CaRT publicizes its adversary

CANAL & River Trust is advertising a public meeting of National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA)—its long running adversary— on one of its Facebook sites, writes Allan Richards.

The advertisement, has obviously been allowed to remain following condemnation of the disappearance of posts that were critical of the Trust earlier this month (Facebook censored again).

Public meeting

As the picture of the post on CaRT's Facebook site shows, NBTA will be holding a public meeting from midday onwards at the Malt Shovel, Cowley (Lock 69 Grand Union) on Saturday with Guest Speaker Nigel Moore who recently won his long running 'Section 8' appeal. (CaRT loses Section 8 case) (Section 8 refers to to the right under law of BW/CaRT to seize and dispose of boats.)

Whilst CaRT has dismissed his victory via a press release which claims 'This case relates to a tidal stretch of the Grand Union Canal in Brentford....' it is known to have far wider implications. Mr Moore will not only be speaking about why CaRT lost the case but also the limits to CaRT's powers to control moorings and what the judgement means to boaters.

Land dispute

Credibility to Nigel Moore's claim that the real reason behind CaRT's illegal attempt to seize his boat was to do with a wish to build on the land it was moored to has been enhanced by information published about court cases in response to a Freedom of Information request.

CaRT published details of 39 Section 8 cases. 34 were described as unlicensed boats and just four as Non Compliant Continuous Cruisers. However, Mr Moore's case was described as a 'land dispute'.

Oh dear!

Another Freedom of Information request to determine the considerable cost to BW/CaRT of defending the case brought against them by Nigel Moore remains unanswered after six weeks.

Oh dear again!

.... and now we are told that a judicial review is being sought on 'land grabbing' some years ago involving CaRT and the Land Registry.