pspno response to the proposed pspo - wordpress.comoxfordboaters.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/...2!!...
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PSPnO%Response%to%the%Proposed%Water%Ways%PSPO%
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CONTENTS%
Section!1.!Response!to!the!draft!PSPO! 1 Section!2.!Context!for!non8boaters! 7 Section!3.!Boater!Harassment!Reports! 10 Section!4.!Positive!Alternatives!To!The!PSPO! 14 Appendix:!Counter!evidence!to!claims!of!pollution!from!boats!at!Aristotle!lane! 18 !
SECTION%1.%RESPONSE%TO%THE%DRAFT%PSPO%!
a.%No%person%shall%moor%any%boat%or%amphibious%craft%to%any%land%without%the%consent%of%the%land%owner,%or%managing%authority,%or%breach%any%conditions%imposed%by%the%land%owner%or%managing%authority;%!
PSPnO%response:!
• Making!it!a!crime!to!moor!in!ways!permitted!by!historic!legislation!and!
longstanding!custom!criminalizes!legitimate!boating!activity.!
• The!wording!(“without!the!consent!of”)!suggests!that!permission!must!be!sought!
prior!to!mooring.!!As!seeking!permission!whilst!actually!boating!is!clearly!
impracticable,!this!has!the!effect!of!banning!mooring!where!signage!is!absent.!
Having!to!seek!explicit!permission!before!mooring!could!mean!moving!boats!during!
unsafe!river!conditions![Section!2.!i],!removing!some!of!the!few!safe!mooring!spots!
in!flood!conditions.!The!Oxford!City!Council!(OCC)!consultation!website!states!that!
‘For!those!land!owners!who!do!not!wish!to!erect!signs!the!assumption!would!be!
that!the!boats!have!permission!to!moor!unless&the&council&or&police&are&informed&otherwise’.&The!second!clause!of!this!sentence!means!that!boaters!could!be!
prosecuted!even!where!there!is!no!signage!and!they!are!thus!unknowingly!mooring!
without!consent.!What!measures!would!be!put!in!place!to!ensure!boaters!are!
aware!of!land!without!signage!but!on!which!mooring!is!not!permitted?!It!is!difficult!
to!imagine!how!this!could!be!achieved!and,!therefore,!creates!significant!ambiguity.!
This!will!lead!to!insecurity!for!boaters!who!will!be!unaware!of!whether!they!are!
committing!an!offence.!
• The!provision!would!also!leave!boaters!at!the!mercy!of!unreasonable!land8owners,!
including!OCC,!who!as!recently!as!May!2016!issued!notices!of!eviction!and!warnings!
of!the!sale!of!vessels!if!the!boats!were!not!moved!within!48!hours.!It!is!also!notable!
that!the!Corporate!Enforcement!Policy!has!been!cited!as!protection!for!boaters!
against!draconian!implementation!of!the!PSPO,!but!this!harassment!of!boaters!has!
occurred!whilst!Corporate!Enforcement!Policy!is!in!force,!indicating!that!it!is!not!the!
safeguard!that!it!is!being!claimed!to!be![1]. • OCC!has!not!made!clear,!even!for!its!own!land,!what!mooring!restrictions!are!likely!
to!be!introduced!in!the!event!of!the!PSPO!being!adopted.!This!obviously!makes!it!
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very!difficult!to!accurately!identify!the!impacts!of!the!PSPO.!Without!this!
information!the!public!cannot!be!meaningfully!consulted.!
• Forcing!boats!to!move!frequently!is!unnecessary!and!will!cause!chaos!on!the!
waterways,!with!the!increased!traffic!being!detrimental!to!all!users.!For!example,!
there!is!evidence!to!suggest!that!OCC!may!restrict!mooring!on!its!land,!and!land!it!
manages,!to!48!hours!or!72!hours!(Section!2.ii).!As!these!represent!the!majority!of!
safe!mooring!spots,!dozens!more!boats!would!have!to!navigate!Oxford!waterways!
every!day.!If!OCC!restricted!mooring!to!48!hours!then!on!average!half!of!the!boats!
currently!moored!on!OCC!land!would!have!to!move!every!day,!while!if!mooring!was!
restricted!to!72!hours!then!on!average!a!third!of!the!boats!currently!moored!on!
OCC!land!would!have!to!move!every!day.!This!would!represent!a!significant!and!
unnecessary!increase!in!waterways!traffic!and!would!inconvenience!other!
constituencies!of!waterways!users!such!as!rowers.!!!!!
• A!marked!increase!in!the!frequency!with!which!boaters!have!to!move!will!make!it!
impossible!for!boaters!to!continue!to!live!normal!lives!and!have!a!significant!
negative!impact!upon!the!community’s!quality!of!life.!For!example,!imagine!the!
burden!of!having!to!move!one’s!home!every!other!day—the!disruption!would!make!
working!full!time!difficult,!while!holidays!would!be!a!thing!of!the!past.!Even!visiting!
sick!relatives!would!be!problematic.!!“Management!authority”!is!undefined.!!It!is!
not!clear!when!permission!should!be!sought!from!such!an!authority;!whether!
permission!is!required!from!both!landowner!and!authority,!or!just!one!of!these;!
and!if!just!one,!which!permission!should!be!sought!from!in!the!first!instance.!!Nor!is!
it!clear!whether!the!managing!authority!would!have!the!authority!to!impose!
mooring!restrictions,!erect!signage!etc.,!without!the!authorisation!of!the!
landowner. • !A!PSPO!is!not!an!appropriate!or!applicable!legal!instrument!for!the!regulation!of!
mooring:!PSPOs!may!be!used!to!ban!activities!in!a!public!space,!but!only!if!they!
have!‘detrimental!effect!on!the!quality!of!life!of!those!in!the!locality’,!and!if!
restrictions!laid!out!in!the!PSPO!are!a!‘reasonable’!way!to!prevent!this![s.59(2)&(5)!
Anti8social!Behaviour,!Crime!and!Policing!Act!2014].!!It!is!clear!that!PSPOs!are!
designed!for!and!to!be!directed!at!instances!of!anti8social!behavior![Anti8Social!
Behaviour,!Crime!and!Policing!Act!2014:!Reform!of!Anti8Social!Behaviour!Powers:!
Statutory!Guidance!for!Frontline!Professionals!(Home!Office,!July!2014)],!and!it!is!
simply!not!the!case!that!mooring!without!permission!can!be!said!to!be,!in!itself,!an!
instance!of!anti8social!behaviour.!!Alternatively,!if!the!ban!on!mooring!were!
intended!to!prevent!some!other!nuisance!associated!with!mooring,!it!would!have!
to!be!a!‘reasonable’!way!to!prevent!this.!!In!order!to!even!assess!whether!it!were!
reasonable,!the!PSPO!would!have!to!state!what!this!nuisance!is;!and!it!does!not.!!
Indeed,!James!Pownall,!OCC’s!own!solicitor,!recognised!at!the!17th!March!2015!
UMBEG!meeting!that!a!PSPO!requires!evidence!of!anti8social!behaviour.!!
• Due!to!the!damaging!consequences!that!mooring!restrictions!could!have!on!
boaters’!quality!of!life,!it!may!lead!to!reduced!boat!presence!in!some!areas.!A!
number!of!towpath!users!have!stated!they!feel!safer!because!of!boat!presence,!and!
believed!they!would!be!less!likely!to!use!the!tow!paths!if!there!were!no!longer!
boats!moored!along!them.!It!is!an!established!fact!that!a!visible!community!
presence!reduces!crime.!Therefore,!this!clause!not!only!criminalises!behaviour!
which!is!not!anti8social!but!is!also!likely!to!paradoxically!increase!incidences!of!
crime!and!genuine!acts!of!anti8social!behaviour.!!
• The!PSPO!seeks!to!override!existing!primary!legalisation!covering!mooring!on!the!
