Dangerous Nincompoopery. Please Respond Accordingly

Hello Everybody

River fine, on the rise and well done the rain for that but keep it coming.

Work going well and almost to schedule.

Dog in good form.

Right that's the regular messages out of the way now on to the meat of the business and a level of nincompoopery surpassed only by Icarus

and Canute.




Apologies that's Neil Kinnock falling over on the beach

Canute at high water









It has been brought to our attention that Command Centre Central are proposing a series of charges for applications to carry out habitat improvement in the aquatic environment.
Lengthy details (north of 80 pages) can be found here:

https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/engagement/environmentagency-charging-proposals-fromapril2018/

Section 4.9.1 will furnish you with the details of the proposed charges. But I will now attempt to give you a précis of what the possible impact will be on this stretch of river if implemented.

Regular visitors to this parish will be aware that for the past few months I have been going bananas with a chainsaw in the company of Ludgershall and English in annual skirmishes with crack willow, which if left unchecked would result in a reduction in biodiversity and quality of aquatic habitat. Under the EA's proposals the work around the spring hole would require one application detailing the work, how it is to be carried out, who is to undertake the work, what they will use to complete their task and contingencies for events various ranging from spilling a drop of oil when topping up your chainsaw, safe exits from the wood should the fire get out of control and where does everybody go to the toilet or sit down to have a cup of coffee. Each application will incur a charge for agency Wallahs to run their eye over the scheme undertake a site visit and raise or lower the thumb, (an agency wallah by the way who may be making their first visit to a stretch of river that I have been intimate with for over half my life, who will have the ultimate say on the best way forward with regard to this particular stretch of chalk stream)

A separate application would be required for the work on the mill stream and another for chasing the silt downstream which gets underway next month. A case could be made for the two bridges that I must build before spring to pass without EA approval as we will be replacing existing bridges that have been in place for twenty five years.

but the bridge that Lord Ludg and I built that was opened by the Duchess of Cambridge

and the bridge we floated upstream to the Flight Pond would have required two separate applications and we would have been billed twice.





There is some merit in regulating work in the aquatic environment in order to improve habitat and increase biodiversity. There are currently some terrific keepers doing terrific things in the chalk stream environment but occasionally while undertaking the current recommended method of extending life (walking a few miles each weekend) Madam and I have occasionally come across some pretty raw work pulled on the river in the name of habitat enhancement.

Some people do need a bit of guidance, and an application process with approval granted or denied for some major works is undoubtedly a good idea

But here's the thing.

The proposed charges for an application, just the application, to undertake a long list of regulation tasks in the aquatic environment range between four hundred pounds and a thousand pounds.

The cost to apply for the annual winter work that we will undertake this winter (which is regulation stuff that we have to do each winter) would be several thousand pounds under the proposed charges.

Just to apply.

I'll say that again,

To apply for EA approval to complete our work this winter will cost several thousand pounds under the proposed changes.

JUST TO APPLY!

Punitive charges that border on racketeering and will result in less aquatic habitat improvement projects being undertaken or an increase in the amount of habitat work undertaken flying under the radar of the agency charged with all things environmental

The EA have an improved record in recent years and have been about effective as I have known them in my time on the river but this proposal deserves more than a raised eyebrow or a "tut tut" as it is absolutely crackers. It will not serve the aquatic habitat well at all and is redolent of the fever that took hold of the EA around the turn of the century when daft ideas and edicts were de rigueur.

I know some very good people at Command Centre Central who will be tearing their hair out at these proposals, that can only have been drawn up by the bean counters of a cash strapped agency.

Earlier in the piece I mentioned that the proposals have only just come to our attention and judging by the amount of public comment, many others are unaware of the EA's proposals. Public comments on the proposals must be submitted by Friday 26th January (I know, I know!) If passed these charges will impact upon every river, lake, angler, fishing club in England and Wales.

The method of response to the EA's proposals is via a form on the website mentioned earlier, unfortunately it doesn't work very well (surprised?) and I had to email my response to:

enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

If you don't agree with the EA's proposals for increased charges for habitat improvement work in the aquatic environment, I urge you to do the same.

I've not mentioned it for a while, but

We are Increasingly led by loons.