The CRT has changed the Guidance for Boaters Without a Home Mooring without any consultation with those likely to be affected. The change moves the Guidance even further away from what was intended by Parliament when it passed Section 17 3 c ii of the 1995 British Waterways Act.
Mooring
CRT moves “Mooring Guidance” goalposts again at IWA behest
Tuesday, August 28th, 2012CRT declines to withdraw derogatory statements about boaters without home moorings
Thursday, August 23rd, 2012CRT Chief Executive Robin Evans has responded negatively to the boaters’ complaint which we published below about the content of Trustees’ briefing TT06. He has declined to end the use of the term “continuous moorers” and “CMs” and has failed to address most of the issues in the complaint. We publish his reply here:
Boaters complain to CRT about Trustees’ briefing document
Thursday, August 23rd, 2012Continuous cruising report throws more light on BW/CRT unlawful enforcement strategy
Sunday, August 5th, 2012An enforcement officer’s project that consisted of intensive enforcement action against a selected group of liveaboards without home moorings provides more information about CRT/BW’s enforcement strategy. The “Final Report into non-compliance of British Waterways Continuous Cruiser regulations on the South Oxford Canal” shows that CRT/BW is sending enforcement letters to boaters that are designed to pressure them to travel longer distances, without telling them what distance is considered acceptable to avoid enforcement action.
Discredited CRT Legal Director and Head of Boating booted and shrunk
Sunday, August 5th, 2012The CRT Trustees decided recently that Nigel Johnson, the Legal and Corporate Services Director, will retire in 2014 because “We have decided that in the longer term the Trust does not require the expertise of a full time Legal Director”. His post will not be replaced. We have also learnt that Head of Boating Sally Ash has had responsibility for moorings shifted away from her, with her team being shrunk to cover policy on boating and mooring only.
Boaters action group next meeting 13th August in Bath
Wednesday, August 1st, 2012The K&A Boaters’ Action Group will meet next on Monday 13th August at 7.30pm in Bath. If you have time to do a bit of work over the next few months (or longer) defending our rights as liveaboards; doing constructive things like towpath tidies; engaging in dialogue with CRT/BW, etc, then we would like you to be in the group.
Petition: Security for towpath boat dwellers
Thursday, July 19th, 2012Liveaboard boater Simon Greer has started an online petition for security for towpath boat dwellers. You can sign the petition here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/447/522/923/security-for-towpath-boat-dwellers/
BW had shares in hire boat company
Thursday, July 19th, 2012CRT Head of Boating runs hire boat company
Thursday, July 12th, 2012On the day that the Canal and River Trust held its launch in London, boaters have discovered that Head of Boating Sally Ash has been the director of a canal holiday brokerage company since 2004. Liveaboard boaters have often speculated about the reason behind her department’s policy of harassment and bullying of boaters without home moorings, and this conflict of interest provides a possible explanation.