Moorings to be axed despite boaters’ pleas

Moorings between Bristol and Bath prized by hundreds of boaters are set to be removed by the end of 2022 despite no evidence they are damaging the riverbank.

Liveaboard boaters said the facilities in Mead Lane in Saltford are irreplaceable and vital for their access to healthcare and education.

Ahead of councillors’ vote, Rebecca Sarll threatened legal action against Bath and North East Somerset Council if it pressed ahead with the plans without considering the impact on boaters.

But residents branded the authority “negligent” for allowing mooring in Mead Lane and said it was “imperative” they were taken away.

The 48-hour moorings will be removed from the start of November and the 14-day moorings will be relocated by a target date of December 31, 2022.

Ms Sarll told cabinet members last Thursday: “The council has spent tens of thousands of pounds on reports and surveys and reviews that all say the moorings should remain. It is only the residents’ view that is affected by these decisions – for hundreds of boaters, it is the safety and security of our homes.”

A survey by Atkins last month found “no indication that mooring is adversely affecting bank stability” but Ms Sarll said the council was ignoring the findings. She added: “The council has to understand the lives of those that their decision will affect, as removing the moorings will lead to legal action.”

Around a third of the moorings in Mead Lane are for stays of up to 48 hours, with the two-week moorings used by liveaboard boaters, who must keep moving throughout the year under their licence conditions.

Council officers recommended removing the 14-day moorings at Mead Lane once suitable alternative locations can be found.

The proposals followed years of escalating tensions. Residents accused boaters of criminal activity, staying longer than they were allowed, running their engines for extended periods, damaging the riverbank and littering. Boaters said they had been harassed by residents monitoring their movements and discriminated against – issues they said they do not face elsewhere.

Neighbourhood Watch coordinator Elisabeth Evans said all residents had tried to do was “protect this area for the greater community to enjoy”.

Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for community services, proposed a target date of December 31, 2022, as well as charging boaters for mooring at Mead Lane from March 1 next year so the council has money to invest in new moorings in alternative locations.

He said the cabinet’s vote was the start of the process and offered to meet with boaters – something he admitted he had not yet done.

Mooring in Mead Lane will be banned between November and the end of February.

The cabinet unanimously agreed the recommendations.