IWA wants more London moorings

THOUGH Canal & River Trust (CaRT) is against flooding London with moorings to pacify the various councils to help solve their housing problems, the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) opposes this and wants to increase moorings.

In its response to the London Assembly Report in which councils state they want a large increase in moorings, particularly on the Regents Canal to accommodate families, the IWA want CaRT to 'increase mooring supply in London' even to installing rings along the towpaths and dredging to enable boats to permanently moor.

Community moorings

It also suggests that extra moorings should be made available in a trial of 'community moorings', at various sites and install facilities such as electricity, water and lighting for these permanent moorers.

Such moorings should be at entirely new sites along the canal, and such facilities should be 'well maintained and always available'.

Strong enforcement

The IWA also state that CaRT must regulate restricted moorings with strong enforcement action that needs to be consistent.

However, our rather more knowledgeable contributor, Del Brenner, of the London Regents Network and member of the London Waterways Commission, pointed out in narrowboatworld (Boats cannot solve housing problems) that the long term future of our canals could be seriously compromised if our waterways take on the role of ‘real estate' with extensive development of static residential moorings, at the expense of bringing our canals back to life...