.: Timothy Kirkhope MEP
( Conservative - Yorkshire & Humber)
Approached Timothy Kirkhope MEP
on 6th July 2008 via e-mail with a letter of introduction
and again on 10th July 2008, also via e-mail, with an
apology for technical site problems.
On 24th July 2008 we wrote, at the suggestion of Edward
McMillan-Scott MEP, as follows:
Dear Mr. Kirkhope,
Further to our e-mails of 6th and 10th July, on the subject
of European authorities placing buoys in previously free
anchorages and
charging visitors and locals exorbitant fees to use them,
whilst also limiting their stay to less than a week, it has
been suggested to us
that we contact you again, by the office of Edward
McMillan-Scott MEP, Vice-president of the European
Parliament.
If you are able to spare a moment to visit http://www.freeseapass.co.uk,
it would be much appreciated.
Thank you for your time - we are well aware how valuable it
is.
Best regards,
Linnet Woods - Co-ordinator
Free Sea Pass
We received the following e-mail from
Henri Colens on behalf of Timothy Kirkhope MEP on 24th July
2008:
cc. Edward McMillan-Scott MEP
Dear Mrs Woods,
Thank you for your messages and I am sorry that we have not been
able to deal with your request as promptly as you would have
hoped. It has been difficult to coordinate which MEP should
treat your request, as within our delegation they are allocated
different areas of competence. On the face of it this may be a
Transport issue, as it deals with ports, but it is clearly more
complex than that, as what you are suggesting would constitute a
'human right' to live free of charge at sea. As Transport
Spokesman, Mr Kirkhope has looked at your case and does not feel
that his area of expertise is competent to handle it. He feels
this is a Civil Liberties issue also.
He does however have some practical difficulties with what you
are proposing, namely how the relationship between free sea pass
holders and port or landside authorities would work. Whilst we
are sympathetic to your dilemma, ports and moorings are a
business and have safety, liability and hygiene standards to
obtain. It is unclear how these would be able to be normalised
throughout the EU under your scheme without considerable
additional cost to them and other users.
I am sorry, but I believe Mr Kirkhope would be unwilling to take
this any further. I think your best chance may lie with an MEP
with a more
relevant competence.
Yours sincerely, and good luck with your campaign,
Henri Colens
Parliamentary Assistant to Timothy Kirkhope MEP
Representing Yorkshire & the Humber
in the European Parliament
ASP 14E 264
Rue Wiertz
B-1047 Brussels
BELGIUM
Tel: +32 2284 7321
Fax: +32 2284 9321
Email: timothy.kirkhope@europarl.europa.eu
Homepage:
www.kirkhope.org
We replied, via e-mail on 24th July
2008, as follows:
Dear M. Colens,
Thank you for your prompt reply to my e-mail of this morning.
Naturally, I would not have sent a further message had it not
been on the advice of one of Mr. Kirkhope's colleagues, as we
have no desire to harass anyone!
In fact, our campaign has nothing to do with ports - it would
appear that I did not express myself clearly enough on the
website, for which I apologise. The campaign is entirely about
natural havens; bays along coastlines in their natural state,
either unaltered by
man or altered only by the addition of concrete blocks with
lines and buoys on them, dropped onto the seabed at intervals
around the bay by local authorities, or possibly by private
concerns, although we have not encountered the latter situation
as yet.
In some cases, the buoys are dropped to protect the remainder of
the sea bed from damage caused by the anchors of visiting yachts
where, for example, there are corals. This is a commendable
ecological activity and we see nothing wrong in being asked to
pay a nominal sum to help cover the costs of laying down the
moorings and maintaining them. Please note the word 'nominal'!
In other cases, buoys are laid down in bays where there is no
danger of damaging the sandy or weedy bottom but the purpose is,
ostensibly, to allow a greater number of boats to visit - a
vessel at anchor needs considerably more swinging space than a
vessel
moored on a buoy - and again, a nominal fee would be acceptable
although, frankly, since most visiting boats are bringing their
money to spend ashore, the cost of making it possible to fit
more vessels into a bay will soon be defrayed by increased
income amongst the local commercial population so it would
probably be cheaper to let boats use the buoys for free than to
administrate the collection of nominal fees...
I do hope this clarifies things a little - I must admit that I
don't really see how this matter fits into the remit of the
Transport spokesman but, as you pointed out, it is difficult to
know just whose remit it does coincide with!
Thank you again for taking the time and making the effort to
contact us.
Best regards,
Linnet Woods
M. Colens replied immediately, as
follows:
Dear Mrs Woods,
Thank you for writing back to clarify the situation.
I will continue to try to find an answer for you - if these
areas of coastline are indeed not ports or harbours, then this
changes things a
little I suppose. One further question, have you directed your
enquiries to the British authorities. I know you are seeking an
EU-wide scheme, but it would be helpful to us if you could let
us know what contacts you have in the UK.
Best wishes,
Henri Colens
Office of Timothy Kirkhope MEP
Representing Yorkshire & the Humber
in the European Parliament
ASP 14E 264
Rue Wiertz
B-1047 Brussels
BELGIUM
Tel: +32 2284 7321
Fax: +32 2284 9321
Email: timothy.kirkhope@europarl.europa.eu
Homepage:
www.kirkhope.org
To which we replied immediately, as
follows:
Dear M. Colens,
Unfortunately, none of my contacts are in the UK but I will be
very pleased to try and find out whether any of our members have
had any such communication and get back to you.
Best regards,
Linnet Woods
And, a short while later, as follows:
Dear M. Colen,
Further to my earlier reply, whilst waiting to see if any of our
members have any useful contacts in the UK, I had a quick look
on the Internet and found a few items that may be of interest:
www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/issues/coastal/coastal-guidance.pdf
The following manufacturers of moorings would perhaps have
info:
http://www.norfloat.com/rigid.html
The first comment on the following blog seems to imply that
the European Commission already has a stance on this topic:
http://www.croatiaonline.blogspot.com/2006/02/tuesday-column-croatia-tourism-2.html
The following would seem to imply that local authorities in
Britain may put coastal moorings in the hands of private outfits
(or that's what I gathered at a brief glance)
www.tobermoryharbour.co.uk/Downloads/THA%20Minutes%2001032007.pdf
The following document may contain some relevant information:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19992029.htm
Item 6.4 on page 9 rather shows how the problem can begin -
it is clear that moorings have been put everywhere possible as a
means of extracting income from visiting yachts:
www.southhams.gov.uk/administration/committee_agendas/salcombe_harbour_board/06Jun07/item9app.pdf
It is to be hoped that this might help.
Best regards,
Linnet Woods
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