A model boating club is to vote this week on whether to continue following the decision to install a fountain in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.
Model boating has taken place on the boating lake near the cafe for 99 years.
But in one of its final acts before abolition, Harrogate Borough Council spent £6,000 on a new fountain.
Claro Marine model boating club pleaded with the council not to press ahead with the water feature, warning it would jeopardise their hobby.
Boats could run aground if they hit the fountain and their engines could be damaged by the spray.
But the council brushed aside the concerns and the fountain is now active.
The fountain in Valley Gardens
Claro Marine appealed last week for access to a new lake but so far nothing has transpired.
Club secretary Dave Finnegan said members would meet on Tuesday night to decide whether to continue.
“Some members, including myself, are members of other clubs. The only bad part is the distance — at least two of our members do not drive.
“There is a real chance Claro Marine modellers will close.”
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‘The council have destroyed 99 years of model boats in Harrogate’
A new fountain in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens has effectively ended a century of model boating, according to the club that has used it for decades.
Claro Marine model boating club pleaded with Harrogate Borough Council to halt the £6,000 installation of the fountain in the boating pond near the cafe.
It said water from the fountain would damage the boats’ engines and jeopardise their hobby.
But the council, which was abolished a week ago, pressed ahead and the fountain was switched on a few days ago.
The pond has been used for model boating for 99 years.
Cub secretary Dave Finnegan, 69, told the Stray Ferret he was “very sad” because it spelled the end of a pastime he had pursued since childhood.
Mr Finnegan said:
“The council have destroyed 99 years of model boats in Harrogate. They will not listen.”
The club, he said, had been told the fountain would be situated in the deep end but it was actually in the middle of the pond, creating more of an obstacle.
The fountain is expected to operate from 9.30am to 6pm each day.
Mr Finnegan said:
“Even if switched off, the fountain is an underwater object to hit or go aground on.
“How do you get a boat back if it’s in the middle of the pond? I will not be sailing in Valley Gardens.
“I would like to thank all the visitors to the pond while I have been sailing for their kind comments and questions.”
The fountain has created an obstacle in the middle of the pond.
Mr Finnegan said the club was now trying to find another pond in the Harrogate area.
Alison Wilson, head of parks and environment services at Harrogate Borough Council, previously told the club:
“As the body [of the fountain] consists of a base and jets there is little infrastructure involved. Once in place, we will consider any protection required to ensure there is no damage to the jets from boats and vice versa.
“We do not wish to curtail your clubs activities, simply make the area more attractive and usable at other times of the week”.
Read more:
- Model boating must continue, says Friends of Valley Gardens
- Model boaters in Valley Gardens call for public support to stop fountain
Model boating must continue, says Friends of Valley Gardens
Model boating enhances Valley Gardens and should stay, says the charity that works to protect the park.
The comments from Friends of Valley Gardens (FOVG) come after a local model boating club told the Stray Ferret that plans for a fountain in the boating pool would end their hobby.
Claro Marine model boating club said water from the fountain would damage the expensive boats and members would have to go elsewhere if the fountain was installed.
The council had said that Friends of Valley Gardens supported the fountain, which is designed to improve water quality.
So the charity has found itself unwittingly in the middle of a watery controversy. In the past 24 hours, a large number of people have posted comments on its social media pages wanting the model boats to stay.
One of its four trustees, Andrew Jordan, told the Stray Ferret no one wants the model boaters to leave:
“Boating really enhances the Valley Gardens. The model boats are stunning – you can see the time and effort that goes into them. Going by the comments on our Facebook site today, there are a lot people who want it to stay.
“The whole purpose of the boating pond is model boating – I know Harrogate Borough Council wants to reduce costs but before the scheme goes ahead they’ll have to get the agreement from the boaters.”
He said when the council sent the charity a letter a month ago outlining a proposal for a fountain at one end of the pool, they assumed the model boaters would also be contacted and thought it was an early consultation – rather than a done deal.
They gave it approval but with lots of qualifications:
“We looked at it and we didn’t think the original plan would work. There wasn’t enough depth of water for the scheme they were proposing. We thought it was just an idea.
“From a maintenance and purification of water point of view, the fountain is a good idea but it has to be the right fountain for the site and for the other users of the boating lake.”
The charity is now urging the council to talk to Claro Marine model boating club and find a solution that works for all involved.
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Fountain will end model boating in Valley Gardens, says club
A Harrogate model boating club has said plans to erect a fountain in the boating pool at Valley Gardens will stop them being able to pursue their hobby.
Claro Marine model boating club meets twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays to operate motor boats on the pool behind the cafe.
Harrogate Borough Council plans to put a fountain in the pool to help improve water quality.
David Finnegan, secretary of Claro Marine, told the Stray Ferret it would make sailing the boats impossible:
“Model boats do malfunction – if we are distracted and steer them underneath the fountain by mistake, the boats’ electrics will be damaged and, if they fill up with water, it’ll sink them.
“A home made model boat can cost up to £1,000 — to get a well made British scale model steam plant for the boat can cost £800.”
Until recently council staff regularly drained and cleaned the pond of leaves and litter and then refilled it.
Last month, though, the pool was drained but not refilled due to the drought and the fountain is due to be installed next year.
Mr Finnegan said the council told him the decision had already been made:
“I am very disappointed at Harrogate Borough Council and certainly upset. We have members who are elderly and can’t drive so we need a central location.
“It’s a cost-cutting exercise and they’ve made no real effort to get in touch with us
“I have one friend who lives on his own and he loves the hobby. He is a non driver and, for him, this is like the end of the world.
“For us boaters it is such a relaxing and pleasant thing to do”
Mr Finnegan, 68, says there’s a long tradition of boating on the small pond – as a child he paddled in the water amongst the vessels. The boaters often have spectators who enjoy watching them – particularly children.
A video of the club’s boats being sailed on the pool.
The Stray Ferret put the club’s concerns to the council. A spokesperson said:
“Currently, the boating pond in Valley Gardens is empty due to maintenance and the continued hosepipe ban in place across Yorkshire.
“Next year, we will be installing a new fountain to help aerate the water and improve its cleanliness (once the hosepipe ban has been lifted).
“It will also provide another distinctive area for people to enjoy and complement the award winning floral displays, Himalayan and Japanese gardens, Grade II listed Sun Pavilion and Colonnades, and games and attractions currently on offer.
“The fountain – supported by Friends of Valley Gardens – is controllable so once installed, if it is problematic for the model boating club, we would be happy to discuss it with them to ensure it can be enjoyed by all visitors of Valley Gardens.”
The Boating Lake, Valley Gardens, Harrogate c.1949
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