THE National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA) that represents those living on a boat without a permanent mooring, has taken umbrage at the way such boaters on the Cam in Cambridge are being treated, its spokesman writes.
Cambridge City Council Strategy and Resources Committee is going ahead with its highly controversial 'consultation' regarding moorings on the Cam with all Labour councillors on the Committee voting unanimously to proceed with proposals to clear the river of those living on houseboats without a mooring and in this way deliberately make them homeless, whilst proposing no measures at all to reduce the numbers of rowers.
Rejects proposals
NBTA unequivocally rejects the councils proposals to relocate the Riverside Boater Community that live on 'The Railings', since moving them to 'temporary' moorings would not be in their best interests and would cause widespread homelessness amongst this highly vulnerable community with a wide range of protected characteristics.
Further, we would like to see the Council begin to protect this established community, starting with investment of the £75,000 that was earmarked a few years ago specifically for the community of boaters moored on 'The Railings', to make improvements such as gates and ladders. If this money cannot be located then we call for a public inquiry into where this money went and ask for the promised works to be undertaken as a matter of
urgency, to improve the facilities as is the council's responsibility.
Enough empty spaces
In addition we propose that any Bargee Traveller family, not on 'The Railings', but living elsewhere on the Cam, be given a council mooring, irrespective of their position on the waiting lists. There are enough empty mooring spaces to accommodate everyone that needs one, yet the council chooses to let desperate families wait for years on end, causing terrible trauma and stress, and in this way interfering with family life and children's education.
We call for those who are currently renting out existing council moorings or those with council moorings who live in a house, to have their mooring licences withdrawn and their moorings reallocated to those currently waiting for a mooring on the river and whose boat is their sole residence. Nobody who also owns a house or flat should be allowed to rent a council mooring and moorings should be allocated by social need, with priority given to families with school-age children currently on the river waiting for a council mooring as a matter of urgency.
Rowers are the real issue
Rowers are the real issue on the Cam, with their huge over capacity, noise pollution from amplified headsets, erosion of riverbanks with their huge wakes, who kill wildlife with their blades, who are abusive towards those living on boats, calling us 'gypos' and 'pikeys'. These rowers display an astounding level of arrogance when they cause criminal damage to houseboats, that comes from a long established white male privileged elite ruling class background, allowed free reign for too long.
This attack on society's poor and working class by a Labour council is shocking indeed and looks set to damage Labour's political standing in Cambridge due to overwhelming outrage expressed by Cambridge residents in reaction to its plans for the community.
To be applauded
The residents of Cambridge are to be applauded for their heartfelt response to this latest attack on Bargee Travellers. Their support has ranged from installation art along Riverside highlighting the housing crisis, to poetry and films made by local residents in support of their beloved Railings Community, not to mention the hundreds of people who signed petitions against the council action, and of course, the rousing protest outside Guildhall. We thank them one and all. (Picture by Cambridge News.
The NBTA again strongly urges the Council to begin a dialogue between us as representatives of the Bargee Traveller community, who are those most threatened by the proposals and as such should be allowed to be an active part of the consultation process, not merely given a council survey to complete. The council's recent apology for telling the community about the proposals by press release is welcome, and if it is genuine, let us start a real consultation on this matter, collaboratively.
Terror at losing home
At the council meeting, Eleanor Leeke, a full time teacher, who lives on one of the boats told of her terror that she, and her family, might end up homeless as a result of the consultation.
Another resident boater, Mark Evans, exclaimed:
"This consultation is flawed in many ways. It has stirred up a lot of emotion and is causing a lot of undue stress. People think we are lazy hippies. A lot of us work very hard. It is hard work running a boat and keeping a job down.
"The question of health and safety keeps coming up, but no one can come up with any stats. I think the biggest risk is carrying on with the consultation. It is causing too much uproar around the city."
However Mal Schofield of the Cam Conservators told that the boats posed a risk to rowers on the the river.