Friends of Regent’s Canal - Minutes of Meeting
| Date and Time: |
Wednesday 20th November 2013, 7pm to 9pm |
| Location: |
London Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RT |
| Chair: |
Ian Shacklock |
1. Present
| Bob Philpotts | Author, When London became an Island |
| Meredith Whitten | London School of Economics |
| Rob Harbord | |
| Russel Hayden | Resident, City Road Lock |
| MARNIE Collins | CHUG |
| Caroline Neller | CHUG |
| Nouha Hansen | architecture student |
| Roger Squires | St Pancras Cruising Club; IWA, North East London |
| Del Brenner | Regents Network. London Waterways Commission |
| Rosie Clements Gander | |
| Owain Harris | |
| Imran Khan | |
| Liz Hill | Walker and rower. |
| Emma Robertson | |
| Mike Siddell | |
| Phileas Harper | The Architectural Review |
| Gavin Soo | Resident, Lissen Grove Moorings |
| Caroline Hickey | |
| Keith Brown | Community Organisers |
| Ron Gooding | |
| Simon Draze | |
| Ben Chermett | |
| Jonathan Sharpley | |
| Gillian Comins | Angel Association; Living Streets |
| Matthew Duke | Resident |
| Marcus Jones | Registered Marine Surveyor, JM Marine Services |
| Ian Shacklock | Friends of Regent's Canal |
| Jennet Eyre | Angel Association |
| Denise Walker | Hidden Depths Canal Cruises |
| Rebecca Aspin | Resident |
| Alastair Moore | boat dweller |
| Tony Islander | London Canals Project |
| Sian Whittaker | |
| Dohne Arnold | Resident, Noel Road |
| Marcus Trower | National Bargee Travellers Association |
| Mark Ormrod | Resident, Islington |
| Hilary Ormrod | Resident, Islington |
| Lee Wilshire | CASS/London Waterways Project |
| Richard Elkan | Canal and River Trust volunteer |
| Mikaela Khan | Canal and River Trust |
| Sorwar Ahmed | Canal and River Trust |
| Scott Hamilton | Canal and River Trust |
| Jon Guest | Canal and River Trust |
| Martin Anderson | Canal and River Trust Volunteer |
| Christine Kemp | Towpath ranger, Bow; 3 Mills Mooring Association |
| Bhupesh Thapa | Islington Council - Greenspace |
| Cllr Paul Convery | Executive member for community safety, Islington Council |
| Gemma Colgan | Parasol Unit Gallery |
| John White | Friends of Mile End Park |
| Tony Smetham | |
| Ian Heptonstall | Resident |
| Daniel Fernandez | Goldsmiths, University of London |
| Zimba Moore | Resident |
| Martin Sach | London Canal Museum |
2. Apologies
David Bedford
David Fathers
Jenny Chan
Vince McCartney
Richard Parry
Deborah Seyman
Katy Andrews
Beryl Windsor
Cllr Martin Klute
Cllr Alice Perry
3. Introductions
3.1 At the start of the meeting, all the attendees introduced themselves.
4. Announcements
4.1 The Regent's Canal Information Centre.
The Lock Keeper's Cottage in Camden Town has been refurbished and the new information centre is now open to the public. This was the outcome of a joint project that involved the Friends of Regent's Canal, the Canal and River Trust, Camden Council and Starbucks. The chair expressed disappointment that the signage was less prominent than he had expected but encouraged everybody to visit the centre. Some recent photographs of this building are available on our website (2013-10-09/CIC-displays.html).
4.2 CHUG Open Day
Canals in Hackney Users Group (CHUG) is hosting an Open Day at Kingsland Basin on Saturday 1st December.
5. Context of Discussions
5.1 A list of issues was circulated to all attendees and this helped to scope the main part of the meeting. There were a lot of negative items on the agenda and this reflected the bad press that the canal had attracted in recent months, culminating in a motion that Islington Council had passed on 10th October. The objectives of the current meeting were to bring the issues to everybody's attention and to bring all affected parties together, to expose differing viewpoints, priorities and constraints, to gauge progress since the last meeting (11th September 2013) and to identify sub-groups for further discussion.
5.2 To see an online copy of the issues list visit canal-issues-20131120.html
5.3 For further information about the council motion visit 2013-10-10/Motion-to-Council.html.
5.4 The chair briefly explained the general nature of these issues prior to an open discussion on them.
5.5 A resident commented that it was important to look at the overall picture and to tackle the issues collectively rather than individually.
6. Speeding cyclists
The chair recommended that inconsiderate cycling should be kept off the current agenda on the grounds that (a) it was an issue that affected the whole of society and not just the canal and (b) there were more pressing topics on the agenda that affected boaters' and other people's homes.
7. Overflowing bins and fly tipping
7.1 Representatives from the Canal and River Trust advised that litter bins were being emptied twice a day seven days a week. This was a welcome improvement on the situation during the summer months, but it was noted that the benefits would not be measurable until the crowds returned to the towpath on warmer days. The Friends website is still being made available for keeping photographic records of litter problems.
