Please reply to: Peter Hasler ATYC Hon. Treasurer 2 Frobisher Bracknell RG12 7WQ Tel. 07702163686

1. Please reply to:Peter HaslerATYC Hon. Treasurer2 FrobisherBracknellRG12 7WQTel. 07702163686 WILL LOCKS BE MANNED? ADDED FLOOD RISK! THAMES MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER, 2011 AN UPDATE PRESENTATION 19 OCTOBER, 2011

3. TREBLE WHAMMY! WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

4. CANAL AND RIVER TRUSTWill River Thames be absorbed in 2015?Questionable but in EA’s thoughts! • EA ANNOUNCE LOCK HOUSES TO BE LET • Lock staff reduced to 56! • Resident Lock recruitment frozen • REGISTRATION CHARGES INCREASED • Threatened 33% over three years! ATYC say maximum inflation – say 5%

5. WHAMMY ONE & TWO WHAMMY ONE Dependent upon success of C&RT! (Canal & Rivers Trust) Dependent upon C&RT Trustees wanting to take responsibilities Dependent upon what is actually the navigation ie – Status of the Weirs WHAMMY TWO Strenuous arguments against such a punitive increase made at meetings. Announcement to be made very soon! ATYC Continual Diligence ATYC Object if above Inflation

6. PRIORITY IS WHAMMY THREE !“FREEZING RECRUITMENT AND LETTING LOCK HOUSES” • ATYC Repudiate 7 October proposals • ATYC 9 September - through TUGn proposed alternatives • ATYC Support Lock Keepers campaign to protect service

7. SO - WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? • Including managing the weirs and locks the suggested cost is circa £20m annually • UK Ltd is “hard up”! Grant in Aid to the EA has reputedly been halved! • Funding for flood prevention has been cut • Weirs are staffed both for navigation and water level control HOW TO BALANCE THE BOOKS IS THE PROBLEM!

8. FOR AVOIDANCE OF DOUBTLocks are manned by Lock and Weir Keepers! The 45 locks on the river serve to control the water levels for many reasons! Ecology & Conservation Fish nurseries and Angling Flood Control Navigation Public Recreation and Safety Water Abstraction

9. BAFFLED BY NUMBERS!“WHAT IS THE TRUTH?” • EA Say “Not enough money to pay wages! • ATYC Say “In 2011/12 there is enough revenue money • EA Say “Not enough capital budget to sustain the infrastructure • ATYC Say “Probably right in the short term but should not be put right by raiding revenue.

10. 7 OCTOBER STATEMENT - QUOTES • Freezing resident positions will save £47k per position • 9 Vacant Lock Houses will produce estimated £416k • Funding Gap is £0.8m

11. WHAT IS ACTUALLY THE COST OF A RESIDENT LOCK KEEPER? • Advised WWG £55k • Advised Lock Staff £60k • NOW ADVISED £47k ATYC understand a Grade 3 Lock Keeper costs £32,000 pa ATYC understand that £15,000 additional benefits bring the cost of a Resident to £47k pa

12. THE COST OF A FULL TIME RELIEF LOCK KEEPER • Advised WWG EA cost is £32k • These Reliefs are fully trained to manage locks and weirs and could be seen as Lock Keepers in waiting to provide career progression ATYC understand these fully trained Relief Lock and Weir keepers cost £32,000 INCLUDING COST OF EMPLOYMENT AND EXPENCES (There is some confusion on car expenses)

13. LET US CONSIDER THE £416k! Omnibus total hiding questions! Includes suggested savings Questionable IGNORES ALTERNATIVES WHICH COULD PROVIDE OTHER ANSWERS!

14. SO WHAT ARE THE ANSWERS? • Currently only 4 houses vacant • 5 more available as Residents retire Those who have experience in letting property know it is unusual to have continual occupancy: continual management: Agents commission and charges. Every time property changes hands - more expense bringing the property back into condition!

15. ONE MAN WITHOUT DOG! And it happened on 13 October at Cleve Lock! • 1100 TV Interview • TV Crew cruised away up river on Madam • Sheep grazing • MS on his own – open gate to move car • Sheep ran into the lock side • Needed the dog! • Onto the next gate • On my own gate would not stay open • Half an hour to get out!

16. BUT! SAY IT WAS A TENNANT? • Lane from road is EA • Farmer has grazing rights • Lane has three gates that must be closed • Lane is flooded regularly • Tenants would be cut off • Noise from boat crews HEALTH AND SAFETY • Access across the lock • Access to the weirs • Deep Water • Not suitable for children ONLY WATER AND POWER SUGGESTED RENTAL INCOME CIRCA £1,200 A MONTH SAY 10 MONTH RENT £12,000 pa

17. RENTAL INCOME 9 HOUSES SAY • AVERAGE £1,500 PER MONTH • LET FOR TEN MONTHS PA - £15,000 • TOTAL INCOME ANNUALLY £135,000 • LESS 10% COSTS - £13,500 • EA PLAN SUGGESTS £416,000 • TAKING OFF OUR ESTIMATED INCOME • WE ARE LEFT A SAVING OF £294,500 NET CONTRIBUTION £121,500 RESIDENT LOCK KEEPER RECRUITMENT FROZEN – SAVING 9 X £47k = £423,000

