Waterway business hit

THE costly scheme by British Waterways/CaRT to control waterway business licensing, that was considered by business to be ill thought-out,  has now been scrapped, and money is being spent on a new consultation document in its place.

Business have also now been informed that their licences will rise by 4.6%—the same as private licences—over twice the current rate of inflation of 2.2%.

Horrendous year

Yet this is at what CaRT itself told was an horrendous year weather-wise, and really affected the waterside businesses, and the last thing they want is more licences increases, especially over twice the rate of current inflation, and will prove to be the final straw for many.

Though only just announced, contributor Orph Mable tells us that it is indeed the final straw for his small hire business, being left with no alternative but to put his boat Stafford on the market.  Orph tells us the ever increasing costs together with the huge down-turn in winter parties since the smoking ban, the cost of a Premises Licence annually and two very poor summer seasons has left him no option.

New system

Operators of holiday hire, timeshare and shared use boats have been transferred over to a system of having a standard boat licence and then being invoiced separately for an operating fee, are now told will revert back to having a business licence!

This is because the Operator Agreement Project proposals that were set out in December 2010 have been scrapped, reverting to the old system.

Weighty

CaRT admits that it will '....shortly be able to publish a further consultation document covering all aspects of this work. We anticipate that the full set of papers will be quite substantial'.

So substantial that it is refusing to send out by post unless specifically requested.