From July to December 2023 we trialled new mooring stay times along our canals in Birmingham, following a consultation and feedback from individual boaters, boating organisations, and boating businesses.
What were we looking to achieve with the trial?
- To ensure that these popular city centre moorings are available for as many visiting boaters as possible
- Simplify the moorings offer in central Birmingham, to make it easier for visitors to find the right berth, and for the Trust to manage the moorings
- To increase availability of the most popular moorings
- Provide priority moorings for those with additional access needs
What changes were included in the trial?
- Visitor moorings in central zone to be standardised as four-day moorings from 1 April to 31 October and 14 days from 1 November to 31 March
- Visitor moorings northwest of Sheepcote Street on the New Mainline Canal and southwest of Granville Street on Worcester & Birmingham Canal were standardised to 14 day throughout the trial
- Pontoons at Cambrian Basin were all designated long-term moorings, including previously designated (but not signed) as visitor moorings
- Service moorings established immediately alongside the Canal House in Gas Street Basin, and extended between Roundhouse Birmingham and Sheepcote Street
- Designated accessible mooring spaces for disabled boaters, those with access needs or limited mobility were marked and promoted in two locations: between Cambrian House and Tindall Bridge; and south of Worcester Bar
- Changes were signed on site, and maps were available on our website and at Cambrian House
What feedback did we receive during the trial?
- Our original proposals, shared in February 2023, generated a lot of comment and discussion, with significant concerns over reduced stay times, winter restrictions and discouraging of visiting boaters
- The amended trial proposals, released in June 2023, were more positively received:
- “Welcome the overall conclusions”, “Huge improvement over the initial version” “a genuine consultation where responses were considered and changes made” “reasonable compromise”
- There was an overall reduction in level of boat sightings in the central area from 2022, particularly on New Main Line and around Cambrian House. Factors may include impact of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and evidence of lower lockage across some parts of our network in 2023, but negative conversations during consultation period, especially fears that boaters were being discouraged from visiting Birmingham, are also likely to have had an impact
- Moorings were a regular conversation for customers visiting Cambrian House, but no-one reported confusion over stay times, as has happened in previous years
- Three boaters asked about the option of mooring on the pontoons in Cambrian Basin, and were disappointed they weren’t available for visitor mooring
- No general enquiries or complaints received through our formal enquiries system or to colleagues working on bank in central Birmingham
- Very little feedback shared with licence support team: just one boater commented that four days wasn’t long enough to see everything they wanted to see in Birmingham
- A member of our Disabled Boaters’ Forum highlighted historic disabled priority moorings near International Convention Centre (ICC), currently marked as trip boat moorings, but not included in trial
- Trust colleagues highlighted best place for litter boat access to bins is opposite Canal House, not immediately adjacent, so requested change to service mooring
- Positive partner feedback, with Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs commenting that “the Birmingham visitor mooring changes were working well, and that they’d found it easier to moor than previously”
Proposals from 1 April 2024
- Continuing trial arrangements with minor changes to reflect feedback
- All visitor moorings in central zone to be standardised as four-day moorings from 1 April to 31 October and 14 days from 1 November to 31 March – simple offer keeping most popular moorings available for visitors
- Visitor moorings northwest of Sheepcote Street on New Mainline Canal and southwest of Granville Street on Worcester & Birmingham Canal standardised to 14 day year round – provision for those wanting to stay longer, still close to central Birmingham
- Pontoons at Cambrian Basin all designated long-term moorings – increased provision to meet rising demand, as part of wider project to develop new long-term moorings in Birmingham area
- Service moorings formalised alongside the Canal House in Gas Street Basin, either side of the bins store - to enable unimpeded access for private boaters and Trust litter boat.
- Service mooring formalised between Roundhouse Birmingham and Sheepcote Street. This area will be available for boaters using the facilities at Sherborne Wharf and used to by Roundhouse Birmingham to facilitate events
- Designated accessible mooring spaces formally designated, clearly signed and actively promoted in three locations: between Cambrian House and Tindall Bridge; south of Worcester Bar; and additionally alongside the ICC - prioritising needs of disabled boaters, those with access needs or limited mobility and restoring historic mooring by ICC
- Review in January 2025, based on visitor numbers and responses during 2024 – to give us a better understanding of the impact of changes .
