Continuous Cruisers

The original reason this website was set up, the campaign by British Waterways to remove all liveaboard boaters from the Kennet and Avon who have no permanent mooring. The so-called continuous cruisers.

That judgement – again

Monday, April 25th, 2011

For real this time;

IN THE BRISTOL COUNTY COURT Claims No: 9BA00333
B E T W E E N :

BRITISH WATERWAYS BOARD Claimant

and

PAUL DAVIES Defendant

_______________________

J U D G M E N T
_______________________

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Mooring Strategy: BW’s Loss Leader?

Monday, April 25th, 2011

According to BW figures obtained by a London boater in a Freedom of Information Act request, the Lee and Stort Mooring Strategy will make a loss. At a time when BW’s grant from DEFRA has just been cut by around 10%, do they honestly think it is reasonable to embark on a policy that is not only unlawful and unjust, but is financially unsound as well? Here are BW’s income and cost projections:

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Press Release 2: British Waterways

Sunday, April 3rd, 2011

The following is a press release issued by British Waterways about the judgement in the case British Waterways v Paul Davies

1 April 2011
British Waterways welcomes today’s (31/3/11) Judgment made in Bristol County Court in which His Honour Deputy Judge O’Malley said he favoured BW’s interpretation of Section 17 of the British Waterways Act 1995 (relating to Continuous Cruising).

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Press release 1: NBTA and Paul Davies

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

The following is a press release issued by the National Bargee Travellers Association www.bargee-traveller.org.uk edited and approved by Paul Davies

British Waterways v Davies: BW must revise continuous cruising guidance but liveaboard boaters’ homes at risk

The judgement in British Waterways v Paul Davies handed down on 31st March 2011 in Bristol County Court could have serious consequences for all continuously cruising live-aboard boaters. However, the outcome also means that British Waterways (BW) is to redraft the Mooring Guidance for Continuous Cruisers. In particular BW is likely to drop the requirement to make a progressive journey and to travel around a significant part of the canal network.

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If you didn’t receive a census form…

Sunday, March 27th, 2011

If you haven’t had a census form you can write to Glen Watson, Census Director, 2011 Census, Office for National Statistics, Government Buildings, Cardiff Road, NEWPORT, Gwent NP10 8XG and ask for one to be delivered to an address of your choice or to a place such as a library for you to collect. The number of people living on boats has never been properly counted so filling it in would help. You can also ring the Census helpline on 0300 0201 101.

Last week, a boater complained that the census office said that forms could not be sent to “mailboxes” or non-residential addresses, and as a result the page below appeared on the census web site

http://help.census.gov.uk/england/help/help-and-information/Aboutthequestions/PropertiescoveredbytheCensus/Topics/Mobilehouseholds.html

Mooring strategy meeting saves enforcer a long walk

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

The sixth meeting of the Kennet and Avon Local Mooring Strategy Steering Group took place on 25 February. Damian Kemp confirmed that BW would be taking ongoing advice about carrying out an Equality Impact Assessment from the Equality Officers of Wiltshire and B&NES, Sharon Brookes and Samantha Jones. Plans were made at this meeting for the group to walk the towpath to consider possible mooring changes. The group established the definitions of some of the terms used by BW which had not been clarified, as follows:

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Boat dwellers excluded from caravan count

Monday, March 14th, 2011

Despite promises from both Wiltshire and Bath and NE Somerset Councils, it appears that the Government has ordered boat dwellers to be excluded from the two-yearly caravan count which took place on 27 January 2011.

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BW admit trying to price liveaboards out at Lea and Stort consultation meeting

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

On March 1st and 2nd, BW were faced with packed halls of angry boaters as they held public meetings to ‘discuss’ the proposals for the Lea and Stort Navigation. It was clear that BW thought they could impose these draconian mooring restrictions without much opposition and did not expect an attendance of 300 intelligent, motivated and furious people.

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Do you need a lawyer?

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

Travellers Advice Team (TAT) has represented a number of boaters recently and is building up some expertise in this area of law. TAT a team of solicitors that provides legal advice to Gypsies and Travellers.

TAT provides a Telephone Advice Line for Travellers

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Save Our Waterways – from liveaboard scum!!

Monday, February 28th, 2011

Documents obtained via Freedom of Information show that BW has recruited Will Chapman, the driving force behind Save Our Waterways, to set up local mooring strategies led by “well-informed boaters who are also parish councillors” as Sally Ash reported in December at the Kennet and Avon local mooring strategy meeting. We understand that Mr Chapman is a Parish Councillor in Alrewas.

In doing this BW has presented local mooring strategies as a key part of BW’s move to charity status, which assumes there will be considerable input from local (settled) communities into the governance of the charity on a local level. Sally Ash gave a presentation to Lichfield District Parish Forum on 24 January which blurred the boundaries between “local mooring strategy steering groups” and the overall local governance of the new charity. This will undoubtedly cause problems. On the Kennet and Avon, where a trial local structure is being piloted, there is a clear distinction between the Local Mooring Strategy Steering Group, which has a time-limited job to do, and the Kennet and Avon Canal Partnership Board, which is an ongoing local management board.

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