Questions for the Customer Meeting
Tony Martin – IWA North Riding
Signage on rivers, especially those prone to flooding, such as the Yorkshire Ouse.
In response to calls for action following vessels stranding on river moorings in York Canal & River Trust are implementing the following actions.
Lock keepers are now handing out information notes to all craft passing Selby and
Naburn Locks. A navigation notice was also issued and put on waterscape containing
the same message. A copy of the note is included below.
WARNING
RIVER LEVELS CAN RISE QUICKLY – DO NOT
MOOR HERE AT TIMES OF FLOOD OR EXPECTED
FLOOD
AT ALL OTHER TIMES CRAFT SHOULD MOOR
WITH THEIR BOW FACING UPSTREAM
THE USE OF SHORE LINES & SPRINGS IS
RECOMMENDED
THE NEAREST PUBLIC RISE & FALL JETTIES ARE
LOCATED AT NABURN
The North Riding Branch of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) have agreed to
include copies of the note in their next publication. In addition CRT are also planning
to prepare a series of navigation guides that will provide advice on mooring on the
River Ouse in York. The guides will also include other advice on navigational safety
specific to the NE waterways. We don’t have a date for the preparation of the guides
but are hoping to have them in place before the start of next year’s cruising season.
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Canal & River Trust have approached York City Council who own the wharf in York
and recommended they install fixed signage at the wharf with a message similar to
the above hand-outs. York City Council have agreed to look into this and we have
asked for an update. At the time of writing York have not confirmed their plans for
signage but CRT remain hopeful they will install signs.
It has been suggested that Canal & River Trust install signage to warn of the dangers
of mooring in York at Selby Lock. At this stage we do not intend installing any signs
at Selby for the following reasons:
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We believe the measures described above will be sufficient
York is approximately 30km upstream of Selby Lock. For the sake of
consistency if signs were installed at Selby we should also consider signs at
other sites including Naburn, Goole, Bank Dole, Barmby Barrage and Linton,
plus marinas and other moorings.
Signs located at the actual wharf with directions to other more suitable
moorings should be sufficient and negate the need for signs at the locations
above.
Canal & River Trust will monitor the situation and continue dialogue with York. If
necessary we will reconsider our plans but at this stage we believe the above actions
will be the most effective option.
Garth Robinson – AWCC North East Region
Please can the Trust explain why the replacement of the unsafe lock landing at Fairies Hill
has been delayed yet again? We understand that the latest "promise" is for completion in
May 2014 - if this actually happens, then it will mean that we shall have passed the 4th.
anniversary of the serious accident which led to requests for a safer lock landing. I believe
we have now lost count of the number of broken promises, and we are still left with only a
"safety" ladder fitted by BW to the present landing-shelf, which some comedian fitted 2 or 3
years ago - uselessly on the UPSTREAM end of the existing shelf.
This is very much a safety issue which has been ignored. Vince Moran suggests that safety
issues are important to CRT.
The scheme has unfortunately been delayed due to unforeseen ground conditions. A
solution was identified and our Contractor appointed but when undertaking prep
works it was identified that the detailed solution couldn’t work with the ground
conditions for the budget we had set aside. As such we have had to go back to the
drawing board and find an alternative solution. This has now been designed and is
with our Contractor being priced. The works are in our programme for completion this
financial year
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Floodgates: Following very heavy (but forecast) overnight rain on Saturday August 3rd.,
members of South Pennine Boat Club, who fortunately were staying on their boats over a
working weekend, were awakened at about 5am because boats were listing dangerously.
They found that the water level in Battyeford Cut had risen by about 500mm, and they had to
cut mooring lines on over 20 boats in order to prevent capsize / sinking where the lines were
under too much tension to be undone.
A club member despatched to close the floodgates found that they had been padlocked
open - and the BW / CRT key did not fit the lock. It was 0830 before the CRT team turned up
to close the floodgates. To lock floodgates open is virtually as dangerous as locking firedoors closed.
If CRT feels the need to padlock floodgates open, it should either use a readily-available key
carried by all boaters - or it should ensure that boaters mooring in affected sections have
access to a suitable key to enable them to close the gates in such desperate and dangerous
circumstances.
Would CRT have accepted liability if boats had sunk under these circumstances??
Following on from a phone call by Graham Shuttleworth to Garth Robinson. Garth has
agreed to refer this issue back to the member of the club that raised it as he believes
the date stated may be incorrect. Once the date has been confirmed, we will
undertake a full investigation and communicate what action we will take.
Tinsley Marina: Members of Tinsley Boat Club have serious concerns about the Trust's
intentions for the marina and the navigation. Many berths remain empty but the Trust
appears to have no interest in filling them. Volunteering by boaters experienced in penning
boats up and down the flight, have been turned down by John Cottam, and as a result
navigation is severely limited to the times allowed by the duty lock-keeper. Does CRT have
a hidden agenda regarding restrictions on navigation access to this part of the system?
This is a specific moorings issue. The moorings team have had a recent meeting with
the Tinsley moorers and this aspect was covered at that meeting.
Regarding volunteering at Tinsley - Following discussions with boat club members
we have increased our operating hours to 8.00am – 7.00pm, during the summer. We
have two resident lock keepers on site and a further lock keeper to cover holidays and
sickness. We believe this gives ample accessibility to the locks for boaters. The water
level on the top pound and the back pumping arrangements require careful
management which we believe requires full time lock keeping services.
