There have been a number of accusations recently that boaters do not pay Council Tax and so should not benefit from local services. This is incorrect. British Waterways pays the Government a composite levy in respect of Council Tax and Business Rates. This is collected centrally and the income is used to offset general central Government payments to local authorities through the Rate Support Grant. Therefore, anyone who pays a boat licence fee to BW contributes to this composite levy in respect of Council Tax.
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Resources
a place where you might find, for instance, example responses to BW letters or a tip on how to test your batteries.
Council Tax and Liveaboard Boaters
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010Boaters’ storage
Saturday, May 15th, 2010We received this message recently:
I’m pleased to be able to offer a storage facility to all boaters. My idea is to let 1metre x 1metre x 2metre (high) lockable boxes. If this is of any interest please contact me:
berrythings@yahoo.co.uk 07803 034577
Thanks,
Tony Berry
Dangling yer Dongle
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010A coverage survey would be a very useful thing to have.
So can we have people’s experiences please of 3G coverage along the Kennet and Avon?
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Need an address?
Thursday, November 12th, 2009Any boaters having difficulty getting a postal address can use the Friends, Families and Travellers address as a ‘care of’ address to receive mail.
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Using the British Waterways complaints process
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009Some ideas and thoughts about using the BW complaints process based on 20 years working in housing and the same length of time living with BW.
It is also important to understand what the complaints process may not reach.
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Boating Community email address
Friday, November 6th, 2009It was pointed out to me today that you can’t get in touch because there’s no contact email on the site.
Well there is now
Let us know what you think, what you love about boating and the canal, what you think about the goings on, about BW, about this site…
in fact anything at all….
….except where to buy viagra or how to make our penes larger, we have some very nice people in Russia who have already promised to do this.
London Road Food Co-op
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009Not strictly a post about boating but a Really Useful piece of information nevertheless.
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Maybe Don got it right after all.
Monday, October 19th, 2009When he refused to ‘have a view’.
Because he’s not Bathampton’s MP, that job falls to Dan Norris, Labour member of parliament for North Wansdyke.
Though if you stray over the border at Candy’s Bridge then it is our Don you want – who can smarm the loose change off a Big Issue seller without saying one thing that counts – I ask you – culture, media and sport – who threw that lot into one bag as if to say, “ we don’t care give it to Don“
Contact Dan ‘Dare’ Norris
Dan Norris MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
You can email email dan@dannorris.org.uk
You can telephone (01761) 320023
You can text 07930 55 66 97
Contact Don Foster
31 James Street West Bath, BA1 2BT
tel: 01225 338 973
fax: 01225 463 630
don@donfoster.co.uk
Contact Bathampton Parish Council
Clerk to Bathampton Parish Council
Dr DP Smith
215 Bloomfield Road, Bath BA2 2AY
Telephone: 01225 332497
email:don.brimstone@freenet.co.uk
Brief Advice
Thursday, October 1st, 2009This is the content of the handout to boaters given out at the meeting at the Bell, 28th September 2009.
SOME BRIEF ADVICE
BW CAN enforce the 14-day rule. However, this should begin with giving you 28 days to move the boat (Section 17, British Waterways Act 1995).
BW SHOULD NOT force boats without a home mooring to wider their cruising area or to be on a progressive journey. The Mooring Guidance for Continuous Cruisers is not part of the law. We believe BW is acting beyond its powers if it does this.
If you live on your boat BW MUST take you to court so that you can defend yourself against removal of your boat under Section 8 of the British Waterways Act 1983 (Articles 6 and 8, Human Rights Act/ European Convention on Human Rights).
BW has issued between 100 and 200 patrol notices and threatening CC1 or CC2 letters to boats in the Bath to Bradford on Avon area since June 2009. Many boaters without a mooring who do move every 14 days have had these letters telling them their cruising area is too small and threatening them with Section 8.
BW do pressurise boaters to take (winter or permanent) moorings in order to make money.
If you make any verbal agreement with BW in person or by phone, it is a good idea to write and ask BW to confirm it in writing. If BW refuse, write again saying you will not abide by the verbal agreement unless you have it in writing. Make notes of all conversations and phone calls.
If you’re not satisfied with the way BW has treated you, make a complaint. Address your complaint to John Ward, Acting General Manager, BW South West (address below).
Write to: British Waterways South West, The Dock Office, Commercial Rd, GLOUCESTER GL1 2EB. Address your letter to the person you made the agreement with. If you have internet access, the complaints procedure is on the BW web site: http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/listening-to-you/if-you-have-a-complaint
Here is a suggested reply to patrol notices and CC1 letters:
“I have always complied with British Waterways’ legal requirements regarding movement of my boat and I intend to continue complying with these legal requirements. I have always cruised in compliance with Section 17 (3) (c) of the British Waterways Act 1995 and with Condition 2 (Use of the Boat) of the General Terms and Conditions for Boat Licences. I do not understand why you think I have not done so. You mention the Mooring Guidance for Continuous Cruisers. This states quite clearly that it is guidance, that it is an interpretation of the law, and “does not have the force of law” (Note 1). Therefore, it is not a legal requirement. The 1995 Act and Condition 2 of the boat licence do not require boats to conform to a particular cruising pattern.”