RE-PRICING OF 12 MONTH MOORING PERMITS 2015

MOORINGS AREA REPORT FOR CENTRAL COUNTIES

Introduction This report provides the rationale for mooring price decisions for 2015. VAT is payable at the rate set by the government for the date when the permit is purchased. Profiles of privately operated sites in the area are appended. We researched and compared their prices with the Canal & River Trust rates to inform our judgements, but because this data is commercially sensitive it has not been included.

Local market overview

The Central Counties area comprises the canals listed below, mainly to the east and south-east of the Birmingham conurbation.

Birmingham & Fazeley Northern part of Grand Union Mainline & Trent & Mersey from Great Haywood Junction Arm, to Burton on Trent. North & South Stratford Coventry GU Leicester Section Ashby Northern Oxford

The waterways span rural and urban areas and are at the heart of the network connecting and the south to the northern counties. Good motorway access from the south makes the area attractive to people living in London and the south east as well as to the local population.

There are a total of approximately 2600 (SE) 1200 (CS) off-side, basin or marina moorings, making a total supply within the Central Counties area of circa 3800 berths. Bosworth Marina opened in the Autumn of 2014, with berths for 150 boats. Kings Orchard Marina opened on the Coventry Canal in 2013 with 89 berths.

The demand for residential and leisure moorings in the Central Counties area remains high and we have received a positive response to the advertised vacancies since the start of the mooring auction system. Most of the sites are at full capacity.

Analysis of auctioned vacancies

Total Auctions Total Current Total No. of Site Name (inc. Relists) Successful Capacity Bidders Since April 2012 Auctions Lime Kilns 5 11 3 4 Sutton Cheney 22 20 9 15 Market Bosworth 5 12 3 5 Bodymoor Heath 24 11 5 5 Central Counties 2015 page 1 of 9

Exhall Basin 12 2 2 5 Hawkesbury Pump House 16 19 11 23 Tuttle Hill 7 2 1 1 Grendon Wharf 20 24 4 4 Peel's Wharf 4 8 2 2 Foxton Bottom Basin 12 3 2 7 Foxton Village 5 11 5 7 Market Harborough Basin 12 20 5 8 (Elec) Market Harborough Towpath 3 1 3 4 Residential 1 1 1 3 Gayton Yard Offside 1 6 2 2 Knowle Bottom Lock 13 7 5 7 Rising Lane 8 12 4 6 Rising Lane 8 10 2 2 Fosse Locks 4 17 1 1 Bascote 4 1 1 1 Blue Lias 5 9 3 3 Stockton 3 24 0 0 Towpath 6 35 5 5 Buckby Top Lock 12 9 4 4 Dodford Wharf 9 21 6 6 Weedon Church 9 13 4 5 Stoke Bruerne Offside 4 2 1 2 Stoke Bruerne Residential 6 3 3 9 Hawkesbury Junction 9 4 3 8 Ansty 7 18 5 6 Brinklow 3 9 1 1 Newbold 6 21 3 4 Hillmorton Locks 5 9 2 2 Braunston Puddlebanks 3 20 1 1 Kingswood Junction 6 5 2 2 Kingswood Basin 31 31 10 13 Lowsonford 15 20 7 9 Spode House 27 19 5 5 Shade House Lock 4 6 0 0 Fradley Linear 5 10 2 3 Hunts Lock 18 9 4 5

Private operator reference sites Approx. berths Canal Alvecote Marina 180 Coventry Canal Delta Marine Services 12 GU Napton Narrowboats 110 GU Kings Bromley Wharf 280 T&M Ashby Canal Centre 23 Ashby Welford Marina 170 GU Leics Weltonfield Narrrow Boats 100 GU Leics Crick Marina 273 GU Leics Debdale Wharf 180 GU Leics Gayton Marina 130 Grand Union Braunston Marina 250 Grand Union Braunston Boats 6 Grand Union Union Canal Carriers 20 Grand Union Marina 220 Grand Union Central Counties 2015 page 2 of 9

Concoform Marina 20 Grand Union Stowe Hill Marina 21 Grand Union High House Marina 24 Grand Union Heyford Fields Marina 100 Grand Union Wharf 40 Grand Union Brinklow Boats 15 Grand Union Willow Wren Hire Cruisers 25 Grand Union Rose Narrowboats 30 Grand Union Brinklow Marina 200 Grand Union Barby Lane 108 Oxford Yelvertoft 170 Grand Union

Brief profiles of the following sites which we used for comparisons are summarised in the appendix.

