Estate Information

Dinghy Park 

Two maps of the boat park...

Trees

An annual inspection, typically October, is requred to identify any work necessary to be completed over the winter months and prior to the bird nesting season. Importantly this is also part of taking responsibility to avoid any damage to members property even though property is left at the owners risk. 

Please refer to the Committee's Google Drive / Critical Documents / Estate Dam and Lake Management folder that contains:

• Boatpark Tree Survey from 2020, and

• A folder of 11 pages has been scanned as: Boatpark Tree Information (2023/24).  The original pages are held in the Black Folder on the filing cabinets in the Clubhouse Loft

The latter contains: 

• two lists from 27/02/24 & 05/03/24 but not all trees have been 'ticked' off

• lists from Jan/ Feb 2023

• method of calculations.

It would appear that Simon Tester of Tester Tree Surgeons undertook the work done in 2024. 

T: 01342 322633

M: 07825 915390

E: testerstree@yahoo.com

W: www.testerstreesurgeons.co.uk

Signage

Brown (Tourist) Signs

Surrey County Council may allow vehicle and/or pedestrian signs to defined tourist destinations or leisure facilities where traffic management and safety benefits can be demonstrated. Signs will not be provided where the primary purpose is to advertise the destination.

Tourist destinations

TSRGD 2016 defines a “tourist destination” as a permanently established attraction or facility (other than a leisure facility) which:

a) attracts or is used by visitors to an area;

b) is open to the public without prior booking during its normal opening hours, and;

c) is recognised as a tourist attraction or facility by the appropriate national promoter of tourism which for Surrey is Visit England.

To be eligible for a new sign, all 3 of the above criteria need to apply.

Extract from Surrey-Highways-Signs-Policy-July-2022-V2, recorded in the Knowledge Base April 2025

Sign Companies

If we are looking for one or more quotes:

Enhanced Images

Ei (Enhanced Images) might be worth asking for a quote as they are just behind the Shell Garage on A264 almost opposite the Club's entrance. No prior knowledge of this company but they are so close they might consider partnering.

Web: ei-group.co.uk Tel: 01342 617980 Email: hello@ei-group.co.uk

FastSigns

Duncan has used in the past. Email: FASTSIGNS.854@fastsigns.com

G Print

CMYC Member, James (Jym) Beech (see also Shelley Parkinson). Sign company valid as of May 2025.

G Print Ltd, Mill Lodge, Lodge Lane, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 5DS Tel: 01293 820861 Email: jym.beech@g-print.co.uk Web: www.g-print.co.uk. 

Environment Agency

Lake Surveillance Network (LSN)

The Environment Agency (EA) visited the lake on 20th June 2024 to assess whether or not Hedgecourt lake would be suitable to be included in the Lake Surveillance Network (LSN). They concluded that it would. This means that they will sample the lake once every 5 years, starting next year (2025). Every year that the lake is sampled, they will:

• take water samples

• look at algae

• look at plants and habitats during the summer, and

• in winter, take fish eDNA samples.

The water quality data they collect will be publicly available:

(Open WIMS data) https://environment.data.gov.uk/water-quality/view/explore

Search ‘Hedgecourt Lake’ in the ‘Sampling Point Name’ bar and clicking on the sampling point.

Water quality samples have previously been taken at this location, so there is historic data available to look at.

They plan to launch their boat and take samples from the Mill Lane bank, and should not need to use the club’s facilities. They confirmed that, to avoid demonstrating public access to the lake, their officers will be in uniform and using badged vehicles so they will be easily recognisable as EA staff. 

Last contact (June 2024): Kate - KSLESAandR@environment-agency.gov.uk

Waste Exemption Certificate

New Waste Exemption charges came into effect on 1 July 2025.

Our 'certificate' is within the Vault / Estate.

You can check on the public register: https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-exemptions using our name or our certificate number: WEX475708 

Our certificate allows us to:

• D1: Depositing waste from dredging inland waters, and 

• D7: Burning waste in the open

Both Expire on 15th October 2028. This is included on the Committee's Annual Calendar.

On 28 July 25 the contact details were amended to:

• First Name: Vice Commodore

• Surname: Estate

• Email address: vcestate.cmyc@gmail.com

• Club house telephone number.

