Lewes Forum thread

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Has the Ouse realised it's 21st Century Role?

On 21 Jul 2004 at 2:57pm Beatpod9 wrote:

Who thinks the Ouse could be used more. A colleague on a recent tour of Venice noted people paid �40 for a Gondola trip.
If the fields towards Barcombe flood regularly, couldn't they just be dug up and converted to some kind of aqua pursuits centre?
Abandon the park and ride scheme and instead introduce a Park and Ferry. Free parking at the Southeram Pit and a riverboat carries commuters to the middle of Lewes. No other route takes you directly from the A27 to the centre of town. A couple of jetties, a riverboat and a few river cafes to boot and then Lewes can languish in it's quaintness.

On 21 Jul 2004 at 3:09pm Smiler wrote:

I'm beginning to like you.
I go rowing up the river now and again and I can't believe how under-used it is.
What we need first is a public slipway. Those pillocks at the rowing club don't deserve the sole use of the slipway there.
It is possible to get a key from the Town hall for the gate next to Cliffe bridge and launch boats there at high tide but you have to clear away 7 cafe tables and accompanying customers first.
I think there should be a boaty franchise somewhere near the centre of town. Just behind Harveys or Argos would be perfect and only take a small amount of imagination on behalf of the town Council.
I'll supply the boats you sort the punters out and the Harveys Tavern can reap the benefit of the apres row.

On 21 Jul 2004 at 3:38pm Beatpod9 wrote:

Schemes like this, would make Lewes special. I'm sure Harvey's would love the project. �2 daily parking, which includes return river taxi ride(�8 per week). That's much cheaper than NCP's current scheme. The Ouse River Route could even have a jetty by Tesco or Whileys bridge to give access to other parts of Lewes!
Would the council offer any or full support? Would Stagecoach finance a ferry? Would NCP convert Southerham into car park? So many q's.

On 21 Jul 2004 at 3:43pm Smiler wrote:

Would the NRA put a lock in below the A27 to maintain the water level?
There lies the problem.

On 21 Jul 2004 at 3:54pm Beatpod9 wrote:

A weir and lock would work better. I love these off the wall solutions. Local Gov could cogitate for months over ideas like these.

On 21 Jul 2004 at 4:06pm Smiler wrote:

Cogitate for months, consult with a small selection of uninterested parties for years, put out tenders to totally innapropriate construction companies, pick the one thats going to give the biggest kickback and then raise the council tax to pay for it.
Cynical, moi?
What about getting NCP to pay for it?
What do we want?.. A lock and a weir.
When do we want it?.. Some time before the new parking scheme kills off the town.

On 22 Jul 2004 at 8:25am Beatpod9 wrote:

I like it.
Just the thought of punting to work does amuse. Would the river have restrictions imposed on it depending upon the speed of the user, such as that implemented in the leisure centre swimming pool?
Thinking again, hovercraft or those propeller powered boats they have in the Everglades would require fewer river uprgades!

On 22 Jul 2004 at 11:43am Smiler wrote:

Apparently there was a weir around the A27 bridge before.
Perhaps we ought to point Norman Baker at this incredible commercial opportunity to pump the life-blood back into the financial heart of our little flood/parking beleaguered town.
I bet he's a regular lurker here, how better to keep in touch with the word on the street.

On 22 Jul 2004 at 2:10pm beatpod9 wrote:

Norman B is the man on the street.
Now that his hols have started he could launch the scheme by floating up the river in a rubber ring. I would suggest refraining from wearing the purple suit for that.