Challenges to Pricing Decisions

We have made the pricing recommendations below based on a thorough review of auction results and local knowledge. It is our policy, set at Board level, to set prices which reflect market rates and to compete fairly with private operators. The Trust has neither powers nor duty to provide subsidised moorings. If you feel that the price decision made for your mooring site is unjustified having read this report, we ask that you write to the Head of Direct Managed Moorings explaining why you think it is the case. Please explain the reasoning for your challenge including evidence such as price and descriptions of nearby privately operated mooring sites. We will not amend the price without this evidence. We will consider your representation and respond in writing within two working weeks. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may request that the matter is dealt with through our formal complaints procedure.

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Pricing conclusions The table below summarises our site-by-site conclusions across the area. Prices include VAT @ 20%.

2014 Price from April Site Name Notes on pricing decision Price 2015

Ashby Canal Access to this site is difficult due to the proximity of the A5. The price is being held pending a Lime Kilns £65.00 £65.00 decision on the future of the site. Sutton Cheney £100.88 £103.41 Popular site with some churn. 4 closures made through online mooring reduction. Wharf Towpath site has relocated outside newly opened Bosworth Marina. Offside site has very shallow Market Bosworth £68.44 £68.44 depth and 2 berths remain empty pending dredging Birmingham & Fazeley Canal Water Park £93.28 £93.28 Dredging required at this location to address issues with depth. Coventry Canal Exhall Basin [R] £2,898.94 £3,043.88 Very popular purpose built Residential site, good facilities, site full, no churn since 2012 Hawkesbury £93.29 £95.61 Popular site with little churn. Currently full. Pumphouse Tuttle Hill £69.20 £69.20 Rural site but shallow depth and difficult road access. The site has been reduced through OLMR This is a popular location and a very attractive site with limited parking. .Very shallow depth which Grendon Wharf £93.29 £93.28 has prevented the filling of some vacancies. Peel’s (Fazeley) This site has become unpopular as subject to very strict Ts & Cs due to surrounding properties. £1,121.50 £953.27 Wharf Price to be reduced to encourage take up. Knowle Bottom £99.24 £101.72 Popular site in a good location with little churn. Lock Rising Lane £109.64 £112.37 Popular site in a good location with little churn.

Hatton Top Lock £89.92 £92.16 Popular site with no turnover, currently only 4 boats due to OLMR. Site reduced due to OLMR. Nearest comparable competitor charges considerably more, but does Fosse Locks £77.14 £77.14 have the benefit of all relevant facilities. Site reduced due to OLMR. Nearest comparable competitor charges considerably more, but does Blue Lias £88.79 £88.79 have the benefit of all relevant facilities. Site reduced due to OLMR. Nearest comparable competitor charges considerably more, but does Stockton £81.54 £81.54 have the benefit of all relevant facilities. Popular site with little churn. Nearest comparable competitor charges considerably more but does Bascote Wharf £100.71 £103.23 have all relevant facilities. Central Counties 2015 page 4 of 9

Braunston Towpath Quite a high churn at this site. Site has been reduced due to OLMR. Nearest competitor charges £112.40 £112.40 Stop considerably more, but has the benefit of all relevant facilities. This site has seen some churn but remains popular. Nearest competitor charges considerably more, Buckby Top Lock £93.20 £93.20 but has the benefit of all relevant facilities. Sales at this site have been constant. Nearest competitor charges considerably more but has the Dodford Wharf £71.48 £71.48 benefit of all relevant facilities. Popular site with little churn. Nearest comparable competitor charges considerably more but does Weedon Church £98.40 £100.87 have all relevant facilities. No churn at this site. Nearest competitor charges considerably more but has the benefit of all Stowe Hill (Offside) £99.29 £101.77 relevant facilities. Popular site with little churn. Nearest comparable competitor charges considerably more but does Gayton Yard £96.98 £99.40 have all relevant facilities. Popular site with little churn. Nearest comparable competitor charges considerably more but does Gayton Towpath £96.98 £99.40 have all relevant facilities. Stoke Bruerne Popular site with little churn. Nearest comparable competitor charges considerably more but does £129.57 £132.80 Offside have all relevant facilities. Stoke Bruerne £4,176.17 £4,280.58 Very popular residential site. Most recent vacancy sold for £1k above guide price. Residential Popular rural site which sells well at auction. Nearest competitor charges considerably more, but Foxton Village £78.68 £80.65 does have all relevant facilities. Market Harborough £133.88 £133.88 Recent vacancies have not sold. Price is being held to help generate interest. Basin (electric) Market Harborough £146.16 £153.47 Only 2 residential berths, don't come up very often but sell well when they do. Basin Market Harborough £131.88 £135.10 Only 2 berths without power. No churn. Basin (no electric) Market Harborough Popular site with little churn. Nearest comparable competitor charges considerably more but does £83.18 £85.24 Towpath have all relevant facilities. Popular site with little churn. Nearest comparable competitor charges considerably more but does Yelvertoft Towpath £85.41 £87.55 have all relevant facilities. Yelvertoft This is a one off residential off-side site for which the current occupants paid £5255 at auction. It has £3,916.80 £5091.84 Residential all facilities. Nearest competitor charges considerably less. No churn Kilby Bridge Wharf £104.97 £110.22 Never had a vacancy at this site.

