This month, many boaters received a letter from CRT alleging that their boat was sighted in less than the “required” number of “neighbourhoods” between Bath and Foxhangers during the three months from June to August 2014. These letters amount to harassment. The K&A Interim 12-month Local Plan was proposed and consulted on as a voluntary agreement, and therefore CRT cannot now state that boaters are “required” to travel through a specific number of “neighbourhoods”. One of the letters is pictured below.
BaNES Council Housing and Major Projects Panel endorsed the Council’s Task and Finish group report on Boat Dwellers and River Travellers on 19th November. Liveaboard boaters delivered a statement to the Panel supporting the report and explaining why the actions proposed in the report were needed.
The Waterways Ombudsman has told Sally Ash that her language is “not helpful” after two boaters complained about the CRT Council Briefing on Non-Compliant Continuous Cruising. The briefing, written by Head of Boating Ms Ash, alleged that ‘non-compliant continuous cruisers’ were preventing leisure boaters from using visitor moorings.
The Post Office is proposing to close its branch in The Shambles, Bradford on Avon and replace it with a counter in Budgen’s. This is likely to mean the end of the Poste Restante service that so many boaters rely on to receive mail promptly. There is a consultation by the Post Office that ends on Friday 1st February.
In an email exchange with a boater, Sally Ash said recently that “I honestly don’t know what I’ve done to generate such CC militancy and become such a hate figure!!” The boater had sent a complaint headed “Continuous Hassle” to one of the local CRT offices about the treatment of continuous cruisers. He was surprised to find Ms Ash responding from Head Office.
CRT 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: