Mooring misery.

I assume that daily postings are read by my loyal followers and then forgotten, but the following email from Dr Karls ‘Charlie’ Niklass reminds me that there is a whole archive of many years’ worth of news stories for people to explore.

Dr Niklass chanced upon something l covered back in 2017 while doing some research on the area in question. It was an archaeological dig on a riverside area near Churchill Bridge, which would be transformed into a new park area incorporating new flood defences.

He writes:

“I read with interest your article “Bridge under wraps” January 6 2017. This came up from my research into the Bath North Quays (Riverside Park) project.

The bridge in question traversed the old “Fosse Dyke” culvert that still runs down Avon Street. However, this culvert drains most of central Bath and now has an outfall into the River Avon.

The Canal and River Trust’s disabled boater mooring bay is also where the outfall enters the river. When it rains, this culvert can discharge over 200 litres of water per second into the disabled mooring.

I know this to my cost, as I had my Narrowboat moored there at the end of August. You are not aware that the outfall is there, being mostly submerged depending on river levels. When it rained after the long, dry summer, this culvert was running full bore against the hull of my boat.

The water had nowhere to go and was spraying up onto the quayside, but also through a partially open side hatch on my boat. If I had not been on board, and with the help of some passing people on the quayside, who came to my aid and released the mooring lines, my Narrowboat would have sunk in a matter of minutes. 

Why was the disabled mooring bay placed in this dangerous and life-threatening location?

You mentioned in your article that discussions were underway as to how best to incorporate the bridge into the new-look recreational park. I guess this was not done, as the most foul-smelling effluent was discharging from the culvert, including dead rats and a pigeon. Not something you would wish to see flowing under this historic bridge when visiting Bath.

The upshot of all of this is that a curtain of silence has descended from the authorities and stakeholders for this scheme. Nobody is taking responsibility. The line of the culvert from the archaeological excavations and the position now in relation to the disabled mooring bay is also shown below. 
This mooring is still in use, although I have informed several authorities of the danger. Maybe, some sort of publicity would be in order before a loss of life occurs!

Wera Hobhouse, the MP for Bath, is contacting all the major stakeholders that were involved in the Bath North Quays Riverside Project on my behalf.

Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage City, is not well served with visitor moorings. However, this disabled mooring is the only one on the 17-mile stretch of the River Avon between Bath and Bristol. I was very happy to find it unoccupied when I arrived in the city. Now I know why it was unoccupied. 

P.S. I have just received the first feedback from Wera. The principal engineer- Drainage and Flooding BathNES council, confirmed the following below.

“It looks like Dr Niklass has identified that the outfall in question is a 450mm diameter public surface water sewer owned by Wessex Water.  Their records confirm that this sewer is fed from a combined sewer overflow at the top of Avon Street.

I thought that this was not just rainwater entering my Narrowboat, a combined sewer overflow was discharging through this culvert.

It has taken weeks for the boat to dry out, and the smell still lingers. Someone from the council and/or the Canal and River Trust must take responsibility for the siting of this disabled mooring bay.”

Dr Niklass, it certainly sounds like that disabled mooring needs moving!

I have approached B&NES, the Canal & River Trust and Wessex Water for comment.