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Oxford!Canal![s.17(3)(c)(ii)!British!Waterways!Act!1995]!and!on!the!River!Thames!
[s.79!Thames!Conservancy!Act!1932].!!We!consider!that!the!council!is!exceeding!its!
powers!in!attempting!to!do!so.!
• Where!there!is!a!public!right!of!navigation!(as!there!is!on!the!Thames!in!Oxford),!
there!is!an!established!legal!right!to!moor!“ancillary!to!navigation”![57(a)!The!
Thames!Navigation!Licensing!and!General!Byelaws!1993,!and!much!case!law].!!We!
do!not!consider!that!a!PSPO!is!capable!of!extinguishing!this!right.!
• Since!this!involves!the!way!of!life!of!a!group!of!people,!it!is!surprising!that!there!is!
no!reference!to!Article!8!of!the!European!Convention!(the!right!to!respect!for!
private!and!family!life!and!home).!On!the!other!hand,!the!fact!that!the!Government!
guidance!specifically!refers!to!Articles!10!and!11!surely!indicates!that!the!
Government!did!not!have!in!mind!that!the!way!of!life!of!certain!people!would!be!
affected!by!PSPOs.!
• With!regard!to!Article!8!of!the!European!Convention!it!is!important!to!apply!the!
structured!approach![explained!by!Lord!Steyn!in!R!–v8!Secretary!of!State!for!the!
Home!Department!ex!parte!Daly!2001!2!AC!532!at!27],!and!especially!the!‘least!
restrictive!means!test’!(‘Is&the&proposed&measure&the&least&restrictive&means&(in&terms&of&the°ree&to&which&it&interferes&with&a&protected&fundamental&right)&of&accomplishing&the&relevant&legitimate&aim?’).!!Clearly!there!are!ways!in!which!such!an!extreme!measure!as!a!PSPO!could!be!avoided.
• Little!of!the!supporting!evidence!given!under!“mooring!consent”!(a!total!of!12!
items)!relates!directly!to!unauthorised!mooring,!referring!instead!to!other!alleged!
nuisances!perpetrated!by!those!who!also!happened!to!be!moored—and!whether!or!
not!this!mooring!is!unauthorized!is!unclear!from!the!evidence!(5!of!the!12!items);!or!
to!the!presence!of!sunk/sinking!boats!(4!of!the!12!items),!which!again,!is!not!a!
function!of!mooring!per&se.!
b.%No%person%shall%obstruct%a%footpath,%river%bank,%canal%bank%or%waterway;%%
PSPnO%response:!
• Obstruction!of!the!towpath!and!navigation!is!covered!and!enforceable!under!
existing!byelaws!(on!the!Thames)![s.54!The!Thames!Navigation!Licensing!and!
General!Byelaws!1993],!and!the!terms!and!conditions!of!boaters’!licenses!(on!the!Oxford!Canal).!!!
• This!clause!is!so!poorly!worded!and!non8specific!as!to!be!meaningless:!what!
constitutes!an!obstruction?!!Does!mooring!a!boat!obstruct!the!bank?!!If!so,!is!the!
intention!to!use!this!section!to!prohibit!mooring?!
• Of!just!3!items!of!supporting!evidence!that!suggest!obstruction,!2!of!them!are!over!
three!years!old.!
• This!might!also!affect!anglers.!
c.%No%person%shall%store%items%or%erect%structures%without%the%consent%of%the%landowner%on%land%adjoining%the%river%bank%or%canal%bank;%%
PSPnO%response:!
• This!is!covered!in!the!Canal!and!River!Trust!License,!and!would!in!many!cases!be!
covered!by!Thames!byelaws!prohibiting!obstruction!to!the!towpath!or!banks!(as!
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described!above).!!Erection!of!structures!on!private!land!without!the!landowner’s!
consent!would!generally!be!prohibited!by!Trespass!Law.!!There!is!no!need!for!
additional!legislation.!
• Boats!with!moorings!on!the!Oxford!Canal!are!permitted!under!their!mooring!
agreements!to!have!a!fuel!store,!bike(s)!and!trolley/wheelbarrow!stored!alongside!
their!boat.!There!is!also!provision!for!removable!garden!furniture!and!plant!pots,!so!
long!as!they!are!not!permanently!situated.!!Those!with!permanent!moorings!on!the!
canal!in!Oxford!are!paying!up!to!6000!pounds!a!year,!and!this!facility!is!a!valued!
part!of!their!mooring!contracts. • There!is!some!evidence!to!suggest!that!OCC!have!been!using!clauses!in!bylaws!
relating!to!structures!to!mean!mooring!pins![2].!This!is!a!peculiar!position!to!take!in!
an!area!where!mooring!is!permitted!but!no!means!of!affixing!boats!to!the!bank!
exists!such!as!rings!or!posts.!However,!we!are!concerned!that!attempts!may!be!
used!to!employ!this!clause!to!restrict!mooring.!
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• d.%No%person%shall%create%smoke,%noise%or%fumes%in%such%a%manner%as%to%give%reasonable%grounds%for%annoyance%to%any%person;%!
PSPnO%response:%%
• Simply!having!the!potential!to!annoy!canal!side!homeowners!about!noise!or!smoke!
from!engines,!generators!or!stoves!could!lead!to!fines!even!if!boaters!are!complying!
with!equivalent!national!laws—imagine!being!unable!to!heat!or!power!your!home!
during!winter!or!to!have!hot!water!for!fear!of!receiving!a!criminal!record!because!of!
the!‘annoyance’!of!a!neighbour!(Section!2.iii).!Boats!are!homes!and!yet!these!
homes!could!be!left!unheated,!without!hot!water,!lighting!or!power!during!winter!
because!of!the!PSPO.!
• There!is!no!provision!to!protect!usual!and!reasonable!use!of!engines,!generators!
and!wood!burners,!unless!the!PSPO!is!altered!to!require!the!application!of!existing!
environmental!health!processes.!For!example,!'pollution'!or!'noise'!complaints!
should!be!proven!using!the!same!scientific!measurements!as!would!be!employed!
following!a!complaint!regarding!a!house.!
• This!clause!appears!particularly!susceptible!to!“vexatious!complainers”,!where!a!
persistent!campaign!by!a!determined!individual!or!small!group!of!individuals!may!
induce!action!to!be!taken!even!in!the!absence!of!a!reasonable!cause!for!complaint.!
In!particular!what!constitutes!an!unreasonable!impact!on!the!neighbouring!
community!is!undefined.!How!can!this!be!judged!by!an!enforcement!official?!For!
example,!would!it!be!reasonable!to!run!and!engine!to!charge!batteries?!Would!it!be!
reasonable!to!burn!kindling!in!order!to!get!a!smokeless!coal!fire!started?!!
• Claims!in!the!evidence!document!about!the!level!of!air!pollution!attributable!to!
boats!are!unsubstantiated!(see!Appendix);!in!particular,!no!comparison!has!been!
drawn!between!the!levels!of!local!pollution!due!to!boating!activities!and!those!due!
to!household!heating!and!vehicle/train!emissions.!!It!seems!likely!that!diesel!
pollution!due!to!trains!(where!the!river!and!canal!adjoin!the!railway)!and!motor!
vehicles!will!far!exceed!that!from!boats.!
• The!inclusion!of!noise!pollution!is!in!the!proposed!PSPO!is!not!supported!by!any!
evidence!of!boats!contributing!to!noise!pollution!in!the!supporting!documents.!
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Boaters!should!be!subject!to!the!same!rights!as!housed!residence,!and!therefore!
any!complaints!of!noise!should!be!substantiated!with!evidence!that!proves!non8
compliance!with!existing!environmental!noise!pollution!laws.!
• !It!is!stated!by!a!complainant!in!the!supporting!evidence!that!the!Clean!Air!Act!1993!
does!not!apply!to!boats.!!This!is!not!the!case.!!Boats!are!exempt!from!the!Smoke!