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Wakefield flood-lock. On a recent trip we found the flood-gates nearly closed, so had to stop
on the river to open them. The upstream lock landing is in a state of considerable disrepair
with missing deck boards, and CRT red plastic material preventing landing. Having tied up to
the wall downstream of the lock, we found that the elegant new timber and glass bridge over
the canal, built 2 or 3 years ago - ends with a fixed section of fencing, and a 6-foot drop
where the bridge has not been completed.
To gain access to the upstream gate to allow it to be opened to allow navigation, I had to
leap over the fixed fence as well as a further steel railing, Fine for a fit boater, but a
nightmare for many others.
Please can the lock landing be made safe, and the bridge completed?
The delays are due to on-going discussions with the developer who owns the land
immediately above the landing and who owns the footbridge. We will carry out a
temporary repair to the existing landing to make safe for customer use whilst these
discussions and a long term solution is agreed and moved forward.
Condition of lock gates and paddle gear between Fall Ings and Sowerby Bridge. Many
AWCC Club members have commented adversely on the immense difficulties they
encountered when trying to navigate this section of the Calder & Hebble. It is virtually
impossible for a single boater or for elderly boaters to operate the locks in this section
without assistance. Boaters experienced in navigating the rest of the waterways system
describe this section as by far the most difficult they have come across.
I have a detailed list of problems and failures, and will be happy to go through the detail with
you to see what steps are in hand to rectify the many faults.
Lock gate replacement for the Calder & Hebble will be discussed in the meeting
I recently wrote to express concern at the suggestion that tidal locks in the region are being
considered for remote operation, without lock-keepers You advised that there would be a full
consultation and safety assessment before any actions are taken.
Please can you advise if there has been any further discussion within CRT on this matter?
We have many adverse comments from AWCC Clubs nationwide concerned about the
potential removal of knowledgeable lock-keepers.
There are no further developments at this time.
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Howard Anguish – NABO/ Garth Robinson – AWCC North East Region
Lack of visitor moorings in Leeds
A group has been set up to look at the moorings situation in Leeds City Centre.
72 hour moorings have been allocated to the pontoon on the river outside Canal &
River Trust offices in Leeds. Other potential moorings space is half of the lock landing
downstream from Leeds Lock could be used and also some space on the water point
pontoon. No charge for mooring on the main line on the north side at Granary wharf
(but they do charge for mooring in the arms), also lock landings at River and Office
locks are controlled by CRT. On the opposite (south) side it is currently a 14 day
mooring from Kirkstall Flyboat to the warehouse.
Ian Barton – Fulford Moorers
What are the findings from the national lock ladder inspection surveys?
Of the 2515 ladders surveyed we identified 348 lock ladder sites for improvement
work across the network, or 14% of the ladders. The improvement work is to bring all
lock ladders to a minimum 100mm tread depth standard, by a variety of methods
dependant on the lock and ladder situation and construction. It is anticipated that the
project will last about 4 years but will be prioritised to match the budget available in
each year and the most efficient way of dealing with them.
There were only 2 ladders identified by NE waterway, Bramwith & Keadby
If the survey on lock ladders is not yet complete, what are the interim findings?
The surveys were a means of gathering more detailed data to allow the solution
selection and detailed design, and have been essential for working up the designs for
this year’s programme of ladder improvement works. The surveys are now complete,
the trials looking at various improvement methods are continuing. We will be
analysing the data from the surveys over the coming months and be utilising them to
identify the next priority locations
What are the terms of reference for the lock ladder surveys?
As a result of customer feedback our surveys focused on tread depth as being the
highest potential risk defect and the quickest win in improving safety for customers
using the ladders during locking. Tread depth was measured on all lock ladders
identifying those where there was less than 100mm from the rear of the rung to the
lock wall. There is not a specific CRT policy on single-handed boating and it is one of
a variety of ways in using our river and canal system. Many improvements have been
made with single-handed boaters in mind – the lift bridges on the South Oxford Canal
for instance where under our minimum safety standards the lift bridges were altered
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to key operation and the bridge at Thrupp was automated. With regards to using a
lock then the most common methods used by single-handed boaters are either bow
hauling or lock ladders and we do not condone or advocate either method – whatever
suits the boater. Our single handed boaters are an important element of our network
and they often spot and comment on issues that may have been otherwise overlooked
and long may this continue.
Mike Cadoux – IWA
Can we have an update on the latest survey monitoring of Linton Lock?
The current monitoring regime at Linton Lock was established in May 2010 and the
previous survey was undertaken in March 2011. The results of the September 2013
survey indicate that movement in the lock is small but on going and we will continue
with another survey during winter 2013/14 to see if there are any indications of
seasonal movement. The bulged area in the lock house side wall upstream of the lock
ladder has moved 6mm since March 2011: pointed mortar joints in this area remain in
good condition providing a further indicator that change is small. It is this bulged area
that has moved the most since 2010 with a maximum change of 25mm. The next
monitoring survey will be brought forward if visible change is reported during length
inspections. The results of the survey will be compared to deflections predicted
during the design of the strengthening works undertaken during the 1990s.
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