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Publication Date: 07 October 2008
Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation
During this summer, Essex Waterways Ltd, IWA’s subsidiary company that operates the Navigation, has installed new water points and shore-power to the lower moorings at Hoe Mill, installed a new sewage treatment plant at Hoe Mill, installed the first phase of shore-power replacement at Heybridge Basin, removed dead and dangerous trees from Hoe Mill roadside and installed substantial new landing stages to towpath moorings at Sandford Lock. Dredging around Little Baddow has also been undertaken by the Environment Agency under contract to Essex Waterways.
Work planned over the next few months includes new lower moorings at Sandford Lock. Work on the landing stage is already nearing completion, and there are plans for new shore-power connections to some Sandford moorings. The major work, however, will be a full refurbishment of Stonhams Lock, which will include two sets of gates, cills, safety ladder and landing stages. Preparation work is to start in November, with a closure of the lock now programmed for March 2009.
Waterway Recovery Group is holding its annual Bonfire Bash, over the first weekend of November, along the Navigation, when a series of maintenance and improvement works are planned. WRG would welcome new volunteers for the weekend, and typical WRG accommodation and catering has been arranged at a local school. About 150 people are expected to visit and work on the waterway over the weekend. Full details are available at www.wrg.org.uk
Essex Waterways Ltd announced in 2007 that it had decided to restrict the increase in mooring rates to around the rate of inflation over the following three years. For 2008 the increase was below the inflation rate and, with inflation currently running at around 5%, the board has decided that its mooring and most other charges will be held to a 3.5% increase which commences on 1st January 2009. There is an additional increase for residential boat moorings at Heybridge Basin, as part of a previously announced five-year change that will bring charges for these moorings to 1.5 times those of non-residential moorings, in line with other residential moorings along the Navigation. Visitor mooring charges at Heybridge Basin, which have remained static for some years, will increase by 10%. These modest in-line-with-inflation increases are in contrast to the well-above-inflation increases of the major navigation authorities elsewhere in England and reflect careful management of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation since Essex Waterways Ltd took on management responsibility. There is no separate licence fee on the Navigation, as the cost is included within the mooring fees.
