Ramage
Well-Known Member
Richmond Upon Thames new bylaw coming into effect:
http://www.richmond.gov.uk/unauthorised_mooring_will_be_outlawed_from_borough
http://www.richmond.gov.uk/unauthorised_mooring_will_be_outlawed_from_borough
Illegal mooring in Richmond Upon Thames- new bylaw.
- Thread starter Ramage
- Start date
Actionmat
Well-Known Member
All well and good, but a load of them have moved less than a mile upriver and are now squatting on privately owned land.
oldgit
Well-Known Member
Does have all the hallmarks of kicking the can into the next borough.What you do under the circumstances...I have no idea.
They need to live somewhere......at least down here we do have a few authorized sites for permanent moorers.
Suspect if there was somehwere available to moor at an affordable rent most would take the opportunity to do so.
It would probably fill up in no time and the cycle would begin again.
They need to live somewhere......at least down here we do have a few authorized sites for permanent moorers.
Suspect if there was somehwere available to moor at an affordable rent most would take the opportunity to do so.
It would probably fill up in no time and the cycle would begin again.
rosssavage
Well-Known Member
Don't worry - Haulfryn at Windsor have just evicted 18 more previously legitimate liveaboards. Now they have to find somewhere else legitimate to go... Yeah, right!!
No Regrets
Well-Known Member
Wit a little luck, the itinerants will all get moved down to Tedders, and end up being washed down to Chatham where they belong :encouragement:
boatone
Well-Known Member
Regrettably the problem is more likely to move upriver and we are already seeing ''populations" around the Hampton and Sunbury reaches. This was an inevitable consequence of the Richmond by-law. Whatever your personal views the fact is that these are people that need somewhere to live and it is a social (antisocial?) problem rather than a river issue per se.
Actionmat
Well-Known Member
So they'd be homeless and living in cardboard boxes if the river hadn't given them a place to live? Tosh. It's a lifestyle choice plain and simple.
Flynnbarr
Well-Known Member
Why didn't they put a deposit down on a rental property instead of buying a boat?
Actionmat
Well-Known Member
:encouragement: +1. I couldn't agree more.
Perhaps it's because it would involve paying rent and council tax. Two words that give Freegans palpitations.
Perhaps it's because it would involve paying rent and council tax. Two words that give Freegans palpitations.
boatone
Well-Known Member
What makes you think that the people living on some of these boats actually own them? Word is that at least some of them are being rented out by the bunk/bed,
I am sure there are some freeloaders but there are also some unfortunates. Not everyone can be expected to conform to our own comfortably off stereotypes.
Homelessness is a huge problem for all of us as taxpayers. If people are evicted and vessels seized at least some of the people will be displaced and may well need housing by the local authorities - i.e. the council tax payers.
Don't get me wrong, I am not happy with the position either but, in the case of Richmond and particularly the encampment above Teddington Lock they are not occupying recognised authorised mooring spaces which are therefore denied to legitimate boaters. These are not overstayers on EA 24 hour moorings.
You can read the full text of the RBRuT Confirmation of By-Laws here:
http://www.richmond.gov.uk/byelaws_and_local_legislation
Note that both owners and masters can be fined - they have to identify these people first and whats the chances that they will have no money anyway?
This problem is not going to go away just because Richmond have introduced new by-laws.
There have been a number of enforcement activities already this year -
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/boaters-urged-to-renew-their-registrations-or-face-prosecution
Ramage
Well-Known Member
B1 said:
Note that both owners and masters can be fined - they have to identify these people first and whats the chances that they will have no money anyway?
Richmond are not going to sue them... it will be a criminal offence so it will be a court imposed fine and/or prison sentence.
Note that both owners and masters can be fined - they have to identify these people first and whats the chances that they will have no money anyway?
Richmond are not going to sue them... it will be a criminal offence so it will be a court imposed fine and/or prison sentence.
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Flynnbarr
Well-Known Member
The one boat you refer to that is renting bunks,has been in the papers,is well known,it used to be up by Kingston Bridge advertising B&B then it moved to Teddington.
