Urgent dredging needed on the Chet

[Matt]

But Lori surely the responsibility to dredge private moorings belongs to the owner, not the BA?

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Lori,

There is a petition organised by the Loddon & District Business Association (LDBA) to urge the Broads Authority to dredge the River Chet from Hardley Flood to Loddon Staithe as a matter of urgency.

You can find information on info@ldba.org.uk, facebook at www.facebook.com/KeepCalmSaveOurRiver.

Regards

Alan

[neilp1962]

What is the situation with hire boats getting stuck in the mud, is the customer responsible for any costs involved in getting rescued from what is marked as a navigable river with BA 24Hour moorings advertised?

 

I ask because although I'm keeping my cruising plans fairly loose, there are two 'must visit' places in August when we hire Ruby Emblem for a week. These are Geldeston Locks and Loddon. We hope to spend a whole day in Loddon where we'll shop, walk, eat & drink (White Horse is high on my visit wish list) and probably fall overboard drunk. I'm seriously doubting if it's worth the risk in going there which will be a huge disappointment.

 

Anybody know what the situation would be?

 

Regards

 

Neil

[Guest]

Hello Lori,

There is a petition organised by the Loddon & District Business Association (LDBA) to urge the Broads Authority to dredge the River Chet from Hardley Flood to Loddon Staithe as a matter of urgency.

You can find information on info@ldba.org.uk, facebook at www.facebook.com/KeepCalmSaveOurRiver.

Regards

Alan

 

After the detailed discussions on this problem, and the real reasons and responsibility behind it, won't the BA  just say the matter is outside of their control ?

 

I got the impression from Bill's detailed report that the BA Public presentation on the subject made it clear that they can't dredge till the EA stabilise the river banks  ?

[Hockham Admiral]

What is the situation with hire boats getting stuck in the mud, is the customer responsible for any costs involved in getting rescued from what is marked as a navigable river with BA 24Hour moorings advertised?

 

I ask because although I'm keeping my cruising plans fairly loose, there are two 'must visit' places in August when we hire Ruby Emblem for a week. These are Geldeston Locks and Loddon. We hope to spend a whole day in Loddon where we'll shop, walk, eat & drink (White Horse is high on my visit wish list) and probably fall overboard drunk. I'm seriously doubting if it's worth the risk in going there which will be a huge disappointment.

 

Anybody know what the situation would be?

 

Regards

 

Neil

Neil, if you arrive on a half tide rising you'll then have 5-6 hours before you need leave... Even Howard or I can't drink for that long!

[BuffaloBill]

Some people just don't get it do they?

It will be dredged as soon as all the relevant details are sealed. It can't be done until then so no petition will make any difference. I was told that with the new Hardley Wier completed that the incoming tide will now go up to Loddon and not into the Hardley Flood as it had been doing, thereby raising the water level up to the staithe by approximately 12/18 inches.

This work is top of their agenda so like or not, we'll have to be patient. 

Loddon is one of our top destinations when we head south so we would like to see it done but, hey ho.

As to the boats sat on the silt, that was an exceptionally low water and was not the only place to suffer if you read the posts on here. In fact, one boat in our marina at Wroxham was too.

Just let the people get on with it instead of having to keep replying to endless emails or petitions that will not change anything.

As Iv'e said, it's being sorted as a priority and if you wish to know what's going on, attend these meetings as we did, and we live 110 miles away.

And I would add that I have NO connection to the BA whatsoever except that I pay my tolls.

Some people just keep on bashing at the BA even when they are doing what people want. Anyone knows that bureaucracy takes ages to sort out in all walks of life, so please calm down people! IT'S BEING SORTED!

Sorry. Rant over.

[BuffaloBill]

Taken from their new blog page:-

 

 

By Adrian Clarke, Senior Waterways and Recreation Officer

Dredging of the River Chet is a priority for the Broads Authority but we have to wait until the Environment Agency completes flood defence work on the south bank.

This is now in progress after planning permission was granted and it is anticipated that the earth works will take approximately 12 months to carry out.

After this time the old piling will be removed and we can immediately start dredging operations from Nogdam End upstream to Loddon to reinstate the depth required in the Sediment Management Strategy.

Meanwhile to improve the situation the Broads Authority has replaced the weir structure that controlled tidal flow into Hardley Flood, rather than upstream to Loddonn and feedback from local boatyard businesses is that water levels at Loddon have increased by 12 to 18 inches at low water. 

We really do treat this as both a serious issue and a high priority and will be carrying out further works as soon as it is safe to do so.

[ranworthbreeze]

Lori asked a simple question and I replied with the answer that there was a one, end of story.

Regards

Alan

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

The reason why the new weir at the entrance to Hardley flood works is because it actually holds the water INSIDE the bounderies of the flood, whereas originally, the flood emptied all the time the tide was out, therefore, more tidal water was needed to refill the flood, taking vital water supplies from upstream, namely Loddon and the moorings. As said earlier, that photo was taken during a spring tide and after some strong south westerly winds which held incoming tide water back. As for depth of water for a hire boat, there`s no need to worry, as there`s plenty of depth at the moorings, and the staithe.

 

Matt, although the moorings on the North bank housing are private moorings, they have been postioned on what was always "open water", of which they probably already pay the BA some sort of river comissioners fee, just like we used to do on the Medway. They are more than likely responsible for the mooring, but not the river they occupy. I may be wrong, so if anybody knows different, please feel free to put me right?.

 

Regards to all ..................... Neil.

[Matt]

Neil you might be right but by the same reasoning that would mean Brooms and Barnes would get their river front moorings dredged for them!

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Neil you might be right but by the same reasoning that would mean Brooms and Barnes would get their river front moorings dredged for them!

The differnce there Matt, could be that yards such as Brooms, Brinkcraft etc etc, have mooring basins that were possibly dug out within the boundries of their private land, which would mean the rite of navigation DOES`NT extend into them, so the BA are not liable. As i said before, i may be wrong, and i willingly stand to be corrected, but the private moorings in front of the houses at Loddon cover what used to be (i think?) part of the navigable basin.

 

Maybe someone on the forum has an old odnance survey map that shows the extent of the basin before the houses were built, which might give an idea of where the land boundries were?.

[NorfolkNog]

 

Even Howard or I can't drink for that long!

Just a warm up John!! :smile:

Seriously we moored at Loddon with a full range of tides in June and had no issues.

[Matt]

But Neil the right of navigation would apply to the moorings at the above boatyards that sit on the main river, no?

Of you take Brooms for example would it BA's responsibility to dredge the river at the Broom fuel pump moorings?

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Matt,

 

I would assume that the B.A. responsibility for any work would finish on the line of the river and any entrances, marina's made off of the river would be the responsibility of the owner.

At the river moorings at the Broom's fuel pumps I would say yes it is the B.A's responsibility but at each side of the fuel pump station I would say is down to Broom's. That of course is only my take on the example.

 

Regards

Alan 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

 

Just a warm up John!! :smile:

Seriously we moored at Loddon with a full range of tides in June and had no issues.

 

 

Howard, when were you in Loddon, as we were there on 3 occaisions last week, we may have seen you, also, which boat were you on?.

 

Regards and happy supping .................... Neil.

[loribear]

hi neil ive not got a map , but ive hot an old photo of loddon with boats moored up on the other side , when hire boats could moor there, & it looks quite set back .lori

[Guest]

If it's any help, Google Earth has some good imagery there back to 1999....