Control!Area!provisions,!but!are!covered!by!the!general!prohibition!on!making!dark!
smoke!from!a!chimney!(and!this!provision!is!specifically!extended!to!boat!exhausts).!
• Boaters!use!solid!fuel!stoves!to!heat!their!homes,!and!engines!to!generate!
electricity!and!produce!hot!water!as!a!by8product.!Both!of!these!are!protected!
under!human!rights!law![Article!8!of!the!European!Convention,!as!discussed!in!our!
response!to!clause!(a)!of!the!proposed!PSPO].!
• Of!the!7!items!in!supporting!evidence,!3!are!over!three!years!old,!while!all!of!the!
other!4!appear!to!come!from!the!same!complainant.!!The!idea!that!the!mist!over!St.!
Edwards’!playing!fields!is!pollution!caused!by!a!boat!is!highly!questionable!based!on!
the!evidence!supplied.!!
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e.%No%person%shall%damage%waterways%habitats,%signage,%lifebelts,%fencing%or%other%waterways%infrastructure;%!
PSPnO%response:%%
• The!unspecified!definition!of!‘damage’!to!the!waterways!could!restrict!the!
important!upkeep!of!the!local!habitats!by!residents!of!the!waterways!due!to!fear!of!
being!fined.!!It!is!also!hard!to!see!how!a!PSPO!will!be!any!more!effective!at!
preventing!pretty!vandalism!and!theft!than!existing!laws!prohibiting!criminal!
damage.!
• The!bulk!of!the!supporting!evidence!refers!to!acts!of!theft!and!criminal!damage!
(graffiti,!removal!of!signs,!theft!of!life!rings)!which!are!clearly!subject!to!existing!
criminal!law,!and!would!surely!be!better!dealt!with!and!punished!as!acts!of!
theft/vandalism/etc.!than!under!a!PSPO.!Especially!in!view!of!the!point!raised!
above!in!Section!1.a—!that!number!of!towpath!users!have!stated!that!they!feel!
safer!because!of!boat!presence,!and!believed!they!would!be!less!likely!to!use!the!
tow!paths!if!there!were!no!longer!boats!moored!along!them.!It!is!an!established!
fact!that!a!visible!community!presence!reduces!crime.!
• Some!of!the!‘evidence’!was!suggested!to!be!caused!by!mooring!boats!to!banks.!
Aside!from!being!related!to!the!lack!of!available!mooring!sites,!this!shows!a!lack!of!
understanding!as!to!how!damage!to!banks!from!mooring!pins!is!caused,!and!it!is!
often!outside!of!the!boat!owner’s!control.!(Section!2.iv).!In!fact!it!would!be!illogical!
for!a!boater!to!damage!the!bank!as!this!would!reduce!its!viability!for!mooring.!
• The!general!affect!of!the!PSPO!will!be!to!discourage!responsible!boaters!from!
mooring!on!much!of!Oxford’s!waterways.!As!there!is!no!suggestion!that!it!is!boaters!
who!are!damaging!signage,!lifebelts,!fencing!or!other!waterways!infrastructure!the!
PSPO!is!likely!to!increase!instances!of!such!vandalism!because!fewer!boats!would!
lead!to!lower!visible!community!presence!which!helps!to!reduce!crime.%%
f.%No%person%shall%refuse%to%stop%drinking%alcohol,%or%to%hand%over%containers%(sealed%or%unsealed)%which%are%believed%to%contain%alcohol,%when%required%to%do%so%by%an%
!
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authorised%officer%in%order%to%prevent%a%public%nuisance%or%disorder;%!
PSPnO%response:%%
• Drinking!alcohol!next!to!a!waterway,!which!could!include,!for!example,!picnics!on!
Port!Meadow,!could!become!an!offence.!!The!wording!of!the!PSPO!is!so!broad!that!
it!could!lead!to!boaters!enjoying!a!glass!of!wine!next!to!their!home!being!
criminalized.!!
• This!entire!section!is!covered!(citywide)!by!an!existing!Order,!which!will!convert!to!a!
PSPO;!it!is!therefore!entirely!redundant.!
g.%Any%person%in%charge%of%a%dog%within%the%restricted%area%shall%be%in%breach%of%this%Order%if%he/she:m!Fails%to%put%the%dog%on%a%lead%and%keep%it%under%control%when%requested%to%do%so%by%an%authorized%officer.%!
• This!entire!section!is!covered!(citywide)!by!an!existing!Dog!Control!Order,!which!will!
convert!to!a!PSPO;!it!is!therefore!entirely!redundant.!
• There!is!only!a!single!item!in!supporting!evidence,!it!is!over!three!years!old,!and!it!
mentions!dogs!only!in!passing.!
• The!provision!restricting!the!number!of!dogs!that!a!person!may!be!in!charge!of!at!
once!could!make!the!waterways!pathways!unusable!for!professional!dog!walkers!
that!are!providing!a!valuable!service!to!the!local!community.!We!note!there!has!not!
been!a!single!complaint!about!multiple!dogs!in!the!evidence!for!the!Draft!PSPO.%
PSPnO%response%to%the%boundaries%of%the%proposed%PSPO%area:!
• None!of!the!evidence!supports!the!proposed!boundaries!of!the!Oxford!Waterways!
PSPO.!
• Only!reasonable!restrictions!may!be!imposed!by!a!PSPO.!!Is!it!reasonable!to!impose!
a!PSPO!on!an!extended!geographical!area!in!order!to!target!only!one!or!two!
restricted!localities!within!that!area?!
• Based!on!responses!to!questions!asked!of!the!Council!Executive!Board,!it!is!clear!
that!the!council!intends!to!argue!that!the!boundaries!are!necessary!to!prevent!
“dispersal”!–!that!is,!the!possibility!that!activities!would!relocate!to!the!edge!of!the!
PSPO!area.!!Even!if!this!argument!were!to!be!accepted,!the!geographical!scope!still!
appears!greatly!excessive!(for!example,!narrowboats!cannot!be!expected!to!
“disperse”!to!the!Cherwell,!which!at!12"!deep!is!impossible!for!most!boats!with!
cabins!to!navigate).!
References:!
[1]!
https://www.oxford.gov.uk/info/20101/community_safety/1073/draft_waterways_public
_spaces_protection_order_for_consultation/5!
[2]!https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/use_of_byelaws_to_remove_boats!
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SECTION%2.%CONTEXT%FOR%NONSBOATERS!%PSPnO%recognise!it!is!critical!for!Oxford!City!Council!to!be!given!insight!of!how!the!PSPO!will!overwhelmingly!affect!Oxford!boaters!and!may!lead!to!the!criminalization!of!necessary!
boating!activities.!Below!we!offer!some!important!context!for!non8boaters:!
i:!River!Conditions.!!
On!the!Thames,!navigation!is!affected!by!river!conditions.!The!Environment!Agency!
operate!a!system!of!boards!to!tell!river!users!if!it!is!safe!to!navigate!or!not![1].!No!boards!
means!that!it!is!safe!to!navigate,!yellow!boards!means!unpowered!boats!do!not!navigate!
and!powered!boats!proceed!with!caution!(stream!decreasing)!or!find!somewhere!safe!to!
moor!as!conditions!are!worsening!(stream!increasing).!Red!boards!mean!unsafe!river!
conditions;!do!not!navigate.!
