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Brighton Marina Berth Holders Association

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UPDATE ON MARINA DEVELOPMENT

 

As you probably know, Explore Living is appealing against the council’s rejection of its ‘towering nightmare’ planning application.  We must do all we can to fight this.

 

It is essential to make your views known to the Planning Inspectorate.  You can do it online.  The deadline is 31 July - so please act now. It need take no more than five minutes and your submission could tip the balance.

 

This link takes you straight to the relevant page on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.  You will be submitting your representations as ‘an interested party/person’ and not ‘on behalf of a group or organisation’

 

All you need to say is ‘I support Brighton and Hove City Council’s refusal to give planning permission for all the reasons given by the Council’.  You may also give your personal reasons for refusing planning permission – breach of the Brighton Marina Act cliff height limit, probable traffic chaos, or whatever is important to you.

 

This is another of those ‘numbers games’, so family members should each make their individual submissions.  Age is not relevant.

 

Brian Simpson

 

COPY OF PLANNING APPLICATION - Page 1 - Page 2  

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TIME EXPIRED PYROTECHNICS

In light of a Government review of the future safe disposal of Time Expired Pyrotechnics (TEP’s), Her Majesty’s Coastguard will ONLY accept small quantities (up to 12 items) of TEP’s from personal callers to your local Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC).

 

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has implemented new policy which has reduced the number of qualified Staff available to provide this valuable customer service. To ensure we can maintain an appropriate level of service we have to manage your requirement against our available resources.

 

THIS SERVICE IS BY PRIOR APPOINTMENT ONLY

Call 02392 552100 to arrange an appointment on the next available date to handover your TEP’s at the MRCC. Please do not turn up unannounced,we will not be able to accept your TEP’s.

 

Commercial organisations are not entitled to this service and should therefore seek commercial disposal routes.

 

ADVICE:

• Ensure your TEP’s are kept in a safe storage place;
• Ensure your TEP’s can be transferred to the MRCC in the safest possible manner, using the original container if available;
• Always point your TEP’s in a safe direction, never at anyone;
• Ensure you always handle TEP’s with care, using gloves if possible;
• Damaged, split, heavily rusted or seeping TEP’s should not be handled, PLEASE CALL FOR FURTHER ADVICE;
• Do not let children carry TEP’s on your behalf;
• Only drop off TEP’s at the pre-arranged times;
• If in doubt please call - 02392 552100

 

PLEASE DO NOT DISPOSE OF YOUR TEP’s ILLEGALLY OR FIRE THEM OFF! IT’S AGAINST THE LAW.

 

Thank you for your kind support and understanding.

 

ISSUED FEB 2009

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Disposal of expired flares

Email received from Alan Young RNLI (April 09)

Following a visit by our RNLI Divisional Inspector Andrew Ashton he has made it very clear that should any more out of date flares arrive on the crew-room doorstep [we have had about 60 "appear" over the last few months] then I am to request access to the security video footage and if the culprit is recognisable then this illegal action WILL be prosecuted.

 

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Musings from fisherman's corner

This winter seems to have been a hard one for the fishermen.  With both the weather and the bureaucrats against them, as they always are!!!!

 

The high winds keep them inside and when the weather is favourable; there is a ban on landing certain species (for British boats).  Of course, when they ARE allowed to land fish, then there are NONE to be had!!!! 

Other country’s boats have been there first – or do the fish have tip offs?

 

Conspiracy theory:   

An unknown source in The Hague leaked to the local CODfather

that landing cod was going to be permitted.

 

We need a fishery protection vessel that actually protects our fishermen.  One with a big gun, that cannot miss French and Spanish boats.

We have been at war with them, off and on, in some form or other, for hundreds of years; I see no reason to change such a splendid tradition, it simply wouldn't be cricket!

 

Now before some Papist, veg – I – tarian, Europhile leaps out of their leather office chair to put forward some 'initiative' to have me burned  at the stake, let me say that this is all light hearted – apart from the gun, and the French, and the Spanish fishing boats AND our wimpy fishery patrol!

