The Inland Waterways Association has joined other organisations in opposing higher licence fees for ‘continuous cruisers’ without home moorings
The Inland Waterways Association has joined other organisations in opposing higher licence fees for ‘continuous cruisers’ without home moorings, in its response to the Canal & River Trust’s boat licensing review consultation which offered this as an option.
As reported in last month’s Canal Boat, the National Association of Boat Owners had already responded criticising the inclusion of this option at all, which NABO said had been rejected in the earlier stages of the exercise; while the National Bargee Travellers Association had predicted that it would “drive some of our community into homelessness”. Now IWA too has said that “there should be a single licence fee for boats with or without a home mooring”, adding that “mooring enforcement is a separate issue which should be tackled separately”.
At the same time, IWA has supported higher fees for wider craft, calculated on a “length times width” basis (as happens on the Thames), the retention of most of the current discounts (such as for historic boats), a phased introduction of any changes.
The consultation closed in December, with final proposals expected in the spring.