The!boards!system!is!based!on!river!flow,!not!height.!It!is!triggered!by!how!much!weir!has!
been!removed!at!particular!locks,!thereby!increasing!water!flow!in!the!channel.!The!reason!
that!this!makes!it!dangerous!is!that!strong!flows!can!catch!boats!unawares,!particularly!
narrowboats!which!are!flat!bottomed!and!designed!to!travel!along!a!man8made!ditch!and!
do!not!handle!well!in!open!water.!Being!caught!by!the!flow!broadside!is!the!biggest!
danger,!risking!becoming!pinned!by!the!flow!against!a!structure!and!then!sinking!as!the!
water!backs!up!behind!the!boat.!Travelling!upstream!in!strong!flow!conditions!is!a!
challenge!for!the!engine,!but!downstream!is!far!more!dangerous.!To!have!any!steerage!you!
have!to!be!travelling!faster!than!the!river!speed,!which!can!be!both!dangerous!and!
terrifying,!particularly!when!you!think!of!20!tonnes!of!steel!careering!out!of!control!
towards!immovable!metal!and!brick!structures.!Typically!flow!increases!through!bridges!as!
the!channel!narrows!and!the!sides!are!less!porous!8!you!can!easily!see!this!by!comparing!
the!flow!past!Osney!Island!to!the!flow!past!Christchurch!meadow!in!strong!river!conditions.!
Once!the!lock8keepers!have!removed!all!the!sections!of!their!weir,!there!is!nothing!to!do!
but!sit!tight!and!wait!for!the!flow!to!reduce!to!safe!levels.!The!time!that!this!takes!can!vary!
significantly!depending!on!how!saturated!or!dry!the!ground!was!prior!to!the!rainfall.!In!the!
winter!it!is!common!for!the!river!to!be!on!red!boards!for!weeks!and!sometimes!months!at!
a!time.!This!means!that!boats!cannot!safely!move!and!have!to!stay!where!they!are.!
There!are!also!significant!risks!of!sinking!associated!with!flood!conditions.!The!ways!in!
which!a!boat!can!sink!are!mooring!lines!too!tight!as!the!level!changes!(in!either!direction),!
causing!the!boat!to!list!and!water!to!enter!through!an!inlet!such!as!a!sink!drain!or!engine!
vent;!water!levels!rising!and!the!boat!being!caught!underneath!an!immovable!structure,!
e.g.!a!bridge!or!a!tree;!the!boat!rising!above!the!level!of!the!bank,!moving!over!the!bank!
and!then!becoming!stranded!or!listing!when!the!river!level!drops!again.!The!moorings!near!
Folly!Bridge!and!Iffley!Fields!are!some!of!the!few!safe!moorings!in!flood!conditions,!due!to!
the!height!of!the!bank!there.!
!
!
!
8!
8!
ii)!Mooring!in!Oxford.!!
It!is!common!in!towns!and!cities!for!a!variety!of!moorings!to!be!available!to!accommodate!
all!waterways!users.!This!usually!consists!of!a!range!of!48!hour,!72!hour,!7!day!and!14!day!
moorings.!Oxford!is!notable!for!the!poor!quality!of!the!moorings;!there!is!only!one!official!
7!day!mooring!location!on!the!canal!at!St!Edwards,!and!it!is!poorly!dredged!and!has!no!
facilities!to!moor!to,!necessitating!the!use!of!mooring!pins.!All!other!spots!are!48!hours,!
either!due!to!popularity!or!to!complaints!from!residents!who!do!not!like!to!see!boats!
despite!choosing!to!live!next!to!a!200!year!old!working!waterway.!There!are!no!14!day!
moorings!in!Oxford!City.!The!only!reasonable!quality!moorings!(that!have!good!banks!that!
can!be!moored!against!without!using!a!plank,!and!rings!that!a!boat!can!tie!to)!in!the!City!
are!at!Aristotle!Lane,!Osney!Island!and!Iffley!Lock.!None!of!these!have!facilities!such!as!
water,!rubbish!disposal!or!elsan!point.!
This!is!difficult!both!for!visitors!to!the!City!who!would!like!to!stay!more!than!a!couple!of!
days,!and!for!residential!boaters!who!work!and!who!might!not!be!able!to!move!every!2!
days.!At!present!the!river!provides!a!viable,!popular!and!usable!alternative,!but!the!
proposed!PSPO!would!remove!that!making!it!harder!for!visitors!and!residents!to!be!here.!
!
iii)!Why!boats!may!make!smoke.!
Power!generation:!Boats!usually!run!12v!electrics!powered!by!deep!cycle!leisure!batteries.!
The!set!up!varies!from!boat!to!boat,!but!most!boats!would!usually!have!one!engine!starter!
battery!and!between!286!leisure!batteries,!averaging!around!3.!The!batteries!can!be!
charged!by!running!the!engine,!solar!panels!or!(less!often!now)!wind!turbines.!Solar!panels!
can!provide!a!lot!of!the!energy,!but!it!is!sometimes!necessary!to!run!the!engine!to!cover!
the!last!bit!of!charge,!which!solar!panels!often!cannot!manage,!and!also!to!maintain!the!
engine’s!starter!battery.!Obviously!the!ability!of!solar!panels!to!produce!enough!electricity!
to!recharge!batteries!is!diminished!during!the!winter!or!if!the!panels!are!not!in!direct!
sunshine.!Therefore,!at!times!it!is!necessary!for!boats!with!solar!panels!to!run!their!engine!
to!recharge!their!batteries.!!During!cruising!the!batteries!are!charged!up!as!you!move,!but!
if!a!large!piece!of!equipment!is!needed!then!it!may!be!necessary!to!run!the!engine!(see!
below).!Running!the!engine!results!in!wear!and!tear,!many!boats!therefore!also!make!use!
of!generators!during!winter!to!recharge!their!batteries!and!run!washing!machines!etc.!
Generators!usually!run!on!petrol!and!are!more!efficient!than!most!boat!engines,!therefore,!
they!can!be!considered!less!polluting.
Power!usage:!Most!boats!also!have!240v!systems!as!houses!do,!which!is!run!from!the!same!
12v!batteries!but!converted!using!an!inverter.!The!size!of!the!inverter!limits!what!
equipment!can!be!used,!measured!in!Watts.!Inverters!vary!in!size,!usually!from!600W!to!
3000W.!Due!to!start!up!current!draw!of!equipment!and!the!extra!power!that!is!needed!to!
run!the!inverter,!an!inverter!cannot!run!to!capacity,!for!example!the!most!that!you!could!
run!from!a!1000W!inverter!would!be!800W,!at!a!push.!!The!start!up!current!often!takes!a!
big!draw!from!the!batteries,!and!for!this!reason!it!is!often!only!possible!to!run!big!pieces!of!
equipment,!such!as!washing!machines,!whilst!the!engine!is!running!due!to!the!extra!power!
supplied!through!the!alternator.!Having!power!is!essential!for!lighting!but!also!for!water!8!
boats!hold!water!in!a!tank!which!is!pumped!to!the!taps!using!a!12v!water!pump.!
!
9!
9!
Heating:!The!standard!method!of!heating!a!boat!(and!most!reliable)!is!solid!fuel!stove.!
Even!using!smokeless!coal!will!produce!smoke!for!about!30!minutes!when!it!is!first!placed!
on!the!fire,!and!also!lighting!a!new!fire!requires!the!use!of!kindling!briefly!to!help!the!
smokeless!fuel!to!catch!light.!After!the!initial!30!minute!period,!a!properly!banked!down!
stove!will!not!need!attending!to!for!another!8810!hours,!during!which!time!it!is!producing!
heat!but!no!smoke.!Other!methods!of!heating!include!diesel!fired!central!heating.!
Hot!water:!This!varies!from!boat!to!boat,!but!some!boats!only!have!a!calorifier,!which!
heats!water!using!the!engine.!The!hot!water!produced!from!this!can!last!a!day.!Other!
methods!of!heating!water!include!instant!gas!water!heater!and!diesel!fired!central!heating.!
Immersion!heaters!are!not!used!as!heating!water!by!electricity!is!highly!inefficient!and!
would!mean!running!the!engine!for!hours!to!recharge.!For!boats!that!have!a!calorifier!only,!
the!engine!has!to!be!run!for!the!occupant!to!have!any!hot!water.!
iv)!How!damage!is!caused!to!banks!by!mooring!pins.!!
