Back on the Lee but not the Bow Back Rivers

Now that the River Lee is fully open we can finally get the boat down to the Olympic Park and Limehouse Basin. Last Saturday was a beautiful day on the river, albeit a bit slow. We managed to get down to Bow Locks before we had to turn and return home to base.

Now that all the athletes have gone from the Olympic Park it’s starting to fill up with contractors pulling down all the temporary buildings and hospitality tents.

Along the way we met a number of people who were glad the Olympics had finished as it had curtailed their activities and businesses. One restaurateur told us he had spent over £300k without any return on the investment, a lot less than the £3m lost on the water Chariots disaster, (see posting below). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19618187

Also good to see were the tour guides who can now access the tow path again and bring visitors back to the River Lee. All we need to do now is get the bits that are still shut open to the public.

Bow Back Rivers

The history of this are well documented elsewhere, but effectively they were shut in 2007 as part of the Olympic Park developments. Over the last five years the following has been invested in the river system:

• £2.1m for dredging
• £770k on waterway enhancements, including soft bank habitat, bridge fenders and moorings
• £1m for widening and resurfacing the tow path
• £200k for a pontoon for larger vessels outside the Aquatics Centre
• Probably a lot more hidden in other accounts!

That’s just a tad over £4m, but the benefits should be priceless. First off this area was once an open cesspit full of shopping trolleys, bikes old cars and mud clogged with rubbish. It is now a clean and pleasant environment and haven for wildlife. Secondly we now have the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which starts to open to the public in 2013. This should bring in numerous visitors and valuable revenue for the area.

Now then, my gripe is with the timetable for the opening of the Bow Back Rivers. Since 2007 British Waterways (now CRT) has said on their stoppages page that the area remains closed until after the Olympics. Well the Olympics are over so it’s time to get the rivers open again after five years closure. Hang on a minute, CRT are now saying that the area will remain closed until 2016. Now that is either a typo or they are having a laugh at the tax payers expense. Remember all that money spent was yours and not theirs.

https://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/boating/stoppage/detail/6490/Bow+Back+Rivers+Advice

Although we emailed them last week for an explanation we have not yet had a response. we will keep you informed.