Andy Soper of the Dutch Barge Association and NABO Member, reports on this meeting: I attended a meeting of the Thames Navigation Users Forum on Wednesday 13 April. Some 25 people attended with about 15 from user organisations including all of the principal boating user organisations (RBOA, NABO, RYA, ATYC, TMBA, IWA ) along with British Rowing and Canoe England.
Less than a week before EA circulated 46 pages of papers for consideration at this 2.5 hour virtual meeting (EA not embraced face to face meetings yet). Many attendees expressed disappointment at the expected range of topics but welcomed the delivery of papers before the meeting.
Read more: Thames Navigation Users Forum on Wednesday 13 April
The TMBA have published a summary of the results of the Thames Motor Boaters Survey conducted during October/November this year.
This survey was open to all motorboaters based on or visiting the Environment Agency managed non-tidal Thames during 2021. The TMBA was supported by river user organisations and other interested parties, particularly the Association of Thames Yacht Clubs (ATYC), DBA-The Barge Association (DBA), the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), the National Association of Boat Owners (NABO), and the Residential Boat Owners Association (RBOA).
The document can be downloaded here
The Environment Agency has today published its final decisions on boat registration charges on its waterways for the next 3 years: These have resulted from the 8 week consultation launched in July relating to its initial proposals.
Following feedback from boater representative organisations (including NABO) and individual boaters regarding the changes which included a proposed increase of 6% in year 1, 4% in year 2 and 0% in year 3, the new charging scheme will now see increases of 4% in 2022; 4% in 2023; and 2% in 2024.
Also, the proposals included a new charging mechanism for boats based on the area of a boat across all their waterways, but it says it has listened to its customers and will now continue with the current charging mechanisms for each waterway.
The EA has also advised its NNUF (National Navigation User Forum), attended by NABO on the 1st of December, that it will set up user-based advisory groups to work with its staff on various aspects of its operations.
Boat registration renewal notices will be sent out to customers using the Environment Agency’s Thames waterway from next week, with those registered on the Medway and Anglian waterways following early next year.
For more information see: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/environment-agency-navigation-charges-consultation-outcomes
Mike Rodd
On Thursday 14 October Mike Rodd tried to attend a “Teams” meeting of TNUF. Unfortunately he had to attend via phone only as there was poor internet access from where he was moored. However, Teams dropped out several times and he was placed on unmute and the function to reverse this would not work but ended the call! We have therefore had Andy Soper of the DBA (and also a NABO member)’s permission to re-produce his report. See below
We share this sign seen recently.
EA are wondering why users are not very keen on their management style.