A!big!problem!on!the!waterways,!particularly!on!the!canals,!is!caused!by!speeding!boats.!
Mooring!pins!can!be!ripped!out,!which!causes!damage!to!the!banks!and!means!that!
boaters!can!come!home!to!find!their!home!adrift!in!the!main!channel!8!which!is!less!of!a!
problem!on!the!canal!than!the!river.!The!way!that!this!happens!is!that!boats!move!with!the!
displacement!of!the!water!caused!by!passing!boats.!The!movement!is!bigger!the!bigger!the!
displacement!of!the!water.!Big!water!displacement!can!occur!through!narrow!water!
channels,!shallow!water,!big!boats,!or!speeding!boats.!By!far!the!most!common!is!speeding!
boats.!Often!the!damage!that!is!caused!to!the!bank!is!not!the!fault!of!the!boater!who!has!
moored,!but!the!one!who!has!passed!too!quickly!without!observing!speed!limits!or!the!
impact!that!their!boat!passing!is!having!on!moored!boats!(and!bank!erosion).!People!who!
do!not!regularly!navigate!the!waterways—for!example!novice!hire!boaters!or!those!who!
navigate!infrequently—are!often!unaware!of!the!impact!that!their!speed!of!travel!may!
have!on!the!state!of!the!banks.!Indeed,!it!is!continuous!cruisers!who!have!the!most!
awareness!of!how!best!to!navigate!due!to!the!regularity!with!which!they!move.!This!is!also!
why!providing!mooring!sites!with!good!facilities—posts!or!rings!to!attach!to—would!be!
important!in!addressing!this!problem.!
References:!
![1]!http://riverconditions.environment8agency.gov.uk!
!
!
10!
10!
!
SECTION%3.%BOATER%HARASSMENT%REPORTS!In!addition!to!the!response!given!above!to!the!specific!points!outlined!in!the!draft!
waterways!PSPO,!we!are!concerned!that!introducing!a!PSPO!will!escalate!existing!tensions!
between!boaters!and!local!residents!and!boaters!and!city!council!officers.!Below,!we!
outline!some!examples!of!harassment!reported!by!boaters,!some!of!which!reference!the!
PSPO.!!
!
These!are!drawn!from!informal!conversations!that!took!place!on!the!towpath,!and!names!
have!been!kept!anonymous.!
!
• Boater!received!threats!against!their!boat!from!a!passing!cyclist!on!the!towpath.!
July&2016.!• We!have!been!made!aware!of!a!boater!who!received!a!letter!from!OCC!Parks!
Dept.!asking!them!to!move!on!from!a!mooring!on!the!Sheepwash!Channel,!quoting!
byelaws!that!do!not!apply!to!the!area!that!she!was!moored!at.!She!then!received!
another!letter!stating!that!if!she!didn't!move!within!48!hours!her!boat!(home)!
would!be!taken!away!and!possibly!sold!to!cover!costs.!She!was!unable!to!move!at!
the!time!due!to!engine!failure!and!our!understanding!is!that!she!had!alerted!the!
Environment!Agency!(the!relevant!navigation!authority)!to!her!situation,!and!
arranged!for!repairs!to!be!made!to!her!boat.!The!notice!was!posted!quoting!a!
weekend!deadline,!when!the!council!offices!are!closed!so!she!couldn't!speak!to!
anyone!at!OCC!about!it.!Following!this!her!plight!was!taken!up!by!city!Councillors!
and!she!received!confirmation!that!no!further!action!would!be!taken.!Despite!this,!
we!were!advised!that!a!Council!officer!subsequently!visited!her!boat!and!told!her!
that!she!had!to!move!on,!this!allegedly!included!verbal!abuse!and!boarding!the!
boat!without!permission.!We!are!aware!that!the!matter!is!disputed!by!the!officer!in!
question!and!that!an!official!complaint!has!been!made,!and!we!have!not!been!
directly!involved!in!this!case.!We!have!had!sight!of!both!letters!and!the!fact!that!the!
officer!visited!the!boat!and!the!police!were!called.!Regardless!of!the!disputed!areas,!
the!known!facts!clearly!demonstrate!that!enforcement!of!mooring!regulations!is!
not!currently!being!managed!properly!by!OCC!and!is!certainly!not!in!keeping!with!
the!OCC!Corporate!Enforcement!Policy.!The!boater!had!a!‘reasonable!excuse’!for!
not!being!able!to!move!their!boat,!and!regardless!of!this!fact,!the!officer!in!question!
did!not!‘use!the!lowest!level!of!intervention!suitable!to!the!circumstances’.!The!
enforcement!of!the!proposed!PSPO!is,!therefore,!a!matter!of!serious!concern.!June&2016!
• Boater!moored!on!visitor!moorings!in!Jericho!reported!someone!knocking!on!their!
window!and!asking!how!long!they!planned!to!stay.!This!person!referenced!fines!
from!the!Council!and!the!(as!yet!nonexistent)!PSPO.!March&2016!• Boaters!from!Agenda!21!moorings!reported!a!man!purporting!to!be!an!Oxford!City!
Council!officer!saying!that!‘when!the!PSPO!comes!in!we!can!clear!these!slum!boats’.!
March&2016!• Boater!reported!that!they!no!longer!choose!to!moor!on!the!visitor!moorings!at!
Aristotle!Lane!due!to!harassment!from!a!homeowner!living!opposite,!including!
asking!how!long!they!were!planning!to!stay!and!climbing!on!their!boat!shouting.!
April&2016!
!
11!
11!
• Another!boater!reported!contacting!CaRT!after!receiving!harassment!from!a!
homeowner!at!Aristotle!Lane,!and!were!disappointed!to!be!told!to!moor!further!
down!in!Jericho!instead.!
!
!
These!reports!are!more!detailed!and!drawn!from!the!experiences!of!specific!individuals:!
!
Sharyn!Hyde:!
8 In!July!2011,!when!moored!with!a!broken!engine!CaRT!employee!asked!me!to!move!to!
nearby!water!point,!saying!that!local!residents!were!anti8boater!and!they'd!had!to!fight!
to!keep!the!7!day!moorings!for!7!days,!and!that!they!would!use!any!ammunition!they!
could!against!boaters.!
8 January!2013,!I!was!moored!in!flood!conditions!above!Iffley!lock,!unable!to!move!as!it!
was!unsafe!to!do!so.!I!was!trapped!there!for!4!months—2!below!the!lock!and!2!above!
it—with!the!lockkeeper's!knowledge!and!permission!as!the!river!was!on!red!boards.!The!
lockkeeper!saved!my!boat!from!sinking!due!to!his!knowledge!of!the!river!conditions.!Due!
to!the!length!of!time!I!was!trapped!there!I!had!to!wheelbarrow!my!toilets!and!coal!from!
the!nearest!road!access!which!was!half!a!mile!from!my!boat!every!fortnight,!and!was!
having!to!transport!water!in!containers!from!some!distance!away.!This!was!taking!me!
half!a!day!every!week,!and!a!full!day!every!fortnight.!I!asked!a!local!business!owner!if!I!
could!use!his!outdoor!tap!(100!meters!from!my!boat)!due!to!the!conditions,!and!he!said!
that!I!couldn't!because!his!wife!would!object.!I!asked!why!and!he!talked!at!length!about!
how!boaters!didn't!pay!their!way!and!stole!things!from!his!garden,!and!went!to!the!toilet!
in!his!garden.!He!said!that!it!wasn't!fair!that!boaters!don't!pay!council!tax,!and!talked!at!
length!about!how!much!council!tax!he!had!to!pay!for!his!business!and!personal!
residence.!I!was!shocked!at!the!anger!with!which!he!said!this,!and!that!he!seemed!
unmoved!by!knowledge!of!me!as!a!person,!and!the!very!obvious!fact!that!I!was!trapped!
and!unable!to!safely!move!my!boat.!Rather,!when!he!was!talking!he!clearly!included!me!
in!his!criticism!of!boaters.!
