On 21st December 2021, just before Christmas, Canal & River Trust (CRT) sneaked out a further consultation regarding proposals for even more mooring restrictions in London, including paid-for bookable short term moorings of less than 14 days, and further areas of restrictions on triple mooring and narrowboat to widebeam mooring. If they are put into practice this will yet again reduce the amount of 14-day mooring space for Bargee Travellers in London, adding even more restrictions to the attempted incremental removal of liveaboard boaters without a home mooring. The consultation will run until 28th March 2022. Please register your objection to these plans here: https://canalrivertrust.welcomesyourfeedback.net/s/London
The NBTA London branch made this statement on CRT’s expansion of paid for bookable moorings in London:
CRT has unveiled plans to start charging for 1.1km of towpath moorings in various locations throughout London. It is doing this without showing any consideration for boaters who live and work in the area, or evidence that they are necessary.
In fact, CRT’s own figures show that the two ‘test sites’ for these new chargeable moorings have had less than 25% occupancy – most of the year they were wasted moorings. Is this really a success? Do we really need more unused chargeable moorings?
Is this just the beginning? CRT is crossing a dangerous line that could see London Waterways and other waterways become usable only by those who can afford it – disregarding its responsibility to preserve the waterways for all communities. CRT is also planning to rub salt in the wound by enforcing unnecessary double mooring restrictions – regardless of how wide the navigation is. There are many places in London where a narrowboat can easily double moor onto a wide beam, but CRT aims to end this practice.
Rather than concentrating on its mandate to maintain the navigation with things like dredging,CRT continues to persecute boat dwellers without a home mooring. NBTA London demands that CRT does not reduce casual mooring space in London. Turning it into prohibitively expensive, pre-bookable moorings that will often be left unused will only make other areas more busy, and drive people who live and work in these areas away from their livelihoods, and out of their homes.
NBTA London also demands that CRT concentrates on its primary objective of maintaining the navigation, rather than persecuting boaters who moor on some of the widest waterways in the country. If we are not restricting the navigation we should be allowed to double moor. NBTA and London Boaters have fought and prevented unfair and destructive attempts like these before, and we will do so again. CRT must stop destroying boating communities by favouring one kind of boater over another. It is entrusted with looking after the country’s waterways for everyone. London’s waterways should not be financially exclusive.
Please stop CRT making London’s Waterway financially exclusive by completing its survey below – by telling CRT that we disagree, we can preserve London’s Waterways for everyone, not just those who can afford it.
The mooring restriction proposals are here
The online consultation response form is here
https://canalrivertrust.welcomesyourfeedback.net/s/London
Also please join these planned actions to let CRT know our boats are our homes and we aren’t leaving the waterways:
LEAFLETING THE PUBLIC AT CRT’S EVENT on Saturday 19th February at 12pm, Hertford Union Canal in Victoria Park, next to Gunmaker’s gate E3 5PE.
MARCH ON CRT OFFICES! Meet on Saturday 26th March at 1pm in Park Square in Regents Park NW1 4LH, nearby tube stations are Great Portland Street and Regent’s Park.