago, SwanR said:

There is sadly a group of “regulars” who seem to do little other than move between the Hoveton St John and Hoveton Viaduct moorings plus the space by the King’s Head. Maybe they go elsewhere from time to time. Strictly speaking they may be keeping to the rules but to me that’s not the spirit of the 24 hour moorings. However that’s no different than other similar situations we’ve seen in the past such as moving between Horning and Ranworth. Antisocial behaviour may also be unwanted and against what many people want to see but it doesn’t necessarily break anything. 

I must stress, I am not knocking, or indeed against liveaboards, my issue is that the "usual few" are giving the genuine ones a bad name and little is being done about it. I appreciate how much boating cost (if done correctly following the rules) I cant imagine how I would feel if I paid out to bring my family down here for an idyllic holiday on the Broads and was confronted by moorings taken up by "The few". It has been bad enough in certain places when trying to get a nights fishing in. upstream or downstream of various 24hr moorings. Loud music, shouting and swearing all through the night is not what I would call acceptable behaviour. Do this in any neighborhood on land and the police would soon be called. Yes I agree we have not got enough rangers or police. The issue is that the "Few" know that and are taking full advantage of the situation. 

There are certain areas on the southern side that they don't even bother playing the system and moving on to come back the next day. I have seen them take up residence on 24Hr moorings for over 4 weeks and they were still there when I left to come away for work.  I have witnessed police and rangers politely asking for them to take some sort of paperwork from them, only to be told where to go. 

   

[dom]

3 hours ago, SwanR said:

There is sadly a group of “regulars” who seem to do little other than move between the Hoveton St John and Hoveton Viaduct moorings.....Strictly speaking they may be keeping to the rules

Alternating between St.Johns and Viaduct isn't keeping to the rules.

Section 61(3) of the Navigation Byelaws prohibit mooring at a place or "any other place within 500 metres" beyond the stated time limit. There's less than 500m between the two Hoveton moorings.

 

[Paladin]

11 hours ago, dom said:

Alternating between St.Johns and Viaduct isn't keeping to the rules.

Section 61(3) of the Navigation Byelaws prohibit mooring at a place or "any other place within 500 metres" beyond the stated time limit. There's less than 500m between the two Hoveton moorings.

 

One liveaboard (not one of the rowdy or antisocial ones - his boat was tolled, BSC'd etc) was pulled up on this practice some while ago, so he just changed his routine to hopping between The Horseshoe, The Village, The Viaduct, The Village, The Horseshoe, ad infinitum. The rangers try their best with the ineffective tools they have at their disposal. The bye laws were made for a different generation. They are long overdue for an overhaul.

[Paladin]

13 hours ago, Norfolkangler said:

It has been bad enough in certain places when trying to get a nights fishing in. upstream or downstream of various 24hr moorings. Loud music, shouting and swearing all through the night is not what I would call acceptable behaviour. Do this in any neighborhood on land and the police would soon be called. Yes I agree we have not got enough rangers or police. The issue is that the "Few" know that and are taking full advantage of the situation. 

 

If you would have called the police if the behaviour was carried out on land, why didn't you call the poloce on this occasion?

[SwanR]

I think this isn’t helped by the small number of hire boats and other privately owned boats that are getting through the bridge so far this year. So most times it certainly doesn’t look like they’re depriving other boaters of access to the best moorings. It’s not like Sutton which is accessible by anyone who can get through Ludham Bridge. And I have no idea who the people are and their circumstances for living aboard in this way. 

[Norfolkangler]

7 hours ago, Paladin said:

If you would have called the police if the behaviour was carried out on land, why didn't you call the poloce on this occasion?

I agree, perhaps I should have, but as was mentioned earlier, to watch them try and communicate with someone persistently refusing to listen to reason is embarrassing to watch. I take my hat off to the police/rangers for their patience when being treated in such a way. 

[MainbraceSplicer]

It is a great shame that the riverside access is now denied. Can somebody tell me if there is still pedestrian access alongside the railway to get into town.

Thanks.

[SwanR]

3 hours ago, MainbraceSplicer said:

It is a great shame that the riverside access is now denied. Can somebody tell me if there is still pedestrian access alongside the railway to get into town.

Thanks.

You can still walk from the Viaduct moorings along through the park area and into Hoveton, if that's what you're asking.

[MainbraceSplicer]

 

59 minutes ago, SwanR said:

You can still walk from the Viaduct moorings along through the park area and into Hoveton, if that's what you're asking.

Ah! I was getting the impression that the wooden walkway and the bridge had been removed. Thanks for that information.

[SwanR]

I think I know where you mean. The walkway is still there. The little bridge was removed but it just means that you have to walk around that little inlet.