Important Avon moorings to be removed

THE Bath and North East Somerset Council has voted  to remove the moorings at Mead Lane, Saltford on the Avon.

These moorings were opened in 2016 and are a mix of short term and long term moorings, but all too often the short term moorings are taken with liveaboards that have caused tensions both with boaters wanting to use the overnight moorings and local residents, so the moorings will be removed the council has decided, Alan Tilbury reports.

Very few short term moorings

With very few moorings on the river between Bath and Bristol and a survey suggesting it was unlikely anywhere else on the Avon is as suitable for mooring, this will further exacerbate the problem of short stay overnight moorings for boaters wanting to visit Bristol.

A report found that  Mead Lane is possibly the only place on the river where mooring for 14 days is practical and legitimate and provides well over half of the readily available moorings between Bath and Bristol.

Relocate moorings

The council has agreed to a long-term aspiration to relocate moorings from Mead Lane, with a target date of 31st December 2022 and ensure that suitable alternative moorings are identified and in place prior to reducing further any moorings at Mead Lane, but of lesser capacity.

In the meantime it is to increase enforcement of the existing moorings.