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At the budget in March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer agreed that boaters can continue to use red diesel with the customary declarations on tax split. The Treasury held a consultation at the end of 2020, and NABO responded as we reported in the October NN. We are delighted that the Treasury have listened to us. NABO has been campaigning on this for more than 20 years! Our persistence has paid off at last.NABO Home
Bridgewater bookings
Following an agreement with the Bridgewater Canal Company, CRT-licensed boaters wishing to access the Bridgewater Canal, must now pre-book the visit using the on-line booking system (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/planning-your-boat-trip/booking-your-passage-online), after you have set up a customer account, or by phone on 0303 0404040. Outbound passage, free of charge, is limited to a maximum of seven continuous days and return passage is up to a maximum of three continuous days free of charge. If you do not book the return journey when you book the outbound journey, you should log into your online account and tick the ‘three extra days’ box on the date of your return journey. The outbound and return journeys must be made within a continuous 28-day period, which starts on the first day of the outbound journey. You cannot return to the Bridgewater within 28 days, unless you buy a short-term Bridgewater licence from www.bridgewatercanal.co.uk/boating (between £20 for three days to £160 for 28 days).
London moorings strategy – a London boater’s perspective
Simon Robbins concludes that limited progress has been made.
NABO’s response to the London congestion consultation was that CRT is seeking to introduce new changes without first implementing, and assessing the impact of, the changes promised in the 2018 strategy. Here, Simon, a former NABO Council member and London liveaboard boater, reports in detail on what has actually been achieved.
In 2012, arising out of the huge displacement of boats from East London for the Olympics, and the less than sensitive approach by BW/CRT to dealing with that, came the ‘Better Relationships Group’. The name reflected the fact that even BW recognised it had upset a lot of boaters along the way and now wanted to be seen to be trying to build bridges, coincidentally coinciding with the launch of Canal and River Trust. That group lumbered on painfully, with relationships barely improving for many months, reported in 2014 and then nothing much happened.
In 2013 the Greater London Authority became involved through Jenny (now Baroness) Jones, and the GLA produced the ‘Moor or Less’ report. This was a genuinely independent report which highlighted the need for improvements in facilities for boaters on the London Waterways.
CRT then went round the circle again, eventually launching the London Moorings Strategy, starting in 2016. The final report was finally published in summer 2018. So, to the present: in late autumn 2020, CRT announced a new consultation on London Boating based around the Moorings Strategy. Awkward git that I am, I wrote to CRT asking how much of the existing 2018 Strategy had been implemented. In mid-February, a few days shy of four months after asking, and after the consultation meetings, CRT finally disclosed its assessment of how much of the 2018 Moorings Strategy it has implemented so far. Here we go!
NABO News on line
NABO News back copies are available to read by non members. See this link for the library here
The latest colour edition of NABO News is only available online to NABO members who have registered on the website. Members can log in and then open the pdf file on the Members/NABO News latest edition menu link. That gives NABO members advance access to our flagship publication, even before it drops through the letterbox.
If you are not a member, you can peruse the contents here and see what you are missing.
Defra's investigation into CRT's performance not to go ahead
A response to an information request by the National Bargees and Travellers Association on the 7th of May has confirmed that the contract using a third party consultant has not been awarded. DEFRA says that it did not receive tenders of sufficient quality to progress to a contract being awarded.