boating the right way Recreational Byelaws Anglian Waterways We are the Environment Agency. It’s our job to look after your environment and make it a better place – for you, and for future generations. Your environment is the air you breathe, the water you drink and the ground you walk on. Working with business, Government and society as a whole, we are making your environment cleaner and healthier. The Environment Agency. Out there, making your environment a better place. Published by: Environment Agency Kingfisher House Goldhay Way, Orton Goldhay Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE2 5ZR Tel: 0870 8506506 Email: [email protected] www.environment-agency.gov.uk © Environment Agency All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced with prior permission of the Environment Agency. Recreational Waterways (General) Byelaws 1980 (as amended) The Anglian Water Authority under and ‘a registered pleasure boat’ by virtue of the powers and authority means a pleasure boat registered vested in them by Section 18 of the with the Authority under the Anglian Water Authority Act 1977 and provisions of the Anglian Water of all other powers them enabling Authority Recreational Byelaws hereby make the following Byelaws. - Recreational Waterways (Registration) 1979 1 Citation These byelaws may be cited as the (ii) Subject as is herein otherwise ‘Anglian Water Authority, Recreational expressly provided these byelaws Waterways (General) Byelaws 1980’. shall apply to the navigations and waterways set out in Schedule 1 2 Interpretation and Application of the Act. (i) In these byelaws, unless the context or subject otherwise 3 Damage, etc. requires, expressions to which No person shall interfere with or meanings are assigned by the deface Anglian Water Authority Act (i) any notice, placard or notice 1977 have the same respective board erected or exhibited by meanings, and the Authority on a recreational ‘the Act’ means the Anglian Water waterway or a bank thereof. Authority Act 1977 (ii) any lock, sluice, flood gate, ‘authorised officer’ includes any weir, or any other structure in a warden or bailiff duly authorised recreational waterway. in writing by the Authority (iii) any life saving equipment on a ‘consent of the Authority’ means recreational waterway or a bank a consent in writing signed on thereof. behalf of the Authority by an (iv) any water point, sanitary or officer duly authorised in that refuse disposal station, or other behalf facility relating to a recreational waterway. 6 Environment Agency Recreational Byelaws (v) any fence, wall, hedge or gateway person having opened that gate, or on the bank of a recreational caused it to be opened, shall leave it waterway. open. 4 Fauna 8 Camping No person shall, without consent of No person without lawful authority and the Authority, whether in, on or above; whether in a tent, vehicle or not, shall in a recreational waterway or on a bank camp or sleep out on the bank of any thereof take, molest, wilfully disturb recreational waterway. injure or destroy any living creature 9 Animals to be Controlled or the eggs of any living creature, No person shall cause or permit any or use any nets, snare instrument, dog or other animal in his charge lamp, lure or other means for taking or to enter or remain on the bank of a destruction of any such living creature recreational waterway unless such dog or its eggs. or other animal is under proper control 5 Electric Generators, etc and is effectively restrained from No person shall on a recreational causing annoyance to any person, waterway or on a bank thereof cause or worrying or disturbing any bird or or permit an electric generator or other animal. engine to be operated in connection 10 Bills, Affixing of with any vessel when the same is No person shall without lawful moored so as to cause disturbance or authority affix any bill, placard or annoyance to other persons enjoying notice to or upon any wall or fence, the amenities of the recreational or to any tree or upon any building, waterway. railing, lock, sluice or other structure 6 Vehicles Parking on the bank of a recreational No person shall cause a vehicle waterway. (whether attended or unattended) to obstruct the bank, towing path or halingway of a recreational waterway. 7 Gates to be Closed Where it is indicated by a notice exhibited on or alongside any gate on any bank, halingway or towing path of a recreational waterway that it is prohibited to leave the gate open, no Environment Agency Recreational Byelaws 7 11 Obstruction in Locks 14 Guns No person shall obstruct access to No person shall shoot or discharge or egress from any working lock or a gun, firearm or air weapon over hinder or obstruct persons in boats or in the direction of a recreational approaching, passing through, waterway, or on or over a bank thereof or leaving any working lock on a so as to endanger or harass persons recreational waterway. exercising their lawful rights thereon. 