8 Summer!2014,!loud!comments!and!complaints!whilst!emptying!my!cassette!into!the!
elsan!point.!
!
I!left!Oxford!City!in!July!2014!due!to!poor!conditions!of!mooring!sites!and!antagonistic!
landowners.!
!
Jane!Charlesworth:!
8 Boss,!who!is!an!infectious!diseases!consultant!made!hurtful!comments!regarding!my!
lifestyle.!He!said!that!he!would!look!at!me!and!see!that!I!live!on!a!boat,!have!no!kids!and!
am!not!married!and!would!think!that!she!lives!a!chaotic!lifestyle!because!of!all!of!these!
things.!I!explained!to!him!how!when!I!got!my!boat!repainted!I!saved!money!for!it!for!
over!a!year,!planned!the!whole!maneuver!over!a!year!in!advance,!including!moving!to!
specific!locations!on!a!very!tight!timescale,!and!that!living!on!a!boat!has!made!me!much!
more!of!a!responsible!and!organized!adult!than!living!in!a!flat!ever!did.!He!then!started!
asking!questions!about!it!and!being!more!positive.!
8 First!week!in!May,!2016!a!man!walking!past!said!"that's!really!unpleasant"!about!a!smell!
of!sewage!from!a!pipe!crossing!the!road!and,!much!to!my!horror,!attributed!the!smell!to!
my!boat.!I!replied!that!it!was!a!sewage!pipe!serving!the!houses!and!that!I!also!found!it!
really!unpleasant.!
!
12!
12!
8 Old!lady!walking!a!spaniel!shouted!at!me!for!cycling!without!a!licence!from!British!
Waterways!(they!don't!exist!anymore),!said!the!council!could!fine!me!for!cycling!and!
then!said!"you!shouldn't!be!bringing!your!toilets!down!here!when!people!are!trying!to!
walk!their!dogs,!it's!disgusting."!Saturday!19th!March!2016.!
!
!
Dave!Stewart:!
8 June!27!2015,!approximately!2pm,!Louse!("Isis")!Lock.!!While!friends!operated!the!lock,!a!
woman!approached!me!and!asked!"can!you!get!better!engines!for!boats?"!!Having!
misheard!her!and!thought!she!had!said!"you!can!get!better!engines!for!boats"!I!replied!
"can!you?!!That's!nice."!!She!corrected!me,!and!then!proceeded!to!lay!into!me!about!
how!she's!sure!it's!a!lovely!lifestyle!but!it's!terribly!polluting!and!filthy!boats!like!mine!
with!unmaintained!engines!are!disgusting.!!Particularly!galling!since!the!previous!
weekend!I!had!done!a!full!oil!and!filter!change,!cleaned!the!air!intake!maifold!and!oiled!
the!air!filter!mesh.!!Hardly!an!unmaintained!engine!!!Tried!to!explain!cylinder!glazing!and!
how!it's!caused!by!the!engine!being!run!without!being!under!load,!and!that!it!would!
burn!off!on!the!Thames,!but!became!aware!of!her!near!total!ignorance!of!how!just!
about!anything!actually!works.!!Her!parting!comment!was!that!she!would!take!this!up!
with!CRT!and!her!friend!who!is!"very!important!at!the!council".!
!
Cassi!Perry:!
8 March!2016!–!I!moved!my!boat!from!the!Thames!onto!the!canal!adjacent!to!College!
Cruisers.!Within!5!minutes!of!arriving!(while!I!was!still!trying!my!pins)!a!elderly!
gentleman!with!a!black!notebook!approached!me.!He!told!me!he!had!made!a!note!of!my!
license!and!boat!number!and!would!call!the!council!and!canal!trust!if!I!was!still!there!in!2!
days.!!I!politely!asked!him!if!he!worked!for!CaRT!and!he!say!said!no,!he!was!just!a!
concerned!resident!keeping!an!eye!on!things.!I!asked!him!if!he!was!aware!that!we!were!
still!in!the!winter!mooring!allowances!period!which!allowed!us!to!stay!14!Days!in!a!
marked!48!hours!spot.!At!this!point!he!became!aggressive!and!started!shouting!at!me,!
stating!that!“You!lot!are!always!trying!to!break!the!rules.”!He!said!all!this!would!stop!
once!the!new!council!law!came!in!and!that!none!of!us!would!be!allowed!to!moor!in!
Jericho!at!all.!He!stated!a!local!counsellor!had!assured!him!that!the!canal!would!become!
boat!free!once!the!PSPO!was!in!place.!At!this!point!I!went!back!inside!as!I!did!not!feel!
safe!with!his!level!of!aggression.!!I!had!to!wait!until!he!was!gone!to!finish!securing!my!
boat!to!the!bank.!
8 I!stayed!at!this!spot!for!5!days!which!was!well!within!the!T&C’s!of!my!license!and!during!
that!time!I!was!twice!more!subjected!to!negative!comments.!A!woman!asked!me!to!turn!
my!engine!off!as!she!was!walking!her!dog!and!it!was!disturbing!her.!I!explained!that!I!
had!a!wash!load!running!and!she!tutted!and!walked!away.!
8 A!second!woman!made!a!derogatory!comment!to!the!boater!moored!behind!me,!using!
hate!speech!and!saying!he!shouldn’t!be!there.!When!I!challenged!her!on!her!language!
she!said!the!lot!of!you!will!be!gone!soon.!The!council!are!seeing!to!that.!!
8 It!was!this!experience!that!caused!me!to!move!to!a!new!permanent!mooring!in!Banbury,!
away!from!the!tension!and!aggression!in!Oxford.!I!have!found!it!particularly!difficult!that!
our!reports!of!harrassment!are!met!with!disbelief.!This!compounds!the!whole!
experience!and!gives!the!impression!that!our!council!is!legitimising!this!level!of!
discrimination.!
!
!
13!
13!
Charlie!Henry:!
8 June!2016!–!The!Canal!festival—I!was!managing!the!moored!boats!down!on!the!canal!
and!I!was!asked!by!a!local!resident!to!tell!the!boats!not!to!run!their!engines!or!light!their!
stoves!as!it!would!annoy!the!canal!side!residents!and!it!would!spoil!the!canal!festival.!I!
replied!that!the!boats!were!trade!boats!and!they!wouldn't!run!their!engines!
unnecessarily.!The!boats!would!only!run!their!engines!to!charge!their!batteries!and!heat!
water!for!their!showers!and!washing!up.!I!explained!that!the!engine!water!heating!
system!is!very!ecological!as!it!produces!hot8water!as!a!by8product!whilst!charging!all!the!
batteries.!
!
Stephen!Preston!
8 May!2016!8!Having!been!moored!at!Iffley!Meadows!for!approximately!24!hours,!I!
received!a!letter!from!the!council!(zip8tied!to!my!boat,!as!I!was!out)!informing!me!that!
maximum!stay!was!48!hours,!that!there!was!no!signage!because!it!got!stolen,!and!
threatening!me!with!dire!consequences!under!a!byelaw!if!I!did!not!move!my!boat.!!The!
letter!was!confusingly!(and!incorrectly)!labelled!“Sidelings!Island”.!!My!major!concern!
with!this!is!that!issuing!threatening!letters,!citing!what!I!believe!to!be!a!non8applicable!
byelaw,!and!carrying!the!name!of!a!different!location,!does!not!seem!to!be!the!action!of!
an!enforcement!regime!which!can!be!relied!upon!to!fairly!and!correctly!apply!a!PSPO.!!
Furthermore,!I!find!it!hard!to!believe!that!any!byelaw!would!permit!for!such!draconian!
sanctions!as!summary!seizure!of!property.!
!
!
14!
14!
!
!
SECTION%4.%POSITIVE%ALTERNATIVES%TO%THE%PSPO%!