 

And now to the sporting fisherman.  That person bedecked in all the latest whizz-bang designer clothing, with the electric trolley housing about £4000 in fishing gear.  They are to be admired; yet, they still have the same chance as those with less gear, it’s what’s in the water that counts.

 

Having been in the fishing tackle manufacturing industry, I have seen the need to own the latest of everything.  Good for tackle makers, and the retailers – the tackle catches more anglers than it ever will catch fish!

Then, there is also the ball of string person; minimal fishing gear and loads of hope.  I hope I see more youngsters fishing, it's a great education even if they don’t know it.

 

They have one thing in common, that hope of catching, maybe not a whale, but a fish that they can boast of.  It is a fantastic sight to see someone’s face as they hold their prize fish for the camera – whatever tackle they used to catch it.

 

Meg bumped into a couple of fishermen, complete with rods, tackle boxes, the whole shebang this morning as she left for work.  She asked them whether, as fishermen, they could answer a simple question; is the size of your tackle directly relative to the size of your catch?  The reply was basically this:

                   the bigger your tackle then the bigger the fish you can catch! 

 

This gave Meg something to ponder, and her musings went something like this: If bigger tackle catches bigger fish, then perhaps all the size 16 plus ladies should quit wishing they could squeeze into some of those clothes in a certain shop window where an 8 is extra large! 

 

For, they are bigger fish and so it follows they were hooked on bigger tackle!!

 

And no!  I will not stop looking smug about my big catch!

 

Her words not mine......

 

John Price

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Have you thought about chartering your yacht?

One of our berth holders, Martin Love, has been chartering his Bavaria 32 for the past 5 years and has found it to be rewarding and surprisingly painless experience.  He provides bare boat and skippered charters under the business name "Love Sailing" and gains customers mainly through a web site www.lovesailing.co.uk  He is finding that he has potentially more business than can be satisfied with one boat and would be interested in talking to other owners about the possibility of chartering their boats on a commission basis.  If you have a yacht of more than 10m length in very good condition and would like to have an informal chat about chartering, please contact Martin on 01273 494861 or 07545 044227.

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PLANNING CONSENT REFUSED - developers say they will appeal

On Friday 12 December at 7pm after a marathon 5-hour session the Council rejected Explore Living's ‘towering nightmare’ planning application for Brighton Marina by nine votes to three.

Many thanks to all the savebrighton members (including the heads of all the major local residents' associations and other members of the savebrighton steering group) who have worked so hard during the past year and helped in so many different ways to achieve this great victory, and to the thousands of petitioners, emailers and letter-writers, from all over Brighton and beyond - the furthest in Melbourne - who hammered home the myriad reasons why the application should be rejected.  Wonderful support has been given by the editors of Kemptown Rag and Regency magazine, council leader Mary Mears, councillor David Smith and prospective parliamentary candidate Simon Kirby.  Those who have campaigned with such determination are not, as some mischief-makers suggest, just rich nimbys; they are people from all walks of life who love Brighton and want it to enjoy continued success as a great place to live in and visit.

We are indebted to the nine councillors in the planning committee who saw past the superficial attractions of the tempting offer dished up by the developers and realised it was shark-infested custard. They said no to the developers, no to their own planning officers and yes to the people of Brighton. Their courageous and correct decision will hopefully be a real turning point for the relationship of the citizens with their council, and for the future of Brighton and Hove. 

Explore Living say they will appeal, but we have a message for them: if they do so, they will be throwing good money after bad.  We are not going away and we will not let them succeed.  This campaign will continue to grow in membership and in strength, and we will make sure their disgraceful scheme stays where it belongs: in the dustbin of failed ideas.