If you have any questions, please contact the National Customer Contact Centre on 03708 506 506 or email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Travis Perkins - Trade Account

This has been set up for us - Account name Crawley Mariners Yacht Club and or the account number QP 8605 - at this stage its a payment at purchase account not a Credit account so will need to pay as we go but hopefully thats OK for most items.

If a larger order is needed it will require approval at Committee and let VC Finance know as (Jerry) is the designated person.

Legal Action - Reedbed Maintenance 

On 11 February 2026 we received the following email stating:

As Commodore and a Director of the company, please accept this notice of our intent to both report you and to engage in the pursuit of proceedings against you, the Company and any contractors should you undertake this unnecessary reduction of their habitat.

The email in full:

- - - - - - - 

To: commodore@cmyc.co.uk

From: Birdwatchers witheld@protectionofhabitat.com

Subject: Reedbed maintenance

Message Body:

It has been brought to our attention that you intend to actively “manage” the reedbeds surrounding Hedgecourt Lake.

Please note these reedbeds are the inhabitat of thousands of starlings and other wildlife. You will also be aware, additionally, that the Western side of the lake is a designated SSSI.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is illegal to intentionally kill, injure, or take starlings, or to destroy/damage their nests while they are in use or being built. Penalties include heavy fines or up to six months imprisonment.

The reedbeds contain thousands of in use nests and, at both ends of the lake, are the inhabitats used for the thousands of birds forming the murmurations  that are enjoyed by so many on a daily basis, both now and throughout the year. You may also be aware that Starlings are on the UK's Red list for Birds due to population decline.

As Commodore and a Director of the company, please accept this notice of our intent to both report you and to engage in the pursuit of proceedings against you, the Company and any contractors should you undertake this unnecessary reduction of their habitat. 

 - - - - - - - 

Technically we cannot reply to this person - they have used a fake email address, the domain name does not exist and we have no way of contacting them, however we have recorded this in this newsletter that is publicly available via our website and within the Committee’s Knowledge Base for future reference.

Should this become a valid complaint we note that:

·  Starlings do not nest in reedbeds, they roost in them during the winter months.

·  Starlings nest; in cavity, in occupied or empty building (often under eaves, in soffits or loft), cliff, tree (commonly old woodpecker hole), stone wall or other artefact

·  We have a Lake Management Plan approved by Natural England, and this includes restrictions on the amount of reeds that can be cut at any one time and in non-adjacent reed beds

·  the Club has conducted winter surveys of Water Rails and supplied the results to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)

·  BTO’s dataset show that there is almost no impact on numbers of Water Rails during management periods during the winter

Our response to a valid complaint would likely be:

-------------------------------------------------

Dear Birdwatchers,

Thank you for your letter regarding the reedbeds at Hedgecourt Lake. We acknowledge the concerns you have raised about the local wildlife and the SSSI designation on the western side of the lake.

To be clear, no unlawful activity has taken place, nor is any planned. Any maintenance or management work undertaken by the Club is carried out with full regard to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the SSSI status, and all other applicable environmental obligations. For further clarity, the reed‑cutting forms part of the Lake Management Plan that has been reviewed and approved by Natural England, and any works are undertaken strictly in accordance with that plan and the ecological guidance it contains.

Your correspondence contains a number of assertions about “intent” and implied allegations of criminal conduct. These are unfounded and are not accepted. If you believe that any specific proposed action would contravene legislation, please set out precisely:

• the factual basis for your allegation,
• the specific activity you believe would be unlawful, and
• the evidence on which you rely.

Generalised threats of reporting or legal proceedings, without clarity or substantiation, are neither constructive nor necessary.

The Club remains committed to responsible stewardship of the lake and its surrounding habitats. We are open to discussing any genuine concerns in a factual and proportionate manner.

Yours faithfully,
----------------------------------------------------

My thanks to everyone that helped review and respond to this email in a very short space of time given the potential gravity of the situation.

With thanks to Matt K., (for our Lake Management Plan and its approval by Natural England), Ted T., (VC Estate), Martyn F., (IT), Ursula B., (Club Secretary), Julian T., (Membership), Jeff S., (Principal), Jerry G., (VC Finance & Admin).