Foxton Basin £116.28 £122.09 Popular site with very little churn. Site has all facilities.

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Hawkesbury £95.15 £97.53 Popular site, no churn in last 12 months, site currently full. Junction All moorings auctioned within the last 2 years, have sold. Nearest comparable competitor charges Ansty Towpath £70.34 £72.10 considerably more, but does have the benefit of all relevant facilities. Brinklow Junc All moorings auctioned within the last 2 years, have sold. Very little churn. Nearest comparable £71.73 £73.53 Towpath competitor charges considerably more, but does have the benefit of all relevant facilities. All moorings that have been sold within the last 2 years, have sold at below the guide price. Nearest Newbold £70.26 £70.26 comparable competitor charges considerably more, but does have the benefit of all relevant facilities. All moorings that have sold within the last 2 years, have sold at below the guide price. Little churn. Hillmorton Locks £98.75 £98.75 Nearest comparable competitor charges considerably more, but does have the benefit of all relevant facilities. Braunston One mooring sold within the last 2 years, sold at below the guide price. Very little churn. Nearest £104.62 £104.62 Puddlebank comparable competitors charge considerably more, but do have the benefit of all relevant facilities. Kingswood £101.32 £103.86 No turnover until recently, vacancy sold on auction for Guide Price Junction Kingswood Basin £3,002.73 £3,002.72 Failed on auction but sold well on short term only Lowsonford £86.27 £88.42 Popular rural site. Trent & Mersey Canal Spode House £76.43 £64.96 Shallow depth, historic low demand many vacancies, those sold achieve only the reserve price Shadehouse Lock £93.77 £93.77 Site security issues during last 12 months, vacancy on site has failed repeatedly Fradley Yard Linear £111.27 £114.61 This is a small site with adjacent parking, latest auction slow to sell but the site is now full Hunts Lock £93.77 £96.11 Popular site with little churn.

Jenny Whitehall Head of Direct Managed Moorings

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APPENDIX

Mooring Site comparisons Site Name Setting Mooring amenity Facilities

Rural attractive location within 1 mile of village of same 275 Berth Leisure Offline Water - refuse & elsan disposal - Kings Bromley Wharf name where a pub, shop and a bus service can be Marina with all of the facilities pump-out - showers & toilets - electric (Marina) utilised. Car parking is on secure site next to the berths. you would expect. bollards - laundry - chandlery 4 miles from City Centre by road. Water - electric charging points - Attractive but relatively inaccessible rural location, with Small offline leisure Marina Ashby Canal Centre chandlery - boat repairs - cranage - limited cruising opportunities with full capacity dry & wet dock Urban industrial online linear within confines of two Leisure - offside - secure - Water - pump-out - elsan & refuse Delta Marine Services major town centres with associated shopping and public access through industrial disposal - toilets - electric hook-up - amenities including bus & rail. estate. wet dock - car parking Rural attractive setting in a high catchment area with Leisure - offline 60 Berth Water - refuse disposal - pump-out - operating large boat hire fleet. Ideally located for Napton Narrowboats Marina with ample car electric hook-up - wet dock - boat cruising on central Midland network. Bus at small village parking. repairs. within 1 mile walk. Rural - poor access other than by car - Good car Offside - large capacity - Water - refuse disposal - pump-out - Alvecote Marina parking - All main facilities on hand including a licensed leisure Marina. electric hook-up - dry dock restaurant - exposed to busy hire fleet on main line. Attractive rural setting on the Welford Arm, within 1 mile Water, refuse & elsan disposal, 170 berth, private marina on Welford Marina of village, where there are shops, pubs and is on bus toilets, electricity, pump out, gas, the main line route. Public house at the end of the arm. diesel, dry dock Walkways, water, refuse & elsan Attractive rural setting a short distance from Norton disposal, car park, lighting, security, Weltonfield Junction and within 2 miles of town centre 100 berth, private marina on gas, coal, diesel, electric, toilets, Narrowboats where all facilities can be utilised. Adjacent to main A5 the Welford Arm pump out, general store and work trunk road. shop facilities. Water, refuse disposal, car park, Large newly extended marina. Rural location within 1 273 berth private marina. elsan, electric, toilets, security, pump Crick Marina mile of Crick village where all village amenities can be Leisure. put, laundry, diesel, gas, boat repair utilised. facilities, chandlery.

