Use of Setley Pond

Nigel Burt, the Sailing Section Secretary, is the permit Holder for the Club’s Permit granted by The Forestry Commission to allow our use of Setley Pond to sail our models and to run organised Club Events (for which we pay an annual rental fee).

He has received an email for the Forestry Commission regarding a complaint from a member of the general public regarding an incident involving a club member or members of either the Sailing or the Scale Section.  He has replied with our apologies and we have agreed that we will notify all members of the complaint (which has been circulated by email) and clarify the clubs position with regard to our permit conditions, as follows.

Setley Pond is a public facility and the club does not have exclusive use of it at any time. We do, however, have the use of the pond for sailing our models and for organised club events, for which we have to provide insurance cover for third party liability, and risk assessment etc. We cannot prevent the public sailing on the pond or refuse them access at any time, however it is reasonable to expect their consideration to our operations.

I am aware of several incidents regarding dogs etc. and we do have the ability to request help from the wardens if dogs are causing a problem and likewise if there is a problem with other misuse of the pond. I have been in contact with the Forestry Commission and they have informed me that they are considering an update of signage at their locations including Setley Pond.

Can we please ask members that you do not get into confrontation situations with the public other than to make polite requests to control their dogs etc.  Please do not prevent children from sailing small craft but I suggest that they are advised to sail them away from our models for the safety of their, and our, craft.  A polite request and advice is usually fine and on scale days we usually tell them it is better to sail them from the area to the right hand side and towards the top end of the pond.

I appreciate your co-operation in complying with the terms of the permit as losing this facility at Setley Pond would be a big loss to us all.

 

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