CaRT Consultation cock-up

A CONSULTATION on proposed changes to mooring stay times at four Canal & River Trust locations has been partially abandoned after boaters pointed out errors in the consultation document.

Matthew Symonds, CaRT's Relationship & Strategy Manager (Boating) has blamed ‘human error' and taken responsibility.

Consultation

The consultation is inviting comments on proposals to introduce £25 overstay charges and/or additional visitor moorings restrictions at four locations on the Grand Union Canal at Braunston, Batchworth, Berkhamsted and Marsworth. These locations fall within CaRT's South East Region with the proposals apparently discussed by its Waterways Partnership boating sub group.

However, boaters have been quick to point out various errors in the maps provided for the consultation (these appear to have been quietly corrected). It has also been found that current mooring stay time information for Batchworth is incorrect which has led to this location being removed from the consultation.

Apology

An apology, has been provided by Mathew Symonds on both Canalworld Discussion Forum and Facebook:

'I'm afraid I have to start the New Year with an apology. Unfortunately due to a human error that I take full responsibility for, the current mooring stay time information for Batchworth provided in the visitor mooring report to the [South East Waterways Partnership] sub group in November, and subsequently transferred into the consultation was incorrect. This error was highlighted to me today, so I have taken action to withdrawal the Batchworth proposal from the consultation information on the web page replacing it with a correction and apology that states:

Proposed changes to Batchworth moorings

Update 6 January 2016: Due to an error in the current mooring stay time information the proposals for Batchworth have been withdrawn. The south east boaters sub group will receive an updated report at their next meeting in March. If any proposals are agreed following this meeting these will be subject to a period of wider consultation.'

Not evidence based

However, errors in documents detract from the fact that the consultation is fatally flawed due to not being evidence based. The consultation states:

'The southern Grand Union Canal is popular with many different boaters. There is often high demand for moorings at popular locations.

With the help of volunteers we have been monitoring some of the busiest and most popular locations to better understand how the moorings are used. The additional boat sightings will and help us to decide if any changes to the moorings are needed to enable as many boaters as possible to visit these popular places.

Over the past 18 months we have monitored moorings at Batchworth (Rickmansworth), Berkhamsted, Braunston, and Marsworth. We are now proposing to make some changes to moorings at Berkhamsted and Marsworth (the proposals for Batchworth have been withdrawn (see below), but before we make a final decision we would welcome your feedback'.

... but the consultation fails to document the monitoring results and how these have been used to decide and justify changes.

Unused mooring space

Mark Tizard, National Association of Boat Owners, Vice Chair, comments:

‘CaRT have confirmed that whilst they logged the number of boats at these moorings they have no record of the amount of available mooring space that remained unused at the time the boats were logged. It seems to me strange that you would want to reduce the stay times for a period of six months to maximise the availability of moorings to passing boaters without first providing evidence of need'.

Perhaps CaRT should start the new year with a second apology and shelve the consultation until such time as a need for change can be established.