We look forward to the day when an honest and enlightened developer will come forward with well-considered proposals to improve the western end of the Marina, by building good quality attractive homes - including high specification affordable homes - in an attractive development, of sympathetic design, density and scale, with adequate car parking, leisure space and infrastructure, and with the genuine intention of enhancing the Marina and seafront rather than merely exploiting it for profit.

There will be much to do in the New Year to safeguard and improve Brighton and its Marina, and I invite visitors to this website who approve of what we are doing to join us in savebrighton. Membership is free of charge and free of obligation.

With very best wishes to all our members, and their partners, families and friends, for a happy celebratory festive season and a peaceful healthy and successful 2009.

Brian Simpson - www.savebrighton.com

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Marina Security

Over the Christmas and New Year break (2007) there were a number of break-ins, affecting several boats in the marina. Premier Marinas tightened up security measures, and kept us informed on an almost daily basis. Thanks to Premier's efforts, and good co-operation between the land- and water-side security, the culprit was subsequently discovered and we can report that the problem has now resolved. The tightened security measures remaining in place to prevent further incidents.

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Christmas Party 2007

Anyone who was near our Christmas Party on the 15th December would have been forgiven for thinking we had a stray cat problem. The DJ did an excellent job of getting almost everyone onto the dance floor, and encouraging all to try their hand - and voice - at the karaoke. The sound of the night's karaoke stars was fortunately a bit better than the noise of a bunch of stray cats! Asher, landlord of the Master Mariner, laid on a superb buffet and a rather tasty, if a little strong, hot whisky punch. A good time was had by all, except possibly by those who did not try the punch!

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Sunny Success for Autumn 2007 Boat Jumble in Brighton Marina

Brighton Marina Berth Holders' Association (BMBHA) held its Autumn Boat Jumble in November 2007, in the marina's village square, adjacent to the inner pool. In spite of the very real risk of autumn gales, the weather was kind and fine, with the sunshine attracting an excellent turnout from the marina's thriving community and beyond. Many local companies and organisations had stalls at the event, including the RNLI, with their Sea Safety and souvenir stands, as well as Avalon Marine, Dickies, SMR, SailnetUK and Sea Ventures. The BMBHA had its own stall, along with many individual berth holders, while Brighton Marina's Fishermen joined forces to present a colourful and informative display about fishing in the waters around Brighton. By the end of the jumble, there were numerous smiling faces heading for home clutching a bargain. The BMBHA donated 50% of the pitch and raffle takings to the RNLI.

Jacquie Dowding, events organiser for the BMBHA, commented: "We were delighted by the excellent response to the event. It proved to be an extremely enjoyable day for all concerned, and we were obviously pleased to be able to support the RNLI's fund-raising efforts. We are planning a number of events for 2008, and look forward to repeating this event's successful formula."

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BMBHA Launch Party

Our launch party, held at the Master Mariner tavern at the end of September 2007, was a great success. Our thanks to everyone who came along and helped make the evening such an enjoyable experience. We filled the upstairs carvery, and there was a lively, friendly atmosphere throughout the evening. Our thanks also to all the people and organisations who donated the excellent choice of raffle prizes – we hope all the winners went home happy!

As a result of the evening, we added another 50 or so new members, with many volunteering to act as Pontoon Reps, and to help with various tasks such as keeping this website updated.

    

         
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RYA – National Moorings & Marina Panel

During the Southampton Boat Show in September 2007, members of the BMBHA committee attended a meeting of the RYA’s National Moorings and Marina Panel. The meeting was attended by representatives of many berth holder and moorings associations, from marinas and harbours around the country. Everyone had a chance to present any issues or concerns, and open them up for discussion, and to offer advice to the other attendees.

 

It was an excellent opportunity to meet, and learn from, the other berth holders’ associations. For example, we were able to discuss ways of working together with the Sovereign Harbour representative from Eastbourne.

The meeting underlined the fact that if the country’s many berth holders’ associations collaborate and support each other, through the help of the RYA, the sum total of the membership represents a significant force.