THE plans by British Waterways' Head of Boating, Sally Ash, to control residential moorers on the Lee & Stort Navigations have been abandoned.
These follow the similar plans for the Kennet & Avon Canal at Bath where there was only limited success, Alan Tilbury tells us.
'Stepping back'
The plan was to drastically increase the charges for moorers on the Lee & Stort, that met with tremendous opposition from boaters, but now we are told that British Waterways is 'stepping back' from its charging proposals for managing overcrowding on the waterway.
Instead it will issue ‘roving mooring permits', which it seems will allow continuous cruisers themselves more freedom to choose where and when they moor, but charging for the permit. This virtually gives them carte blanch where they can moor, with little regulation, which will cause controversy to those continuous cruisers on other waterways that have to move within strict guidelines.
British Waterways have announced that the money, instead of going into funds, will instead be used to give extra facilities for those boaters.
Cannot get moorings
This will in no way negate the complaints of visiting boaters to the Lee & Stort that they cannot get moorings as they are virtually all taken up by continuous cruisers that pay no mooring fees.
It is expected that there will even be less moorings available for visiting boaters to the Lee & Stort, as the plan will of course encourage even more 'continuous moorers' to the navigation, knowing they will be able to moor with an inexpensive 'roving mooring permit'.
It is now expected that other continuous cruisers on other waterways will want the same concessions.