Council votes to remove riverbank moorings

The move comes despite a report finding "no indication" the moorings were "adversely affecting bank stability"

Moorings are to be permanently removed from a section of riverbank between Bath and Bristol.

The Mead Lane moorings in Saltford were removed by Bath and North East Somerset Council in January to assess the condition of the 350m stretch of bank.

Boaters had been accused of damaging it but a council-commissioned report found "no indication" the moorings were "adversely affecting bank stability".

However, the council voted to remove the moorings by the end of 2022.

Mooring in Mead Lane will be banned between November and the end of February, and work to remove the 48-hour moorings will start next month.

The remaining 14-day moorings will be relocated by December 2022.

Residents claimed boaters were damaging the riverbank and staying longer than they were allowed

The decision follows years of escalating tension between people living on and off the water, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Residents claimed boaters were damaging the riverbank and staying longer than they were allowed.

However, a survey by consultants Atkins found no evidence of damage being done to the riverbank.

At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, boater Rebecca Sarll accused the council of taking residents' claims "at face value with zero data to back them up". 

Neighbourhood Watch coordinator Elisabeth Evans said all residents wanted was to "protect this area for the greater community to enjoy". 

She said terminating the moorings was "imperative".