Don’t let CRT price us off the water! NBTA emergency phone/ online Committee meeting 5th March 2pm

All NBTA members are invited to an Emergency Committee Meeting on Sunday 5th March 2023 at 2pm to 4pm to discuss Canal & River Trust’s (CRT) consultation on future boat licence pricing, which proposes to impose higher fees for boats without a home mooring. We must resist this attack on the Bargee Traveller community!

To join the meeting by phone, dial 0203 481 5237 or 0203 481 5240 and key in the Meeting ID 625 343 7101 and the Passcode 075529.

Or you can join the meeting online here

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/6253437101?pwd=Kzk4VGxyblRGdGhUbGF2SloweXVBQT09

The meeting ID is 625 343 7101 and the Passcode is dt6c3E

CRT has produced a consultation survey which asks boaters whether boaters without a home mooring should pay more than those with a home mooring, as well as other leading and divisive questions. If CRT gets away with pricing boats without a home mooring differently, it would be able to price us out of existence while not charging boats with home moorings the same amount.

This is at least the fourth time that BW/CRT has proposed to raise fees differentially for boats without a home mooring. British Waterways, the predecessor to CRT, attempted to do so in 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2017. Each time before it was defeated due to strong opposition. We need to make sure it is defeated again. The NBTA believes it would be unlawful for CRT to do this, because Section 17 of the British Waterways Act 1995 makes it clear that there is one licence or “relevant consent” that can be held either with or without a home mooring. In the consultation, CRT also proposes to increase the widebeam surcharge. You will probably have received a link to complete the consultation questionnaire online. The NBTA will shortly be sending members some suggestions on possible ways to respond.