The Floater Issue 5

THE FLOATER February 2016 Page 1 INSIDE: ● Broads Authority make concessions - Page two Issue 5 February 2016 The only paper for boaters produced by boaters ● Two thirds of winter moorings empty - Page three Flood plan ● Batteries - are you doing it wrong - Page threat to four boat homes ORE boat homes may Mnow be at risk – if one version of a new flood prevention scheme for Oxford goes ahead – and it looks as if the Environment Agency proposers of the scheme were not ini- tially aware that the 24 boat homes would be hit. The boats, which are moored on long-standing riverside moorings on Weirs Mill Stream in the Notice of the consultation posted on a fence on city, have become the Weirs Mill Stream potential victims of one and many other birds ties, the oldest in their part of a multi-million which would inevitably be eighties. pound flood relief scheme. affected, they argue. They have had one early Tim Wiseman, of the Weirs The group are also con- victory. In the first plans Orchard Moorings cerned that residents are the boat homes were not Residents' Association, already suffering 'planning indicated on the EA plans which represents 17 of the blight'. but that is now being recti- 24 boats moored on the “Our boats and mooring fied - albeit with a line of stream, said “Recent Residents of Weirs Mill Stream are trying to persuade the Environment rights are purchased as a dots. flooding has badly hit local Agency to pick a flood scheme that doesn’t remove their boat homes. package and are sold Tim added: “It is the homes and businesses together. As a result, sales unique nature of the envi- progress these instead. number of options to flowing across Iffley and it is clear that Oxford will be harder to make and ronment here that adds “It is important that the each, to develop much- Meadows from the main needs a new scheme to values will fall. For many, much to this community Environment Agency, city needed flood protection to river into the Weirs Mill help protect homes, busi- this represents our entire and we would be shat- and county council con- protect Oxford. Stream in order to enable ness and infrastructure. life-savings which are at tered if we were to see it sider the enormous human The the three options for greater discharge across “However, of the three risk,” said Tim Wiseman. reduced to a bleak artificial impact and environmental this Weirs Mill Stream are the area. options presented, one is Neither the second or third landscape. The area is not damage this option will cutting widening and The Environment Agency extremely concerning as it options have any direct only enjoyed by ourselves, have, together with addi- straightening the Weirs Mill claims each would be potentially leaves some impact on any other local our friends and family, but tional cost to the public Stream to enable faster equally effective, based on homeless and would shat- properties. the many other river users purse.” flow onto the flood plain; hydrological modelling but ter our community and the Weirs Orchard Moorings such as anglers and The formal public consul- or building additional the first would mean the unique natural environ- are long-established, canoeists, not forgetting tation on the Oxford Flood physical protection to the loss of permanent residen- ment here. private moorings located the residents of those Alleviation Scheme Abingdon Road area and tial moorings at Weirs "The alternative options on a back-stream which houses on Canning opened, for six weeks, in constructing new culverts Orchard which the will bring the same flood runs from Longbridges on Crescent whose gardens mid January. It sets out to enable faster flow onto boaters say represents a protection for the local the main river, down under come down to the river on seven areas of works the flood plain; or con- loss of scant affordable area, without this impact. Donnington Bridge, the opposite side. across the city with a structing a new channel housing and environmen- We urge the authorities to beyond the southern “We don't want to be tally-friendly living, At the bypass and then re-joining adversarial with the EA or very least it will bring the Thames downstream local authorities, but we about the displacement of of Iffley Lock. need them to see the 17 boats for up to six The moorings, owned by impacts of this option. months during construc- Mr John Burbank and his "I hope readers of The tion, and loss of around family, date back to the Floater will support us by 5m of bank, effectively 1960s and have been emailing removing all of boaters' granted a Certificate of oxfordscheme@environ- gardens and storage. Lawful Use. ment-agency.gov.uk and The boaters say the first The boats are home to urge them to protect pre- option would mean more than 30 people cious residential destruction of a mature (including visiting children), moorings." orchard, the removal of an including professional area of mature natural tradesmen and women, Inside: latest on broadleaf woodland, and journalist, artists, actor, turning a natural channel the battle of musicians, a local GP, a into a wide, straight canal. psychologist, other NHS Thorpe Island in The area is home to a and healthcare profes- Norwich were diverse ecology, including sions, and those in the IT otters, hedgehogs, slow- more boat homes or charitable sectors. The Some of the moorings on the Weirs Mill stream worms, kingfishers, owls youngest are in their twen- are threatended THE FLOATER Talks start after boaters take on fight for homes February 2016 Page 2 Broads Authority offer concessions to battling boaters By Peter and social media campaign Underwood with thousands signing an online petition and others contributing to an online crowd-funding initiative to he battle to save pay for legal challenges, boat homes in have directed their fire at TNorwich, where the key officials within the Broads Authority were Broads Authority. threatening 41 boaters Rhetoric with eviction just before They defend the tactic, say- Christmas seems to be ing it has brought the taking a more conciliato- Authority to the table but ry route as the planners now say it is time to ' sus- found themselves faced pend the rhetoric and con- with determined and very centrate on the job in hand.' vocal opposition. Gary says he is 'cautiously The boaters living at the optimistic'. western end of Thorpe That optimism is reinforced Island, known as Jenner’s by the fact that planning Basin, had been threatened and development consult- with criminal proceedings if ants, Lanpro, have written to they did not comply with an The Broads Authority about injunction. This was despite Above and below: Boats on Thorpe Island in Jenner's Basin. In a letter liveaboards being present Norwich. dated 19th January 2016, Lanpro challenge The action.” Broads Authority version of Both parties have agreed to on this stretch of the River to further negotiations, were 'the facts' and confirm the consider appointing an inde- Yare since at least 1922 and open to the proposal to sus- boaters' view that the moor- pendent planner to come up the landowner having both a pend enforcement for a fur- ings have full legal standing. with a design for the basin. Covenant and full planning ther six months following a permission for residential meeting of the authority’s Alternative Cambridge Eviction moorings. John Packman, the Broads memebers in March. Meanwhile an attempt by Authority’s chief executive, Meeting Amicable Cambridge City Council to is quoted by the local At a meeting in the last Gary Barnes who attended forcibly evict Marinus evening newspaper saying: week of January between the meeting on behalf of the Venema and his wife from “There is an alternative way representatives of Thorpe boaters said: “The discus- their boat Moonbeam forward and that is to sub- Island and The Broads sion was amicable and we Shadow on Stourbridge mit a planning application. Authority, the Authority were in agreement about the Common and make them “An inspector did say it backed down on earlier need to work together to homeless, has fizzled out. would be suitable for 25 threats and confirmed that find a solution to the situa- With the assistance of boats. Is there a way of no action is planned, nor do tion at Jenner's Basin that other boaters the boat using your resources to they expect any action to be meets the hopes and was carefully moved a few develop a plan which we forthcoming against the expectations of all parties hundred yards and could share with the plan- moorings the other end of involved.“I am very confi- moored on land not con- ning authority?” Thorpe Island, an area dent that there is a willing- trolled by the City Council, called River Green. Gary Barnes told the meet- ness on all sides to work ing: “In order to do that we although he has posted They also do not anticipate together in the best interests recently on his Facebook taking any immediate would need some time. I of all concerned.”The cam- think it would be a good that he is now in conflict enforcement action at paigners, who have mount- gesture from the authority to with the River Jenner's Basin and, subject ed a highly effective media suspend any enforcement CamConservancy The Non transferable boat licences - but it Floater Written designed and published by News Afloat - a unique boat-based seems no-one told brokers selling boats publisher travelling on the British inland waterways.

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