Posts Tagged ‘traveller’s rights’

K and A Boaters set up “Core Group”

Saturday, May 26th, 2012

A Core Group of K and A boaters held its first meeting on May 2nd in Bradford on Avon. The group’s aims are to keep informed of relevant information and developments that affect liveaboard boaters on the K and A;

Read more…

Wiltshire Council traveller strategy includes boaters

Sunday, May 20th, 2012

Wiltshire Council appears to be leading the way amongst local authorities in including “Bargee Travellers” in its Gypsy and Traveller Strategy.

Read more…

Write to your MP now about BW Transfer Order!

Friday, March 16th, 2012

The draft Order to transfer British Waterways to the Canal and River Trust has been published and is currently being scrutinised by two Parliamentary Committees. It will also be debated in both the House of Commons and House of Lords. Despite many boaters lobbying and submitting evidence when the Public Bodies Bill (now an Act of Parliament) was being drafted, the issue of British Waterways was not discussed at all in the House of Commons committee on the Bill. The subject of the transfer order is BW alone, so it is vital that we take the opportunity to raise all the issues about the risks of homelessness to boat dwellers (both with and without permanent moorings) that arise from the transfer of BW to charity status. The deadline for submissions to the Committees is this Monday 19th March so  write to them now!

Read more…

BaNES traveller policy may include boat dwellers

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

Bath and NE Somerset Council is looking at whether to include boat dwellers in its provision for travellers.

Read more…

Tell the Waterways Minister what you think!

Monday, February 27th, 2012

Waterways Minister Richard Benyon has issued a Red Tape Challenge asking the public which  aspects of waterways legislation should be repealed. He wants people to respond before 23rd March 2012. You can respond on the web site
http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/water-marine-inland-waterways/
or you can send a private submission to the Red Tape Team at 
redtapechallenge@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk

In order to protect boat dwellers from homelessness, we believe that the following laws should be repealed:

Read more…

Now’s the time to object to registration of BW charity!

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

Trustees of the Canal and River Trust plan to register the new charity in November or December 2011. If you will be directly affected by this you have the right to object to the registration of the charity. Objections should be sent to the Charity Commission. The Bill that will allow BW to be transferred to a charity has passed through the Committee stage in Parliament without much change. Now is the time to object to it being registered with the Charity Commission.

Read more…

BW Chair says Local Mooring Strategy will not displace people

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011

The tenth meeting of the Local Mooring Strategy Steering Group took place on 11th October at Wiltshire Council offices, Chippenham. Brian has taken over from Kev as one of the representatives of unaffiliated boaters. The agenda was as follows: finalising maps; enforcement and defining neighbourhoods. K and A Manager Mark Stephens chaired the meeting in the absence of Project Manager Damian Kemp. Sally Ash, the original BW Chair, had already informed the group that her presence appeared to be “not conducive to progress”.

Read more…

Dale Farm eviction likely soon

Monday, October 17th, 2011

We occasionally post news of matters outside the waterways. The eviction of travellers at Dale Farm in Essex now looks likely to go ahead in the next 48 hours. Some boaters who have been threatened with, or have experienced, eviction from BW’s 2,200 miles of waterways will no doubt sympathise with the families at Dale Farm. For more information contact 07583 621312 or savedalefarm@gmail.com. See http://dalefarm.wordpress.com

Policy and Law Reform Objectives for Boat Dwellers Proposed

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

A boaters’ group has proposed that the transfer of British Waterways to charity status would be an ideal opportunity to put in place statutory protection for the homes of all boat dwellers in the UK. Currently there is no legal recognition of the homes of boat dwellers (a boat is a chattel in law) and no statutory protection from eviction.

Read more…

MP asks Parliamentary Question on behalf of liveaboard boaters

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

Duncan Hames, the Liberal Democrat MP for Chippenham, whose constituency includes the Kennet and Avon canal between Dundas and Hilperton, was contacted recently by a number of boaters concerned that the transfer of BW to charity status would put them at increased risk of homelessness. As a result, Mr Hames asked this question in the House of Commons on their behalf:

Read more…