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.

Please write to your MP now about CRT’s proposed changes to boat licence T&C!

Tuesday, February 16th, 2021

In the next few weeks CRT will be starting to finalise the changes to the Boat Licence Terms and Conditions following the consultation that ended on 21st December 2020. Please write to your MP, or better still ask for a (virtual) meeting with them – personal contact is far more effective than a letter – and ask him or her to intervene to halt CRT’s proposed changes to the Boat Licence Terms and Conditions. Here is a sample letter to express your concerns and request a meeting with your MP:

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Boater starts petition for better K&A facilities

Thursday, July 9th, 2015

Boater Andrew Pinney has started a petition calling on CRT to carry out a comprehensive review of sanitary, water and rubbish facilities on the K&A, which he says are much worse than on most other CRT waterways. You can sign the petition here

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What to do if CRT refuses to renew your boat licence for 12 months

Wednesday, June 17th, 2015

CRT’s new policy on boaters without home moorings effective from 1st May 2015 has already meant that many boaters have had renewal of their licence for 12 months refused and a six-month or three -month licence offered instead.

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Please log this year’s incidents and complaints about hire boats here!

Wednesday, December 17th, 2014

Liveaboard boaters, especially those between Devizes and Bath, are breathing a sigh of relief now this year’s hire boat season is over. The K&A boaters action group is drawing up a dossier of the incidents involving hire boats and complaints that boaters and canalside residents have made about the behaviour or safety of hire boat crew this year. The group will then seek a meeting with the hire companies.

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CRT ignores Equality and Human Rights Commission demand to comply with Equality Act

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014

CRT has ignored a letter from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) informing it that it must meet its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments to enable a boater who has a disability to communicate with the Trust.

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What to do if CRT tell you that you have incurred a £25 extended stay “charge”

Tuesday, August 19th, 2014

A number of boaters have received letters from CRT alleging that they have overstayed on Visitor Moorings and either demanding £25 per day “extended stay charge” or stating that CRT could have imposed a charge of £25 per day but it was waived it in this instance as the Local Plan has not been in place for very long. We recommend that anyone who receives one of these letters makes a formal complaint.

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Liveaboard boaters make statement to BaNES Council

Saturday, November 23rd, 2013

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.

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Sally Ash censured by Ombudsman

Wednesday, July 17th, 2013

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.

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SE Visitor Mooring Consultation example response

Monday, February 25th, 2013

The CRT South East visitor mooring consultation ends this Friday 1st March. Please respond if you can. Below we publish an example response to the consultation, apart from comments on individual locations.

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Enforcement bully backs down after complaint from injured boater

Saturday, January 19th, 2013

An enforcement officer has been forced to reconsider ordering an injured boater to move within 48 hours, and has agreed that the boater can stay on a visitor mooring for the time that a doctor has recommended for the injury to heal.

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