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laser193713 View Drop Down
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Posts: 889 		Post Options Post Options   Quote laser193713 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Bewl Valley
    Posted: 23 Jun 15 at 10:27pm
http://www.bewlvalleysc.co.uk/message-to-members/

Just seen this posted on Facebook. Very sad news indeed. A great club who seem to have been bullied out of their own home.  Ouch
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sargesail View Drop Down
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Posts: 1459 		Post Options Post Options   Quote sargesail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 15 at 12:29am
Truly awful.  Angry and sad.  Sounds like they are beyond the point where support would be useful.
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mothlee View Drop Down
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Posts: 28 		Post Options Post Options   Quote mothlee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 15 at 12:46am
That's so so sad. But not surprising if they have to find £160000 a year. Not sure any club in the country could cope with that as an overhead.
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Posts: 893 		Post Options Post Options   Quote chrisg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 15 at 7:51am
£160000 a year is a crazy amount of money for a members club to find for anything let alone rent every year!

Hope something can be done so sailing can continue at Bewl. Good luck to everyone down there.
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AlexM View Drop Down
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Posts: 857 		Post Options Post Options   Quote AlexM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 15 at 8:04am
That is truly gutting :( I'm gob smacked that the club has lasted so long from paying 160k per year from 2008. Sad day for the members of BVSC :(
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Posts: 615 		Post Options Post Options   Quote timeintheboat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 15 at 9:03am
Clearly with those punitive charges in place the owner has got other plans in mind for the lake that cannot include a sailing club.
Like some other things - sailing is more enjoyable when you do it with someone else
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 15 at 9:15am
I wonder if there is more to this story than is let on.

£160k may seem a lot, but Bewl has a membership capacity of 1400. That works out at £2.20 per member per week, which seems like a bargain for one of the most beautiful and affluent areas of the country.

What does surprise me is that the reservoir, or at least the leisure rights, are privately owned. I thought Bewl supplied much of the drinking water to Kent, so surely it’s under the control of Southern Water?
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Posts: 1586 		Post Options Post Options   Quote kneewrecker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 15 at 9:25am
I feel dreadfully sorry for the minority of members who are realistic about what things cost in the world we live in.  Wikipedia reports 1,100+ members - even with some decline 160k between 1,000 would be £3.08p per week - less than a pint of beer.  Now that sounds like cheap real estate to me- especially in such a bucolic spot in SE England.

I feel doubly sorry for those who have served on the committee there and had to effectively run the club like a business, outside of their day jobs, probably without the autonomy to increase membership rates to sustainable levels.  A) for fear of upsetting the members because it's 'too expensive' (despite being half the cost of a municipal gym membership), or B) there being some stage-managed exodus to another local club with cheaper options.  But that's the customer base - dinghy sailors are not typically known for their flamboyant spending habits- it's the way it is I guess.

I have no love for the landlord, but I do defend his right to maximise his return and see out the terms of a lease agreement that the club have signed in good faith.  As I illustrated above, £160k doesn't sound too bad an overhead compared to other sports like Golf or even local Football clubs, but yes, for a 'sailing club' I'm not surprised by the sharp intake of breath here and on Facebook.  

But I utterly respect the statement from the Vice Commodore- he must be a strong man emotionally doing that.  I've watched CEOs leave buildings in tears as they Administrators come in, it's not a pleasant experience for anyone, and everyone feels shafted, despite best intentions and a lot of hard work.  To think of this happening outside of 'normal' commerce and enterprise, where it directly affects family lives and children's happiness at weekends- jesus, that must really hurt.

I agree with the sentiment - it's a very sad day, however I can only couple that with 'There but for the Grace of God....' and hope they can find new waters to sail upon soon.  


Edited by kneewrecker - 24 Jun 15 at 9:27am
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Noah View Drop Down
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Posts: 611 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Noah Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 15 at 9:57am
Let's just hope - probably forlorn - that any planning application for intensive commercial leisure activities (theme park, anyone?) are rejected in the AONB. Whilst the rent may seem cheap when spread across the membership it appears to be completely out of line with other inland reservoirs in the south-east. Perhaps the freeholder might like to look at the overall financial picture and amend the rents charged to their lease-holder accordingly.

How is ownership arranged? Southern Water 'own' it thru their Bewl Water subsidiary? Leased thence to Kent Attractions and then another step to Bewl Water Boating Ltd. Does someone else hold e.g. the fishing rights? How does the country park fit in to this picture?

Can the RYA exert any pressure anywhere?

Too many questions  Confused

It would be interesting to learn what the rent was pre-2008...
Nick
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Neptune View Drop Down
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Posts: 1314 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Neptune Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jun 15 at 10:11am
Originally posted by Noah

appears to be completely out of line with other inland reservoirs in the south-east. Perhaps the freeholder might like to look at the overall financial picture and amend the rents charged to their lease-holder accordingly.


Lets hope all the other similarly owned inland waters don't amend their rents accordingly then
Musto Skiff and Solo sailor
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