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Category: EA and others
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On Tuesday 3rd March 2020 I represented NABO at the above Forum which brings together representatives of a wide cross section of users of the Thames, including the 8 River User Groups (the RUGs) and many other representative groups, with relevant EA personnel.  Chaired by the Thames Director, Julia Simpson, the very long meeting was valuable and above all illustrated that the new-look EA is making every effort to listen to its key river users in moving its navigational responsibilities forward over the next 5 years.

Read more: Report on meeting of Thames Navigation Users Forum (TNUF) March 2020

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Category: Other Live Issues
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In January, CRT started work to enhance the resilience of the dam wall and spillway. This will be followed later in the year by improvements to the Todd Brook inlet channel at the head of the reservoir to provide more control over how much water flows into the reservoir, or around it via a bypass channel into the River Goyt. A new footbridge will be built across the brook to create a safe route for people to walk from one side of the valley to the other. To ensure that the dam is secure in any extreme weather events, a temporary wall will be built along the spillway crest, raising it by one metre, and concrete barriers will be installed on the spillway slope to channel any overflowing water into the central undamaged section. These will remain in place until permanent reconstruction of the dam is undertaken. The Trust has commissioned an independent inquiry into what caused the damage to the dam’s auxiliary spillway. It is also assisting with an independent review commissioned by the Government. Both reports are due to be published early in 2020 and will guide the long-term repair of the dam, which is likely to take several years and cost around £10 million. (see www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/restoring-toddbrook-reservoir).

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Category: NABO Regional Reports
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Both the K&A and the Mon & Brec have seen very welcome and extensive winter work, and on the K&A we were delighted to see that CRT is at last introducing so-called ‘composite’ lock gates – basically steel but with sacrificial wooden components. Both Canal Trusts have been working on these for some five years and have installed sets on the non-CRT part of the Mon & Brec. With costs similar to wooden gates, but having lives of up to 100 years there is no argument! Do they look odd? When showing them to some senior CRT folk, they asked where they were – all they could see was normal gates. They were then told they were sitting on them!

Extensive cutting back of vegetation has generally been well done, although the towpaths have often been left in very dubious states. On the K&A, there continues to be a lack of boating facilities, made worse this year by those at Hortons Bridge being removed by the pub owner because of local abuse - mainly by non-boaters. While restoration of the water point is promised, CRT has just announced that the bins will not be restored - resulting in a 3½ mile trip to the nearest ones. But, from the start of the year, we have the excellent and well-liked (by boaters) Mark Evans back as the Regional Director.

Mike Rodd

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Category: Canal and River Trust
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Following feedback from a series of meetings held with disabled boaters over the last year, CRT will now provide ‘Trust Aware’ permits to boaters who have been given reasonable adjustments to their cruising requirements under the Equality Act 2010. On a case-by-case basis, this could involve overstays on visitor or towpath moorings or adjusting their cruising range. The permits are intended to let other people know that the Trust is aware of the situation and that there is permission to overstay or move in a limited range. Boaters can choose whether they want to display them; it is not a CRT requirement. There are around 240 boaters with approved adjustments and another 140 adjustments in the process of being arranged. The permits will be the size of a licence disc, but will be printed on yellow paper to clearly distinguish between the two.