6 November 2017 Canal Boat canalboat.co.uk EA fee rise opposed Ilkeston festival success
Leicester Line runs dry CRT licensing update
London mooring strategy Insurance warning
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NEWS
A PROPOSED 7.5 percent increase in boat
registration (licensing) fees on the Environment
Agency’s Anglian rivers (including the Great Ouse
and Nene) has been met with an angry response
from boating organisations, who say that the
waterways have deteriorated to the point where
boaters already feel they are not receiving the
service they have paid for.
An EA consultation asks whether boaters would
be prepared to accept an increase and, if not, “What
elements of the service would you be prepared to
see reduce or stop?”.
The Great Ouse Boating Association responded
that it would not support anything higher than the
current inflation rate and would accept no reduction
at all in a service its members say is already
worsening, including:- Fallen trees making navigation difficult in places
- Water depth problems due to lack of maintenance
- Weed not being cleared
- Insufficient and unreliable pump-out facilities
The Association says there are opportunities (for
example, marinas) to raise income without having
to “penalise customers”, and for costs to be cut
without reducing services – GOBA refers to the
“hundreds” of trained volunteers on the Thames, but
just two (after two years) on the Anglian system.
The Inland Waterways Association has also
objected to the rises in fees, which are already
higher than on Canal & River Trust waterways.
Regarding the rivers’ navigation structures, IWA
says it “understands these assets are in general in
poor or unsatisfactory condition and likely to fail at
some point in the short or medium term”.
It adds that the Association will continue to press
for adequate government funding, and “remind the
Minister of the consequences of their failure”.
Both organisations see transfer of the EA
navigations to CRT as the best solution. GOBA
suspects that the EA is “trying to find ways of
delaying or preventing the CRT transfer”, while IWA
says that what is needed is “a suitable investment
programme to bring necessary assets up to a
sustainable ‘steady state’ condition”.Locks on the Great Ouse - in ‘poor condition’?THE Inland Waterways Association has called on the
Environment Agency to withdraw from sale three
lengths of riverside moorings in Ely, amid fears that
river-based businesses could close down.
As we reported last month, the businesses
affected (a hotel barge, boat hire firm and a
boat-builder) feared leases might not be renewed
by a new owner, leaving them without a base. But
the EA insisted that land “no longer required by
the Environment Agency” must be sold off in a way
that achieves the best value for the taxpayer under
government rules.
IWA has now written to EA Chief Executive Sir
James Bevan, urging him to stop what it calls the
“extremely short-sighted” sell-off, given that the
businesses bring in an income to the Agency and
their loss would impact tourism and leisure on the
river and in Ely. The Association has also raisedthe matter with local MPs and council leaders.
Other groups including the East Anglian Waterways
Association are also objecting and a meeting was
understood to be taking place between local MP
Lucy Frazer, council leaders and the EA.
The sale had been due to be completed by the
end of September, but as we went to press the
three plots had been flagged as “no longer on the
market” on a property website.Water shortage finally
shuts Leicester Line
Low reservoir levels following the
dry winter and spring have led to
the Canal & River Trust making the
decision to close a section of the Grand
Union Canal’s Leicester Line from 27
September. The length between locks
30 and 38 is shut until further notice,
with CRT unable to give any indication
of when it will open.
See our full report on the water
situation on pages 12-13.Licensing review update
As we went to press, the Canal &
River Trust had still to launch the open
consultation with all boaters which will
form the final stage of its complete
review of boat licensing, and which
was originally expected in August.
It had, however, published the
report from the earlier stages which
will form the basis of the final
proposals.
The Trust is also due to publish its
London Mooring Strategy, which aims
to tackle the pressure on space on the
capital’s canals – but has cautioned
that more work may be needed to
manage boat numbers.
See our detailed reports of both
these issues on pages 12-IWA joins fight over Ely moorings ‘sell-off’
The Ely moorings under threatOutrage at ‘7.5% licence rise’ on Anglian rivers