Boaters petition against mooring proposals

BOATERS have rejected mooring proposals made by the Canal & River Trust following refusal by Head of Boating, Sally Ash, to provide any data justifying them, writes Allan Richards.

The proposals were published in a consultation document and relate to increased mooring restrictions and the introduction of fines, called 'overstaying charges', at 22 sites to be piloted in CaRT's South East Region.

Restrictions

The new restrictions include reduction in mooring times on visitor moorings and introduction of mooring limits on previously unrestricted (i.e.14 day) lengths of canal. Also included is the introduction of 'no mooring' stretches and the concept of restricting the number of days that a boat can moor during a calendar month at a single location.

CaRT states that the new restrictions will be policed by mooring wardens and the 'licence holder' will be 'fined' £25 per day for breaching the new mooring rules (CaRT apparently call the fines 'overstaying charges' for legal reasons and it is understood that they have never been imposed in South East Region before).

However, except for Thrupp where visitor moorings have been policed by the local cruising club for some years, they refuse to say if the 'mooring wardens' will be volunteers, CaRT's own staff or third part contractors.

Justification

The only need for change given in the consultation document thus. '....to improve the chances of boaters finding space to tie-up when they arrive at designated visitor moorings'.

However, leaders of independent boaters groups who have recently been holding meetings with CaRT (Boaters meetings—18/1/2013) are becoming alarmed that its Head of Boating refuses to provide information that should have been included in the consultation.

Draconian new rules

Asked what the justification was for the draconian new rules, Sally Ash has intimated that a 'surprising number of complaints' had been received. However, she has refused to give any other information, forcing a Freedom of Information request to be made. The independent boaters leader making the request (who has online moorings within the South East Region) has since been asked by both CaRT's Head of Boating and Trustee John Dodwell, to withdraw it as it was 'not helpful'.

One is led to the inescapable conclusion that the 'surprising number of complaints' simply does not exist!

More justification

Asked what data they have that suggests that boaters are having difficulty finding space to tie-up, CaRT have been unable to produce any.

An introduction to the consultation on the Canal & River Trust website reads 'Jeff Whyatt, the waterway manager discussed these [mooring proposals] at his local user group meetings over the past couple of years and Julia Moore helped him with local discussions with representatives of boating organisations'.

However, documentation from these meetings has not been made available although CaRT has been asked to provide it...

Petition

Another independent boater leader comments that it is pointless imposing new restrictions when CaRT does not enforce current mooring limits.

He has started a petition to convince CaRT to abandon its proposals on the basis that properly enforced current restrictions are more appropriate unless shown otherwise.

That is simple common sense! CaRT should demonstrate that it is enforcing current restrictions. It then needs to show that, despite doing so, boaters are having difficulty in finding space to tie up.

To date, the petition has attracted more than 400 signatures.

Lunacy

It seems sheer lunacy that British Waterway and now CaRT allows its Head of Boating to stumble from one local moorings consultation to another leaving a trail of distrust and ill feeling behind her. First it was the Kennet & Avon, next it was the Lea & Stort and now it is South East Region.

Serial cock-ups!

It is understood that trustee, John Dodwell, has asked to meet with leaders of independent boaters next week.

The consultation document can be found at:

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/2565.pdf
and the feedback form at:

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/2616.doc

The petition can be found at:

Petition.