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Aug 26 2011

AWCC North West Region – Minutes of General Meeting 12/5/2011

Posted by admin in Minutes, North West

AWCC North West Region

Minutes of General Meeting 12^th May 2011

The Chairman opened the Meeting by welcoming all.

Apologies from:
Sheila Eastham (ACE), Sandra Henstock (Lancaster), Malcolm Holbrook (Crooke), Steve Fahey (Treasurer), Ben Williams & Ross Bulivant.

Minutesof the last meeting were accepted as circulated.

Any recipient who would prefer to receive the minutes via email rather than post is asked to email the Secretary.

Matter Arising

2.3.2 Plank Lane Bridge. No sign yet of the new marina.

2. 9.2 Liverpool Boat Show. Graeme Bridge attended on behalf of RLRS & FBCC. There were a number of

interesting vessels there. Attendance was good on the first weekend but quiet midweek.

2.9.3 FBCC Rally at BMBC. 208 boats already booked in.

2.9.6 Crooke Beer & Boat Festival. 1to 3 July Preparations are well in hand.

3.4 Marple Festival – No update.

Secretary’s Report

Stoppages. Up to date information can be found on the BW web site http://www.waterscape.com/boating. Individuals can also be included on the Email circulation list for any stoppages etc.

On 18 May the pound between Locks 91 & 92 on the Rochdale is to be drained to allow clearance work.
Also on the Rochdale, water supply has improved to allow an easing of the restriction in the number of boats using Tuel Lock.
Barton Aqueduct on the Bridgewater reopened and is open daily for the summer from 9.15 am to 9pm.
L&L. Water shortages means locks will be closed overnight in places.

Harecastle Tunnel. BW will have available (FOC) smoke detectors and fire extinguishers for any boats without them travelling through the tunnel.
Minutes via Email. If anyone would like them sent via Email rather than by post please let the Secretary know. The same for the Alert Magazine from AWCC National.
Henhurst Lock, Wigan. Malcolm Holbrook (Crooke) reported a very serious incident when his boat stuck on under-water bolts protruding from the bottom of a new lock ladder causing his boat to tilt seriously. It has apparently happened to another boat in 2010. BW promised action.
IWA News. A comment was made that the cost of properly supporting the New Waterways Charity could be the equivalent to 600 yards of the new HS2 railway.
Trial Local Partnerships for the New Waterway Charity (NWC). One is to be established to cover the North West under the chairmanship of Professor Steven Broomhead.
The Manchester & Stockport Canal society Ltd is working away to see the canal restored.

Treasurer’s Report

Stephen Fahey reported.

current account £1309.98

deposit account £2874.61

cash in hand £ 2.85

£4187.44

Quartermaster’s Report

Harry reported that he caries stock on his boat as he travels the area. As stock is moving very slowly these days with individual clubs producing their own sweatshirts etc, consideration is to be given to having a ‘fire sale’ at the September meeting selling off stock. Harry to discus with the Treasurer. All AWCC handbooks in the NW have been sold. Chairman asked to raise with AWCC NEC the possibility of having the Handbooks ready in March before the Season starts.

Chairman’s Report

The Chairman spoke about

The National AGM at Stafford BC on 16 April where Tony Hales, BW Chairman gave an interesting presentation regarding the NWC and the resistance from sections of the Environment Agency to the merger in 2015. The new draft AWCC Constitution was agreed and it provides for a new position of Regional President for each of the regions.Nominations for the North West post will be sort for the 2012 AGM. There was a very interesting report from the National Technical Officer regarding the problems with biodiesel. The ‘Bridgewater Chat’ magazine of BMBC came runner up in the AWCC club magazine competition.
The next NEC meeting will be held at Watch House CC in June (the first time in the NW for many years).

AWCC Handbook Updates

Clubs were asked to keep the Secretary advised of any changes. The AWCC web site should be checked by Clubs to ensure that it is up to date.

BW Customer Forums April 2011

Manchester & Pennine. – Peter Killan & Bryan Pollard attended.

Discussions included

Bramble Cutting on the T&M north of Middlewich – extending the mooring and other improvements using volunteers.
Macclesfield Canal Society – involved in volunteer working such as painting.
Harecastle Tunnel. Fire & Rescue not happy that they get called out to breakdowns in tunnel.
BW no longer has funding to pay for supervisors for Job Seeker Trainees on Scheme projects.
The Huddersfield Narrow canal has suffered from pounds being drained in an effort to catch Carp which is a favoured dish by East European migrants. Signs have been installed in 4 languages telling people not to interfere with the canal.
General problems with Service stations on the increase.

North West. Lynton Childs attended

Matters raised included –

The BW ‘Veg Pledge’ no longer exists.
Little sign of progress with various improvements promised or requested.
Plank Lane Lift Bridge on the L&L Leigh Branch. BW is looking at the option of making it user operated.
Skipton Festival. Went well with 2 boats attending

North Wales & Borders. – Nick Culliford attended. The list of Pre questions faxed to BW was not received and the absence was noted but no action taken by BW to investigate. (Subsequently written answers were provided to these questions as well as questions from Shropshire Union Canal Society). There was a general feeling that there was little point i raising matters where money was required as the reply was usually negative..

Any other business

The new marina at Monton on the Bridgewater is to go ahead with moorings for 250 boats.
No progress with the repair of Leigh and Worsley Service stations.
There has been a spate of thefts from boats of screw on brass mushroom vents and plaques etc, presumably for their scrap metal value.
Bardon Mill Marina on the L&L in Burnley is looking to expand.
Lymm CC has suffered from a spate of battery and fuel thefts and of a boat itself.
BMBC has a new web site and have dvds available of Bill Leatherwoods expert talk of the waterways around Runcorn.
Concern was expressed as to the state of repair of the feeder at the bottom of the Wigan 21 on the L&L.
At Bells Swing Bridge (16) Maghull on the L&L, the home owner on the offside (Lydiate) has built a fence from his hedge to the canal edge so impeding any single handed boaters stopping on that side to operate the electric swing bridge. There are two bollards on that side which clearly indicates that the strip of land belongs to BW and is there for a purpose. The secretary was to contact BW North West

There being no further matters for discussion, the Chairman thanked everyone for attending, Watch House CC for their continued support of AWCC and hoped that everyone would have a good time cruising between now and the next Meeting in September. The Meting closed at 9.55pm.

21 years ago –May 1990

To improve inter club communication the possibility of having a NW Diary of Events and a bi-monthly newsletter was raised. The then Chairman (Iain Sutherland) reported that he was surcharged 10% for paying his Licence 3 weeks late. BW had issued warnings re low water. The Chairman was hoping for 200 boats to attend the AWCC rally to be held in Burnley. BW promised to double the staff at Wigan for that weekend and the Police promised additional constables in the area. ACE (Association of Canal Enthusiasts) were accepted into the Region. The high charge for access to Salford Quays was considered unacceptable and clubs were recommended not to go there until the fees were lowered. Derek Cochrane, NW Regional Manager had been invited to address the Meeting. He spoke of the reduced Government grant being offset by more commercial activity related to land sales. He promised stern action against motorcyclists driving along towpaths. He believed that BW should run the Bridgewater and the Rochdale canals. There followed a wide ranging Q&A session based on pre submitted questions. His answers were quite refreshing at the time and did not stick with the attitude of always defensive of BW.

.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING – Thursday 8^th September 2011

At 8pm at Watch House Cruising Club, Stretford, Manchester

(& Thursday 10^th November 2011 )

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