7.2 It was noted that fly tipping is a problem that must be dealt with by the councils as well as the navigation authority.
7.3 A suggestion was made, after the open discussion, to have signs next to the bins similar to the National Trust ones, asking visitors to take their litter home with them.
8. Noise pollution from static boats
8.1 The chair explained why he had made specific reference to "static" boats rather than boats in general during discussions about pollution. The reason was to encourage observers to differentiate between moving boats and moored boats. The rules are different for moving boats and the impact on residents is usually far less.
8.2 One of the most common complaints from residents is the use of engines or generators between 8pm and 8am. The Canal and River Trust has started to recruit a team of volunteer caretaker boaters, who will provide a presence at visitor moorings and will advise fellow boaters to operate withing the rules.
9. Air pollution from static boats
9.1 Islington Council has received a large number of complaints about wood smoke from moored boats, particularly near Noel Road and Treaty Street. There are signs at the visitor moorings, stating that only smokeless fuel may be used, yet nearby residents claim that boaters are using wood as a means of heating. The exception to this rule is that wood can be used for kindling while getting a fire going.
9.2 A lot of people have assumed that councils cannot enforce any rules about smoke from boats, on the grounds that the Clean Air Act applies only to chimneys on land, and that is why some campaigners are looking into changing the legislation. However, Marcus Jones (of JM Marine Services) stated that the Clean Air Act 1993 part 1 section 1 applies to boats on the canal but in special way. This is due to the fact that under the Act they fall under the definition of a vessel which has the same meaning as it does under section 313 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. In other words, the council already has the powers it needs to enforce it, so there is no need to create something new.
9.3 Councillor Convery expressed surprise at this information and agreed to follow it up with the council officers.
9.4 The chair agreed to follow this up with Marcus Jones and to post further information on the Friends website.
9.5 Post-meeting notes. A report is available on the Friends website, along with some extracts from the Clean Air Act. They are viewable via Clean-Air-Act-and-boats.html.
10. Congestion at visitor moorings
10.1 There have been complaints from visiting boaters that it is virtually impossible to find spaces at designated visitor moorings and this is deterring them from coming to London. A common explanation is that the visitor moorings are not being used by genuine visitors.
10.2 A resident commented that the Islington Visitor Moorings are more pleasurable when there is a higher turnover of visitor boaters, since visitors engage with local people and then move on to make way for the next visitor.
11. Congestion at casual moorings
11.1 "Casual moorings" refers to stretches of the towpath that are not designated as visitor moorings. Typically they are used by boaters who move around continuously within London. However, some of these stretches are becoming just as congested as the visitor moorings, and demand is outstripping supply.
12. Mooring at lock landings
12.1 On numerous occasions moored boats have been left unattended at the bollards near entrances to locks. This is partly due to overcrowding and partly due to inexperienced boaters beng unfamiliar with the rules. For example, at St Pancras Lock and at City Road Lock. To passers-by nothing seems wrong with this arrangement, but it can be hazardous to other boaters especially the community boats and service boats. The area below Danbury Street ramp serves as a turning circle for boats as well as an entrance to the lock, hence badly moored boats can cause considerable delays to others. The chair explained that it was analagous to parking a motor vehicle in a box junction.
12.2 Things are expected to improve with the arrival of caretaker boaters.
12.3 Post-meeting note. The Canal and River Trust has started to paint all the Lock Landing Bollards in a distinctive yellow colour to signify that no permanent mooring is allowed on them.
13. Lack of signage explaining the rules
13.1 There are very few signs along the towpath that explain the rules about mooring or about climbing over lock structures. As a result it is difficult for members of the public to apply peer pressure on other towpath users.
13.2 There are opportunities for the Canal and River Trust to install modestly sized signs, explaining Do's and Don'ts, at locks, lock landings, bollards and other places where rules are frequently broken. These would serve as reminders for boaters who have already read the Boater's Handbook and as sources of education for other canal users.
14. Anti-social Behaviour
14.1 There have been several reports about anti-social behaviour in the City Road area. For example, trespassing on the cafe roof and on the lock structures, spraying of graffiti, alcohol abuse and excessive noise. Sometimes the behaviour has been linked to boaters but typically it is linked to youths from neighbouring areas.
14.2 Councillor Convery suggested that the canal has become a magnet for lawlessness because mischief makers believe that they are more likely to get away with things along the canal than on the streets.
15. Coffee Break
15.1 The original intention was for attendees to have a ten minute coffee break and then return around the table to discuss the last two items on the agenda. Instead, the coffee break served as a perfect opportunity for attendees to exchange information in smaller groups and the formal meeting drew to a close.
15.2 We are grateful to the London Canal Museum and the Canals in Hackney Users Group (CHUG) for providing refreshments.
16. The future of the Friends of Regent's Canal
This discussion has been deferred to the next meeting, which is likely to take place in February.
17. Volunteering Opportunities
There was insufficient time to discuss volunteering. However, the Friends of Regent's Canal have remained committed to facilitating volunteering. The intention of the discussion was to identify opportunities, such as towpath maintenance, lock keeper duties, campaigning, museum work and website design.