We!are!deeply!concerned!about!the!implications!of!the!proposed!Oxford!Waterways!Public!
Spaces!Protection!Order!as!it!narrows!down!the!options!for!collaborative!solutions!
between!Oxford!City!Council,!(OCC)!and!boat!dwellers!on!the!waterways!in!and!around!
Oxford.!Collaborative!solutions!could!utilise!the!experience!and!expertise!of!many!
residents!of!the!waterways,!and!could!result!in!a!range!of!genuinely!workable!solutions!to!
some!of!the!problems!the!Waterways!PSPO!aims!to!deal!with.!!
At!a!time!when!there!is!limited!public!funding!for!consultations,!we!argue!that!the!funding,!
time!and!effort!of!OCC!would!be!far!better!and!more!productively!spent!through!positive!
engagement!with!existing!boat!dwellers!to!provide!workable,!long!term!solutions.!!!
The!Waterways!PSPO!has!provided!a!recent!focal!point!for!many!residents!of!the!
waterways,!and!has!consumed!time,!energy!and!commitment,!both!from!waterways!
residents!who!are!opposing!the!introduction,!and!those!who!are!working!in!the!council!to!
get!it!implemented.!Given!that!the!PSPO!cannot!on!its!own!‘solve’!the!many!waterways!
issues!which!some!people!see!as!problematic!our!argument!is!that!any!holistic(ongoing(approach!to!ensuring!the!waterways!in!Oxford!are!beneficial!for!all!users!(e.g.!boaters,!rowers,!house!dwellers,!anglers,!cyclists,!walkers,!hire!boat!companies)!will!need!to!involve!
all!users!in!an!ongoing!process—not!just!in!the!next!year!or!two.!The!proposed!Waterways!
PSPO,!which!will!deem!some!behaviours!by!some!people!to!be!‘criminal!offences’!will!
create!divisions!both!between!waterways!users,!and!between!waterways!users!and!OCC.!
We!have!seen!that!UMBEG!didn't!work!as!it!was!enforcement!based!and!had!no!effective!
boater!representation.!!
Alternatively,!the!time,!effort!and!expertise!of!all!the!groups!and!agencies!currently!
involved!could!be!put!to!more!productive!use!to!find!genuine,!sustainable!solutions!to!the!
problems!that!the!PSPO!claims!it!will!deal!with.!Oxford!City!and!County!Councils!have!an!
excellent!track!record!in!working!with!a!range!of!stakeholders!to!create!positive!solutions!
to!problems!in!other!areas,!and!developing!social!infrastructure!that!lasts!over!the!years,!
produces!positive!results,!and!is!a!hallmark!of!good!practice!across!the!UK.!The!creation!of!
Low!Carbon!Oxford,!and!the!ongoing!support!the!County!Council!provides!to!the!
Community!Action!groups!(CAGS)!are!hallmarks!of!good!practice!across!the!UK!(and!which!
has!recently!been!brought!further!attention!in!academic!papers![1]).!These!examples!have!
opened!up!rather!than!closed!down!the!range!of!possible!solutions,!created!constructive!
dialogue!and!action,!and!have!generated!positive!results!that!last.!!
In!response!to!a!question!raised!at!a!City!Council!meeting!on!18!April!2016!which!asked:!
‘does&the&City&Council&agree&that&the&proposed&consultation®arding&the&waterways&PSPO&should&be&expanded&to&include&a&range&of&alternative&options&for&the&waterways&of&Oxford,&rather&than&just&a&yes&or&no&outcome®arding&only&the&PSPO?’,!Cllr!Dee!Sinclair!responded!that!‘The&consultation&process&is&certain&to&raise&many&views,&opinions&and&proposed&solutions&to&some&of&the&broader&issues&on&the&waterways.&The&Council&welcomes&the&opportunity&to&work&with&interested&parties&in&trying&to&resolve&these&issues.’&
!
15!
15!
Further!meetings!between!representatives!of!the!PSPnO!campaign!and!OCC,!and!between!
PSPnO!and!CaRT!will!provide!an!opportunity!for!OCC!to!understand!boaters’!needs.!
Building!greater!links!with!CaRT!to!improve!the!canal!has!already!led!to!a!meeting!
facilitated!by!CaRT!between!local!councillors,!local!residents!and!boaters!to!look!at!
mediation!and!collective!resolution!of!problems!at!the!Aristotle!Lane!site—this!meeting!is!
scheduled!for!after!the!consultation!response!deadline!so!it!is!not!possible!to!state!the!
outcome!in!full!other!than!improving!communications.!
It!has!also!led!to!greater!boater!representation!on!the!Oxford!City!Canal!Partnership,!as!a!
member!of!CaRT!introduced!boaters!to!the!Chair!who!is!looking!for!a!more!representative!
group.!This!groups!aims!align!with!looking!at!positive!ways!of!using!the!waterways,!and!so!
could!be!a!forum!to!explore!setting!up!a!cross!waterways!working!group!to!include!the!
river.!!
Both!of!these!examples!demonstrate!the!value!of!discussing!the!issues!and!creating!mutual!
understanding,!from!which!genuinely!workable!solutions!could!arise.!!!
Instead!of!bringing!in!a!PSPO,!this!is!an!opportunity!for!creative!thinking!that!capitalises!on!
the!rich!expertise!and!experience!of!waterways!users!and!residents,!both!those!living!on!
the!Waterways!and!those!in!houses.!The!council!could!for!example,!establish!a!sub8
committee!or!working!group!along!the!lines!of!its!already!established!area!forums,!with!full!
participation!of!all!waterways!users!and!residents.!!
This!could!include:!!
Creation%of%moorings%on%Council%owned%land:!![Note:!this!was!mentioned!by!Cllr!Susanna!
Pressel!in!an!Oxford!Mail!article!in!2012!‘Ms!Pressel!said!that!the!city!council!wanted!to!
create!more!residential!and!visitor!moorings!on!the!city’s!waterways’.!Oxford!Mail,!2!
March!2012,!report!by!Andrew!Ffrench,!titled!‘Council&acts&on&illegal&boaters.’]!
The!generation!of!sustainable!moorings!on!land!owned,!or!managed,!by!OCC!throughout!
Oxford,!could!create!many!benefits:!!
1) It!would!create!specific!residential!moorings!for!long!term!rent!(or!winter!
moorings),!thus!helping!to!address!the!severe!shortage!of!residential!moorings!in!
Oxford!and!increase!safety!for!boaters!who!wouldn’t!need!to!move!during!winter!
or!times!of!high!water!flow.!We!have!suggested!some!areas!for!moorings!below.!
2) It!would!demonstrate!innovation!and!commitment!to!addressing!complex!issues!of!
waterways!management!that!are!nation8wide,!and!be!an!opportunity!for!positive!
publicity!for!the!City!Council.!!
3) It!could!help!enable!low!carbon!living!aboard!boats!in!Oxford,!and!thus!be!an!opportunity!to!develop!further!leadership!and!expertise!in!the!Low!Carbon!Oxford!
agenda.!!
4) Finally,!it!could!create!much!needed!income!for!OCC.!If!only!around!20!long!term!
residential!moorings!were!provided,!this!could!generate!an!annual!income!of!
between!£30850,000!(based!on!an!average!residential!mooring!fee!of!£2,000).!This!
would!be!sufficient!to!cover!works!needed,!and!ongoing!staff!time.!!
5) It!could!help!make!the!waterways!safer!for!all!users.!Long!term!residential!
moorings!help!generate!a!community!of!people!who!look!after!their!local!area,!and!
!
16!
16!
generate!positive!solutions.!For!example,!in!Wolvercote!a!group!was!formed!in!
response!to!lack!of!emergency!access,!and!recent!vandalism!experienced!by!the!
boat!dwellers.!This!has!resulted!in!the!area!being!a!safer!community!for!ALL!canal!
users.!!!
