30
River Medway news from Mike Marsh Environment Agency News…. Allington Lock – A landing stage lower wall on the opposite side of lock is being constructed with an electric hookup point being installed. This will help boaters waiting to enter the lock. The car park has been resurfaced. Enforcement – Registration compliance checks have been completed this summer. Non-registered boats are issued with new yellow enforcement stickers, affixed to the vessel. These are weather resistant and have been very effective. There is now an 82% compliance rate, rising each day. 63 boats have registered since carrying out the compliance checks, with 112 to go. There have been 16 boat seizure notices issued with the first boat to be removed from mooring in midSeptember. Compliance rates are 7% higher this year in comparison to 2022. Recruitment – EA advised that it is increasing the River management team and also recruiting four apprentices to train-up. Dredging – Continuing problems with the EA barge bucket crane have affected the 2023 dredging programme. It is hoped to have it operational as soon as possible. CCTV – EA now has an increased budget for security CCTV to be installed at Teston Lock and Town Lock in Tonbridge. This will be welcome in the continued fight against anti-social behaviour. Incidents – These were reported at East Farleigh lock this summer. Speeding RHIBs are on the increase. Oil spillage – This was from Hampstead Marina and was investigated by EA environmental teams. The oil had spread so much there was little they could effectively do. A Notice to Mariners was issued warning boaters. EA are still looking into this to see how the spillage occurred.
Asian Hornets…. Medway Valley Countryside Partnership is asking members of public to look out for and report sightings of this invasive species which can destroy whole bee colonies. The phone app “Asian Hornet Watch” is designed to help report and record sightings…. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.ac.ceh.hornets&hl=en_GB
