Well, after years and years of nothing on this site, I thought it’s about time that changed.
Everything seems to be done by email these days and I’m not certain who will see this post but here goes!
Firstly, a rant! The Environment Agency have been doing everything at the Harbour except work associated with Boats! They use the excuse that they are being careful with public money but I would argue that their delays and obfuscation have actually wasted more!
They spent a huge amount of money on a dredging operation in 2021 which has subsequently been neglected! In fact, it has apparently exacerbated the problem by allowing new silt to run down into the dredged area with no means of flushing it away! This has caused the inner lock gates to become non operational!
The dredging to the outer harbour has been replaced by new silt as the gates have remained un repaired! We have been prepared for the to lift the gates for nearly a year with no action being taken!
The EA have had the temerity to send bills out to owners of boats which are currently trapped in the inner harbour! A comment made to me was that ‘They could not guarantee to keep the Harbour operational!’
I would love to bring my boat back to Lydney Harbour but frankly, until I can be sure that I can get in and out when I want to that will never happen!
We’re starting to think that it might be worth putting Trot Moorings back in front of the club, however, this would mean having the boat sink into the mud at low tide. Something most owners would prefer not to do!
I think we need to start a strong campaign aimed at increasing the water based activities so the the EA are shamed into doing a better job of protecting this wonderful asset!
Club Blog 
I was wondering if this blog would ever re activate. Well done Eric. I totally agree with your comment about EA etc. As we speak (Wed. 16 Nov)there is a self-congratulatory lunch (oops, freudian slip, nearly said “lynch!!”) going on, where the FOD council and EA officials responsible for wasting hundreds of thousands of £’s on cosmetic stuff, ridiculous fences and gates etc to prevent access to boats are telling each other how clever they have been in getting the harbour non-operational. 🙂
If I was able to move my boat to cardiff, I probably would, but I feel that some of us should stay around and hopefully see a light eventually at the end of the tunnel. At present it is a nightmare trying to carry out work on the vessel, due to the lack of access, lack of safe mooring spikes, wrecked gate at the top of the steps, dangerous and damaged stonework and overgrowth to trip over.