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Water, refuse disposal, car parking, Attractive rural location – within 2 miles of two small elsan, toilets, electric, pump out, 180 berth private marina. Debdale Wharf villages – Gumley and Foxton. Foxton is a highly lighting, security, laundry, grocery Leisure popular visitor location and CRT destination. store, diesel, gas, boat repair services, chandlery, pub/bar. Water, refuse, car park (charged), Attractive, rural location. Within 2 miles of Gayton 130 berth Marina & on line elsan, toilet, electric, security, lighting, Gayton marina village and within 5 miles of Northampton Town Centre. moorings pump out, showers, grocery store, diesel, gas, boat repairs, chandlery. Attractive rural location. Close to Braunston village Water, refuse, elsan, toilets, electric, Braunston Marina (within ½ mile) and on main A45 trunk road – within 7 250 berth Marina. Leisure. pump out, shower, laundry, diesel, miles of both Daventry and Rugby Town Centre’s. gas, boat repairs/sale, restaurant. Rural Location – small concern within ½ mile of Water, refuse disposal, toilets, 26 berths. Towpath online Braunston Boats Braunston village and within 7 miles of both Daventry electric, diesel, gas, slipway, moorings. Leisure and Rugby Town Centres. chandlery Rural location – small concern within ½ mile of Union Canal Carriers Braunston village and within 7 miles of both Daventry 20 berths. Offline basin. Shared facility with above. and Rugby Town Centres Large marina in a rural setting. Within 7 miles of Water, refuse disposal, elsan, toilets, Daventry Town Centre and located just off the main A5 electric, security, pump out, laundry, Whilton Marina 220 berth marina. Leisure trunk road. Situation is just below the Buckby Flight of general store, storage, diesel, gas, Locks boat repairs, chandlery Small marina in rural location. Within 1 mile of Weedon Water, car park, toilets, electric, gas, Concoform Marina 20 berth Marina. Leisure village centre and close to main A5 trunk road. boat repairs Attractive rural location, adjacent to A5 trunk road. Water, refuse disposal, toilets, pump Stowe Hill Marina Within 3 miles of Weedon village. Adjacent to popular 21 berths marina. Leisure out, diesel, gas, dry dock, chandlery public house. Very small marina, just off the A5 trunk road and within 24 berth marina. Offline. Water, refuse disposal, car parking, High House Marina 1 mile of village. Leisure elsan, electric, security, lighting. Toilets, showers, laundry, office Large marina, located in attractive rural setting. Close services, pump out, elsan, slipway, Heyford Fields Marina to both Nether Heyford and Bugbrooke villages. With in 100 berth Marina. Leisure boat repairs, diesel, car parking. ½ mile of A5 trunk road. Jetties to each berth with water and electric. Attractive rural location within ½ mile of Bugbrooke Water, elsan, toilets, electric, security, Bugbrooke Wharf 40 berth Marina. Leisure village where all amenities can be utilised. pump out

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Small marina located on the Stretton Arm. Rural Brinklow Boats 15 berth Marina. On arm. Dry dock location and close to Stretton Under Fosse village. Urban setting within an industrial estate in Rugby. Water, refuse disposal, elsan, toilets, Willow Wren Hire Operates a large boat hire fleet. All town centre 25 berth Marina. On arm pump out, general store, diesel, gas, Cruisers amenities available within 2 miles. wet dock. Walkways, water, refuse disposal, Attractive rural setting. Operates a large boat hire fleet. elsan, toilets, pump out, pay phone, Rose Narrowboats Within 2 miles of both Brinklow and Stretton Under 30 berth Marina. Arm/leisure general store, diesel, gas, boat Fosse villages. repairs, chandlery Walkways, water, refuse disposal, car Large new marina. Rural location, within 1 mile of Brinklow Marina 200 berth marina. Leisure parking, elsan, toilet, electric, security, Brinklow Village where all amenities can be utilised. lighting, pump out, and storage. Water, refuse disposal, elsan, toilets, Attractive semi rural setting. Operates medium boat Holiday rental moorings only. Clifton Cruisers electric, pump out, showers, general hire fleet. Within 2 miles of Rugby Town Centre. On line & arm store, diesel, gas, crane, chandlery Attractive , rural setting. Large new marina. Yelvertoft is Water, electricity, car parking, coal, Yelvertoft Marina close by with limited facilities. Crick village is a short 170 berth marina,. Leisure gas, diesel and pumpout, laundrette, distance away, as is J18 of the M! toilet / showers, elsan, wi-fi Refuse, pump out, sluice, diesel, gas, Attractive, rural setting. New marina. Within 2 miles of Barby Marina 108 berth marina. Leisure. wood, showers, toilets, café, bar. Hillmorton Locks. 10 minutes from J18 M1. Chandlery

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