Do not get me wrong either,I am in the camp of there but for the grace of god go I.I have liveaboards in the family have done for 2 generations,all legit,it can be more expensive done properly than land based but the people we are talking about and the ones CRT are trying to do something about are freeloaders.They give genuine liveaboards and people down on their luck a bad name
There are these days options,you can go in marinas and a blind eye will be turned,years ago this wasn't an option,most we are talking about simply don't want to pay.
I have read all the links you have given before,the prosecutions one is just waffle,standard blah blah blah....You know what's what in the EA B1,could you tell us the last time one of these chancers had their boats seized and sold/destroyed?
That would concentrate minds,the jungle drums would beat extremely loudly
Do not get me wrong either,I am in the camp of there but for the grace of god go I.I have liveaboards in the family have done for 2 generations,all legit,it can be more expensive done properly than land based but the people we are talking about and the ones CRT are trying to do something about are freeloaders.They give genuine liveaboards and people down on their luck a bad name
There are these days options,you can go in marinas and a blind eye will be turned,years ago this wasn't an option,most we are talking about simply don't want to pay.
I have read all the links you have given before,the prosecutions one is just waffle,standard blah blah blah....You know what's what in the EA B1,could you tell us the last time one of these chancers had their boats seized and sold/destroyed?
That would concentrate minds,the jungle drums would beat extremely loudly
hartcjhart
Well-Known Member
beacuse it does not stop there
Perhaps it's because it would involve paying rent and council tax. Two words that give Freegans palpitations.
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...ond-Upon-Thames-new-bylaw#SGj8OQI5bRDtprmL.99
perhaps they have seen the rip off that goes with local councils etc
I am going to eventually live on a boat'not on thames' and why? cos I can pay a marina £1k a year plus leccy etc so half the price of a house.
there was a thread on here about people not coming into boating and a few of you have shown exactly why,snob snob snob
byron
RIP
I reckon all those Houseboats at Chelsea ought to be removed too. 
Actionmat
Well-Known Member
If my neighbours house was invaded by squatters and I was unhappy about it, no one would call me a snob. The snobs are the ones tied to the river bank long term for free, as they think that they are above the law and the 'real boaters'.
boatone
Well-Known Member
I received an occasional EA operational update a couple of weeks ago which included the following regarding enforcement (I may get my knuckles rapped for quoting it here but I will risk that!):...You know what's what in the EA B1,could you tell us the last time one of these chancers had their boats seized and sold/destroyed?
That would concentrate minds,the jungle drums would beat extremely loudly
I am in no doubt that significant enforcement action is taking place and that the EA have taken on board concerns that they need to do more. Unfortunately this is happening under the pressures of reduced government funding - and this is IMHO draconian with little apparent interest at government level in the likely effects on us as end users. We can demand what we like but the operational guys can only deliver what they can afford from their allotted budget.
Also, the issuing of enforcement notices is the easy bit. Most offenders pay up fairly quickly when targeted but there is a small but significant number requiring further action which can be both time consuming (i.e. labour intensive) and legally challenging.
Notwithstanding the cost and effort involved in doing so, the authorities cannot simply confiscate a vessel and destroy it. They must follow legal process. I am aware of at least one vessel that was removed - not sure of it was destroyed or sold to try and recover costs.
Alan ashore
Well-Known Member
Actionmat
Well-Known Member
Interesting. But will they go forth and permanently cruise, or will it turn into a mini Dale Farm incident?
oldgit
Well-Known Member
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door at Teddington Lock!"
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Flynnbarr
Well-Known Member
BBC1 south east news at 6.30pm.Now on the I player.
Interview with some of the 'wronged'......Tabby and James.....both art teachers....hardly down and outs.....'we are going to moor 1ft from the bankside then we are doing nothing wrong,we have no engine what happens to us if it's stormy'.....
Be careful Actionmat....take your tablets before watching....
Interview with some of the 'wronged'......Tabby and James.....both art teachers....hardly down and outs.....'we are going to moor 1ft from the bankside then we are doing nothing wrong,we have no engine what happens to us if it's stormy'.....
Be careful Actionmat....take your tablets before watching....