Boaters angry at massive increases

BOATERS using the rivers Great Ouse and Cam are furious at changes to the licensing system which could mean an increase in licence fees of up to 23% and fragmentation of a waterway.

The Environment Agency had already announced that licence fee increases for the next three years would be limited to just 2% plus C.P.I. or 6.4% for 2012.  Boaters are now angry that the Environment Agency has made no announcement or consulted on the new fee hikes due to start on 1st April this year.

Access

At present, an Environment Agency Anglian region licence permits access to all navigable parts of the system, including the Cam up to the centre of Cambridge.

However, at a meeting of the Cam Conservators on 12th January 2012 it was announced that from 1st April 2012, in order to navigate on Cam Conservancy waters, Environment Agency licence-holders would have to purchase, from the Environment Agency, an 'Environment Agency/Conservancy' licence costing 110% of a standard Environment Agency licence.

Visitor licence

Alternatively, Environment Agency licence-holders deciding to navigate the Cam later in the year could purchase an annual visitor licence at 15% of their Environment Agency licence fee (or a penalty charge of 25% of the fee if found without the licence).

A Cam-only licence will no longer be available and all Cam based boaters will be obliged to purchase the new Environment Agency/Conservancy licence, which will now be issued and administered by the Cam Conservancy not the Environment Agency as in the past.

23% increase

The present Cam-only licence costs 95% of the Environment Agency licence so the increase to 110% represents an increase of over 17% in addition to an already announced 'inflation-linked' rise of 6.4%. The total increase equals 23.2%.

According to Great Ouse Boating Association the effect of these measures is:

• To cause fragmentation of an existing contiguous public right of navigation.
• To reduce by around 6% the length of cruising waterway previously available, without extra charge, to Environment Agency licence holders.
• To cause huge additional expense to river Cam based boaters, an extra 23.2% in total.
• To cause major additional expense to Environment Agency licence holders wishing to continue to exercise their right to navigate the Cam, at least an extra 10% on top of previously announced increases.
• To cause massive additional expense to hire-craft operating on the river system.
• To potentially cause a serious loss of business to commercial boat-yards and service operators based on the Cam but relying on trade from Environment Agency based boats.
• To seriously impede the possibility (enjoyed for many years) of visiting a major UK city and visitor attractions by boat.
• To seriously affect members of a major boat club situated just above Bottisham Lock (on Cam Conservator waters) wishing or needing to visit their club by boat, without punitive charges.

Bob Wells, Chairman of the Great Ouse Boating Association tells us:

"We are concerned that at a difficult time, when everyone is being forced to tighten their belts, boaters could now be faced with unprecedented licence fee increases. It is a great pity that navigation of the Cam may no longer be an option for many. The effects on the hire-boat and tourist industry and river based businesses could be disastrous.

The proposals have not been thought through properly and the Environment Agency has conducted no consultation with its customers. The Great Ouse Boating Association will strongly oppose these unfair and ill-conceived proposals which will fragment a waterway and drive boaters away."