18. SO WHERE ARE WE? REMEMBER! WE STARTED OFF WITH A SUGGESTED SAVING OF £416,000! BUT IS THAT REALLY THE WHOLE STORY? EA ARE NOW SUGGESTING 35 RESIDENTS AND 21 RELIEFS

19. HOW CAN THE RIVER BE MANAGED WITH SUCH A RESTRICTED ESTABLISHMENT? • It is dependent upon Summer Reliefs • It is dependent upon Summer Lock Assistants • It is dependent upon enough volunteers NOT IN THE BOATING SEASON! ONLY WITH LUCK IN THE WINTER! RESIDENTS ARE ESSENTIAL L TO TRAIN VOLUNTEERS! RESIDENTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO MANAGE THE RIVER DURING HIGH FLOWS AND FLOOD!

20. Also had 45 paid summer assistants £3,203,000 to be remembered

21. Augmented by Summer Reliefs. Four became Summer Lock Keepers – Plus Volunteers and Paid Summer Lock Assistants - not costed! £2,535,000 to be remembered

22. THIS CAN NEVER WORK IN THE SUMMER!WILL NEVER WORK IN A HARD WINTER!HAS TO BE AUGMENTED BY SUMMER RELIEFS, PAID SUMMER ASSISTANTS AND VOLUNTEERS £2,300,000 to be remembered

23. SOME LATERAL THINKING? ATYC SUGGEST! • A resident lock keeper at every lock • Promote 9 full time reliefs to fill vacant positions • Work with just 10 full time reliefs who have weir skills • Augment as necessary with part time reliefs who may or may not have weir skills • Augment in high season with paid summer assistants • Using resident lock keepers to mentor the volunteer program

24. THIS ONLY COSTS £135,000 MORE THAN THE 7 OCTOBER PROPOSAL!BUT WE CAN DO MORE! £2,435,000 to be remembered

25. EA COULD.... • Stop micro managing the resident lock keepers! • Allow them to manage their own lock site • Group convenient locks to work together to organise their own rotas using volunteers and as necessary paid summer assistants

26. IF THIS WORKS - THEN • There could be cuts in Back Office staff – say a saving of £50k! • Are five team leaders required? Manage with two – Say a saving of £150k ! SAVINGS OF £200,000 to DEDUCT

27. THIS AMOUNT PLUS OR MINUS A % HAS TO BE ADDED TO EACH OF THE EXAMPLES AND HAS BEEN OMMITTED FROM THE 7 OCTOBER STATEMENT £530,000 to be remembered

28. REMEMBER THE TOTALS!

29. WHAT DOES ATYC DO? EAPROPOSAL IS DRACONIAN EA SUGGESTED PROPOSAL GIVES FLEXIBILITY IN THE SHORT TERM! ATYC SAY ONCE HOUSES LET WITHOUT RESIDENTS THE RIVER WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN! OUR FIGURES SHOW ALTERNATIVES! OUR EXAMPLES SHOW ALTERNATIVES

30. FIGURES DO NOT GIVE THE FULL STORY! EA SAY THEY WILL USE ‘OPS 340 MANUAL LABOUR’ TO CONTROL WEIR MOVEMENTS IF NO LOCK KEEPER! ATYC SAY LOCK STAFF HAVE LEARNT HOW TO MANAGE WEIRS AT WHAT COST – NOT QUANTIFIED!

31. IS THIS OUR MESSAGE? • EA PROPOSALS WILL DESTROY THE FABRIC OF THE RIVER • FIGURES QUOTED DO NOT MAKE SENSE • WORK THROUGH THE ATYC SUGGESTIONS • MORITORIUM FOR TWELVE MONTHS

32. REMEMBER £0.8 FUNDING GAP REMEMBER! LOSS OF 9 LOCK RESIDENTS! 9 LOCK COTTAGES RENTED OUT! NO FLOOD COVER ON 9 LOCKS REMEMBER! RESIDENT AT EVERY LOCK MENTORING FOR VOLUNTEERS

33. FLOOD RISK! THIS CONCERNS ALL THE USERS ON THE RIVER EA PROPOSAL WILL DAMAGE COVER – AND AT WHAT COST?

34. RIVER WIDE CAMPAIGN THROUGH THAMES USER GROUP SUGGESTED PROGRAM

35. SUBJECT TO TUGn AGREEMENTIf not resolved by Prior Negotiation WE WILL ORGANISE LOBBY ACTION • Meet with Lord Smith chair of EA • Meet with Defra Civil Servants • Meet with the Waterways Minister • Write to constituency MP’s (Which will require huge involvement by all individaul users of the river • Any other action required!)

36. THE FLOOR IS YOURS! OUR OBJECTIVE TONIGHT IS TO GIVE YOUR OFFICERS A MANDATE FOR FUTURE ACTION!