RoDMA
and the Royal Docks
The Royal Docks Management Authority Limited holds a 225 year lease
of the entire water areas of the Royal Docks, including locks,
bridges, impounding equipment and some limited land areas. Owned and
funded by the owners of the land surrounding the water, the
Authority provides the certainty of sound long term water
management, combining the interests of adjacent landowners, applying
the responsibilities and resources for effective management, and
protecting permanent public access to quaysides and water areas.
April-OCEANOLOGY 2008 Newsletter
15 YEARS of RoDMA Newsletter
Click
on the map for
directions to the Royal Docks
The
250 acres of the Royal Docks are unique in their scale and location.
Reputed to be the largest area of impounded water in the World,
they comprise the main Royal Victoria, Royal Albert and King George
V docks, the smaller Pontoon Dock and Albert Basin, and King George
V and Gallions locks, these giving direct access to the River Thames.
RoDMA's
core responsibility is to maintain the dock water areas, to impound
and maintain water quality, dredge, maintain the marine infrastructure,
including the two locks and gates, a large pumping station, the Bascule
Bridge on the Woolwich Manor Way, the Connaught road and footbridges
and plaza area, the Royal Victoria Dock footbridge, the Sir Steve
Redgrave Bridge, to maintain necessary security, emergency and safety
systems, enforce harbour regulations, and operate all equipment.
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The
Authority issues licences for short and long term authorised use
of the water, is responsible for making and upholding Byelaws,
prohibiting unauthorised swimming and fishing, determining levels
of behaviour around the docks, and providing regulations for the
movement of vessels.
Landowners
within the designated service charge area contribute a service
charge to the company in the proportion that their site bears
to the total service charge area, the total service charge being
the expenditure incurred in managing the Royal Docks. Upon the
granting of a lease within the service charge area the lessee
is obliged to take one share in the company, this share giving
voting rights in the same proportion as the service charge contribution.
The company may have a maximum of eight ordinary directors, any
lessee owning 12.5% of the total service charge area having the
right to appoint one director, and there being provisions for
the appointment of directors to represent lessees owning less
than 12.5%. A Special Share is held by the Secretary of State
for the Environment, Transport and Regions, and provides for the
appointment of up to four Special Directors. These have no voting
rights in respect of the ordinary business of the company, but
hold absolute control on affairs outside the normal business and
matters concerning public access to the water areas.
The
water areas are used principally for recreational activities,
including sailing, canoeing, windsurfing, rowing, jet-skiing and
water skiing. Waterbased events including The London Trithalon
and Formula 2000 Powerboat racing are held in the Royals, and
the International Boat Show will be held here from 2004.
A marina operates in the Albert Basin and increasing use is being
made of the Royal Docks by river pleasure boats requiring access
to the ExCeL exhibition centre, and as a location for television
and wide screen films.
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