Letters to BW and others « Kennet and Avon Boating Community Website

Letters to BW and others

You are not alone. We intend to publish any letters that you write to BW, to give you examples of what other people write, and to gauge the feelings abroad.

Please send us any letters you write to BW so that we can publish them. We will remove any personal details before publication.

New job for Damian Kemp

Monday, January 30th, 2012

Damian Kemp, BW’s Project Officer who chaired the Local Mooring Strategy Steering Group and did the legwork for the 2009 consultations on National Mooring Policy, Local Mooring Strategies and the now discredited Lee and Stort Moorings Managament Plan, has a new job.

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.

What to do if you get enforcement letters from BW such as a CC1 or Pre-CC1

Monday, November 21st, 2011

A number of boaters have been served with enforcement letters in the last few months. This has mainly been on stretches of the canal above Devizes. Here is some advice about how to respond to them that we hope will be helpful. You can also download this briefing below as a 4-page leaflet.

Legal challenge to revised mooring guidance expected

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

A legal challenge to BW’s revised Mooring Guidance for Continuous Cruisers is expected after BW rejected a “letter before claim” from boater Nick Brown. It is likely that Mr Brown will issue Judicial Review proceedings on the grounds that the revised guidance is ultra vires, in other words BW does not have the legal power to enforce it, and that it does not reflect the meaning intended by Parliament of Section 17 3 c ii of the 1995 British Waterways Act.

Another opportunity to lobby MPs about the Public Bodies Bill

Monday, September 26th, 2011

The Public Bill Committee is not likely to consider the transfer of British Waterways to charity status until after 10th October when it will examine Schedule 5 of the Public Bodies Bill and BW’s amendment (99A) to the Bill. This means there is another opportunity to lobby the Committee etc. Here are four things you can do.

1. Write to your MP.
2. Write to the 19 MPs on the Public Bill Committee – members have already considered letters they have had on other issues.
3. Submit written evidence to the Committee – members of the public can do this, and some of us have done so already.
4. See your MP at one of their surgeries.

An example letter, contact details for the Committee members, guidance on submitting evidence and how to find MPs surgeries are below.

Example response to second consultation on BW charity

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

Here is an example response to the second DEFRA consultation on transferring BW to charity status. Despite complaints, the deadline is still 24th October. It’s always best to put responses in your own words, if possible. The example response contains an introductory statement, replies to the questions about England and Wales, and replies to the questions about Scotland. If you answer the questions about Scotland there’s a separate email address for the replies. Please take the time to respond if you can – it’s important that DEFRA is aware of our concerns.

14 Days or Such Longer Period as is Reasonable in the Circumstances

Monday, September 19th, 2011

A boat without a home mooring may stay for longer than 14 continuous days in one place if it is reasonable in the circumstances, according to the 1995 British Waterways Act. It is advisable to inform BW if you need to do this, and keep them updated of your circumstances and when you expect to leave.

IWA reveals anti-liveaboard prejudice in Local Mooring Strategy

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) representative on the Mooring Strategy Steering Group has made it clear that his understanding of the local mooring strategy is to “reduce the numbers of those living on the canal” so that within 5 years “they would be able to plan for a different life-style”. In an email to BW’s Sally Ash, the IWA rep Tim Wheeldon also stated that “there will be no question of anyone being forced to give up home, school or job in the short term“.

Write to your MP before BW Charity Bill goes to Commons Committee in September

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

The Public Bodies Bill, which will transfer BW to charity status, will be considered by the Public Bill Committee in the House of Commons between 8 September and 13 October. The Committee will consider the Bill in detail and probably make more amendments. The Committee Chair is David Amess, the Conservative MP for Southend West.

Please write to your own MP as a matter of urgency asking him/ her to make sure that the British Waterways amendment (99A) is deleted from the Bill.

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:

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