!Some!suggestions!of!potential!moorings!are:!!
• Castle!Mill!stream:!Create!residential!moorings!here,!potentially!in!collaboration!
with!Jericho!Wharf!Trust,!and!include!moorings!at!a!lower!rate!for!vulnerable!
people.!
• Opposite!Christchurch!Meadow:!create!a!combination!of!visitor,!mid8term!and!long!
term!moorings.!Add!taps!and!bins,!and!manage!by!having!a!warden!boat!who!has!
free!/!reduced!price!permanent!mooring.!!
• Identify!further!sites!for!moorings—possibly!where!boats!are!already!present!/!
have!recently!been!moored,!for!example!downstream!and!upstream!from!Iffley!
Lock,!downstream!from!the!Weirs!Mill!stream!moorings,!upstream!from!Osney!
Lock!near!Abbey!Road,!or!a!reservoir!near!Water!Eaton!by!the!A34!and!A41!which,!
with!investment,!could!become!a!marina.!!
Here!is!how!the!work!could!be!done:!!
• Assess!what!work!would!be!needed!to!create!a!range!of!residential!moorings,!
where!this!could!be!best!located,!and!who!could!do!the!initial!and!ongoing!work.!
For!example,!existing!infrastructure!at!Iffley!Lock!could!be!used!to!provide!a!water!
point!or!sewage!disposal.!In!other!areas!existing!sewage!disposal!could!be!
extended!(for!example!through!negotiation!with!the!camp!site!off!Abingdon!Road,!
and!similar!to!other!areas!on!the!canal;!and!a!small!fee!could!charged!for!sewage!
disposal!by!boaters).!!
• Ongoing!management!could!be!achieved!through!nominated!and!accountable!
wardens!who!could!either!receive!payment!for!their!services,!or!have!a!reduced!fee!
/!free!mooring.!This!is!the!case!in!other!areas!along!the!canal,!for!example!the!
Thrupp!Canal!and!Cruising!Club!(see!www.thruppccc.org.uk)!which!‘was!formed!
from!the!ideas!of!a!small!number!of!boat!owners!in!the!early!1980s…!now!has!over!
100!members…!and!manages!moorings!in!the!area!in!behalf!of!the!Canal!and!River!
Trust.’!It!organises!work!parties!to!carry!out!repairs!and!maintenance.!!
• Where!moorings!are!near!houses,!concerns!about!noise!or!smoke!pollution!could!
be!addressed!through!the!installation!of!electricity!points.!This!would!mean!that,!
aside!from!essential!maintenance!or!for!moving,!engine!and!generator!noise!would!
be!kept!to!an!absolute!minimum.!!
Whilst!this!would!involve!time,!work!and!effort!by!a!number!of!people,!it!doesn't!all!
necessarily!involve!a!financial!cost.!It!could!instead!harness!the!social!capital!of!existing!
residential!boaters!in!and!around!Oxford.!Those!involved!in!the!PSPnO!campaign!would!far!
rather!devote!time!to!the!generation!of!positive!solutions!such!as!increased!moorings,!
than!to!opposing!unworkable!legislations!such!as!the!Waterways!PSPO.!It!could!be!argued!
that!between!those!involved!in!the!PSPnO!campaign!alone,!there!already!exists!much!of!
this!expertise!to!write!detailed!plans!of!proposed!moorings,!if!there!was!evidence!that!OCC!
genuinely!wished!to!explore!these!avenues.!!
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17!
We!note!that!no!other!Local!Authority!in!the!entire!UK!has!used!a!PSPO!for!enforcement!
on!the!waterways—Oxford!is!conspicuous!in!being!the!only!authority!pursuing!this—which!
is!surprising!given!its!strong!record!in!Council8!community!collaboration!in!other!areas.!
Multiple!interest!groups!have!worked!together!to!produce!positive!solutions!to!waterways!
issues,!for!example:!!the!Mooring!Strategy!Steering!Group!that!was!established!on!the!
Western!Kennet!and!Avon!Canal;!the!Blue!Ribbon!Network!that!advises!the!Greater!
London!Authority!on!waterways!issues;!working!with!CRT/EA!to!improve!the!condition!of!
existing!temporary!visitor!moorings!in!order!to!relieve!pressure!at!popular!sites.!
This!is!an!opportunity!for!Oxford!City!Council!to!embrace!and!work!with!the!expertise,!
goodwill,!experience,!dedication!and!commitment!of!residential!boat!dwellers,!and!other!
waterways!users,!to!generate!a!positive!example!of!lasting!social!and!physical!
infrastructure.!
!!!!
Additional!positive!alternatives:!!
o!!!Working!with!CART/EA!to!improve!the!condition!of!existing!temporary!
visitor!moorings!in!order!to!relieve!pressure!at!popular!sites.!
o!!!The!council!could!establish!a!sub8committee!or!council!led!working!group!
along!the!lines!of!its!already!established!area!forums!(council!link!to!area!
forums).!
o!!!The!council!could!host!a!conference,!hold!an!inquiry!into!its!past!
waterways!policy!to!learn!from!its!mistakes,!the!council!could!actually!
produce!an!actual!policy!for!its!waterways!!
o!!!The!council!could!hold!public!meetings!to!discuss!the!issues!of!the!
waterways,!they!could!host!presentations!or!engage!with!interested!parties!
on!social!media!!
(overview!of!city!council!public!involvement!and!consultation!methods)!
References:!
!
[1]!Hamilton,!J.,!Mayne,!R.,!Parag,!Y.,!Bergman,!N.!(2015):!Scaling!up!local!carbon!action:!
the!role!of!partnerships,!networks!and!policy,!Carbon&Management,.!!DOI:!10.1080/17583004.2015.1035515!
!
!
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!
APPENDIX:%COUNTER%EVIDENCE%TO%CLAIMS%OF%POLLUTION%FROM%BOATS%AT%ARISTOTLE%LANE%!
This!appendix!demonstrates!because!of!PSPnO’s!concern!over!the!poor!use!of!evidence!in!
OCC!submission!to!the!Scrutiny!committee!in!favour!of!a!consultation!on!the!waterways!
PSPO.!
In!a!written!submission!to!the!Scrutiny!Committee!(submission!4),!one!complainant,!Lynn!
Shepherd,!suggested!that!there!would!be!a!persistent!problem!of!smoke!from!boats!during!
the!summer!months—"please!remember!we!are!in!the!low!season!8!if!it!is!this!bad!today!it!
will!be!ten!times!worse!in!the!summer"!
The!photos!provided!below,!taken!between!23/05/2016815/07/2016,!clearly!contradict!the!
notion!that!the!‘high!season’!of!boating!would!lead!to!persistent!ongoing!smoke!problems.!
23/05/2016!! !
!
19!
19!
25/05/2016!! !
02/06/2016!! !
!
20!
20!
06/06/2016!! !
07/06/2016!! !
!
21!
21!
07/06/2016!! !
08/06/2016!! !
!
22!
22!
08/06/2016!! !
09/06/2016!! !
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23!
23!
10/06/2016! !
10/06/2016!! !
!
24!
24!
14/06/2016!! !
15/06/2016! !
!
25!
25!
16/06/2016!! !
16/06/2016!! !
!
26!
26!
03/07/2016!! !
03/07/2016!! !
!
27!
27!
04/07/2016!! !
04/07/2016!! !
!
28!
28!
05/07/2016!! !
06/07/2016!! !
!
29!
29!
07/07/2016!! !
07/07/2016!! !
!
30!
30!
08/07/2016!! !
09/07/2016!! !
!
31!
31!
10/07/2016!! !
12/07/2016!! !
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32!
32!
12/07/2016!! !
12/07/2016!! !
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33!
33!
13/07/2016!! !
13/07/2016!! !
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34!
34!
14/07/2016! !
14/07/2016!! !
!
35!
35!
15/07/2016!! !
15/07/2016!! !