Where it is written
This week Wiltshire Council tried to close the Housing Benefit claims of a number of boaters who live on non-residential moorings. The Council officers in question were unaware of case law from 2006 that confirms that Housing Benefit is payable even when the claimant’s occupation of their home is unlawful or does not have planning permission for residential use.
The 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.
Liveaboard 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/
It is clear that moorings of all types are attracting the attention of cash-strapped councils. The position and advice, distilled and published by the RBOA and reported on this site in 2010 is being modified by the VOA (the Valuation Office Agency) as councils force case law judgement. It is clear that paying council tax is going to become a much more common component of mooring costs, whether levied through marinas passing on council imposed bills as is happening in Leicestershire or directly on CRT managed moorings.
Both Houses of Parliament passed the BW Transfer Order on 27th June following debates on 25th and 26th June. In the debate in the Commons First Delegated Legislation Committee, Waterways Minister Richard Benyon announced that the Navigation Committee of the Canal and River Trust (CRT) “… will include at least one boater without a home mooring who understands and campaigns for the interests of itinerant live-aboard boaters.”
The House of Commons First Delegated Legislation Committee will consider the Draft British Waterways Board (Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 on Tuesday 26th June. Please write to your MP now asking him or her to vote against the Order when it is returned to the floor of the House of Commons for a vote a few days after the Committee has considered it. An example letter is below.
The consultation on the Kennet and Avon Canal Local Mooring Strategy has been delayed by a month in order to accommodate BW’s consultation on changes to the terms and conditions of Houseboat Certificates. The Local Mooring Strategy consultation is now planned to run from the end of June until the end of October 2012.