12 Dangerous Litter 15 Diving No personal shall leave on the bank (i) No person shall dive or jump into of a recreational waterway, otherwise a recreational waterway from than in a receptacle provided for litter, any bridge, lock or land drainage any glass, plastic material, metal, structure thereover unless a fishing line, fishing hook or other device has been provided for that material likely to cause injury to any purpose. person, animal or bird. (ii) No personal shall bathe or swim 13 Harassment within 100 metres as herein (i) No personal shall on a provided of the following locks, recreational waterway or on a sluices, weirs or water intakes:- bank thereof throw or propel any On the River Nene - stone, missile or any other object (i) Dog-in-a-Doublet Lock and Sluice in a manner likely to endanger any in the Parish of Whittlesey in the other person. County of Cambridge upstream or (ii) No person shall do any act or downstream thereof. thing with intent to harass any (ii) Wansford Pumping Station in other person, or prevent him the Parish of Wansford in the exercising the rights or enjoying County of Cambridge upstream or the facilities which he may be downstream thereof. entitled to exercise or enjoy on a recreational waterway or a bank (iii) Bedford Road Sluice in the Parish thereof. of Northampton in the County of Northampton upstream or downstream thereof. 8 Environment Agency Recreational Byelaws On the River Great Ouse - (a) without due care and (i) Denver Sluice in the Parish of attention, or without at all Denver in the County of Norfolk times keeping a proper look upstream or downstream thereof. out (i) A.G. Wright Sluice in the Parish of (b) without reasonable Denver in the County of Norfolk consideration for other upstream thereof. persons exercising their rights on the waterway or enjoying On the River Welland - the facilities thereof Cowbit Road Sluice in the Parish of Spalding in the County of Lincoln (c) at a speed such as to be likely upstream thereof. to endanger other persons, or contrary to any lawful and On the River Glen - reasonable direction given by Surfleet sluice in the Parish of an authorised officer on the Surfleet in the County of Lincoln occasion of any emergency, upstream and downstream thereof. or in contravention of any On the River Ancholme - temporary restriction, South Ferriby Lock in the Parish prohibition or regulation of the of South Ferriby in the County use of a recreational waterway of Humberside upstream and imposed or made pursuant to downstream thereof. Section 15 of the Act. On the River Stour - (ii) no person shall use or navigate a Cattawade Barrage in the Parish vessel of Brantham in the County of (a) so as to prevent for an Suffolk upstream thereof. unreasonable time any other or within 36 metres upstream or person exercising his rights downstream of any other lock, sluice, on a recreational waterway, or weir or water intake, or in any lock enjoying the facilities thereof, pen. or so as to harass him 16 Navigation (b) so as to cause unnecessary (i) Subject as is otherwise herein injury or damage to any flora expressly provided, no person or fauna, or to the banks of a navigating a vessel on a recreational waterway. recreational waterway shall do so Environment Agency Recreational Byelaws 9 17 Speed Limits (iii) This byelaw shall not apply to (i) Except when it is necessary for safe that reach of the River Nene as navigation in conditions of flood lies between the Fitzwilliam or in an emergency, no person Bridge in the Parishes of Thorney shall navigate a powered boat (as and Whittlesey in the District of defined in Section 18 of the Act) Peterborough and a point one over the waters or parts thereof mile downstream thereof. as are specified in column 1 of (iv) No person shall use water skis the following table at speeds to on any recreational waterway in be measured over the bed of the respect of which a speed limit is waterway exceeding those specified imposed by this byelaw. in relation thereto in column 2 thereof (ii) It shall not be an offence under paragraph (i) of this byelaw for a powered boat to exceed such speed limits if, for the purpose of any regatta, training, demonstration, test or other similar event there is in force in respect of that powered boat or in respect of powered boats generally taking part in the event a special permit in writing from the Authority authorising a higher speed, nor shall it be an offence for a powered boat in use for byelaw or law enforcement purposes to exceed such limits.