Is the EA finally doing something about Livaboards at long last

[oldgit]

Is the CaRT finally doing something about Livaboards at long last

Longish post in the Lounge about CART doing something about boats permanently moored in one place on waterways and hopping back and forth to prevent eviction.Apprantly there is a petition being got up to try and prevent a particular boat being moved by the nasty powers that be after a long legal battle to get boat shifted..
Its big brother being nasty to somebody with a different lifestyle according to the petition.
So OK if you have a boat but not if you have a caravan by the look of it !
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?383545-Liveaboards-being-evicted-across-UK

 

[teddington_lock]

CART , not EA

 

[boatone]

Looks to me as if that is all to do with C&RT and nowt to do with EA.

Anyways, whats your point?

For the record, to the best of my knowledge, the EA have no interest in liveaboards or longterm overstayers unless they a)haven't got a current licence and/or b) are moored on EA controlled moorings.

 

[oldgit]

CART , not EA

Cheers .Have amended post.
The point is the objectors raising the petition need to get the other side of the story and speak to actual boaters,such as those on the Thames,who are being affected by the increasing numbers of people taking up permanent residence on the water,rather than the single emotive sob story being wheeled out here.?

 

[boatone]

......the increasing numbers of people taking up permanent residence on the water.

Facts and actual statistics please. Has 5 increased to 10, 500 increased to 1,000 ? Or is this yet another "perceived" problem. I have heard that some of the complaints regarding liveaboards clogging up moorings may not be from boaters at all but from local residents who just don't like looking at them.

 

[TrueBlue]

It's about boaters on CaRT waters - not EA

The western end of the K&A canal for years has a population of liveaboards and in the main they were inoffensive and caused no problems, indeed they added "colour" to the canal.

However, in recent years - as a result of the economic crisis many, many folks have descended onto the waterways, not because they love that sort of life, but because it's cheaper. They have no affinity for their environment or boating or whatever. The K&A in parts is now a no-go area for cruising and this has extended to London (where boats are moored up to 3 deep) and other parts as well.

CaRT has a number of permanent and residential moorings, for which a fee is payable. These moorings have access to water points and rubbish and often (though not enough - IMHO) sanitary facilities. Most of the official long term / residential moorings are full up and CaRT don't have the facilities to create more - in any event they may not wish to create more.

Many of the newer arrivals ignore the rules of short term mooring and wait for CaRT to take action, then raise a fuss.

There are now so many of these liveaboards that CaRT has to take action.
Folks who use official permanent moorings are welcome - the system can cope with their needs
Folks who genuinely keep on the move, don't overstay (excessively) on short term moorings are also welcome - they can use resources available along their route
Folks who choose to beat the system are not welcome - because often the resources are not there or near

My concerns are twofold:-
Any liveaboard needs access to fresh water, rubbish disposal and sanitation
If the system becomes cluttered with mile after mile of permanent moorers it will discourage legitimate cruisers and the system will descend into a stinking ditch, ultimately spreading disease.


edit: Must learn to compose and type faster.
Several responses whilst I keyed away.

No, it's not a perceived problem, it's real. There are many anecdotal posts on other forums from people who have cruised through these areas and although I now avoid London and Bristol, there are plenty of places where I see fresh and increasing occupancy.

 

[oldgit]

This is from the petition.Doubt the folks responsible would set up a similar site for a caravan dweller at the end of their road. ?


"Maggie* won't have had much of a Christmas. She has been living rough since she was brutally evicted and her boat and all her possessions seized by the Canal & River Trust in late November 2013. Her home was towed away by a team of 20 bailiffs, Canal & River Trust officials and police. She was left standing on the towpath with only the clothes she stood up in. Maggie suffers from schizophrenia. She hasn't been seen for weeks; friends, family and even the Police are concerned for her safety. They fear that the frightening nature of the eviction has affected her already fragile mental state."

20 blokes for one boat eh...!.

Suspect it needs more than a half dozen boats to provoke spending on this scale by local powers that be .

 

[boatone]

This is from the petition.Doubt the folks responsible would set up a similar site for a caravan dweller at the end of their road. ?

Lots of folks do lots of strange things - unfortunately they rarely have any interest in the facts and are mainly driven by emotion. Bet many of the people currently being flooded would have much interest in the reasons for being flooded ...... like, maybe, their house was built on a flood plain ......

Saw a news item on telly where a flooded property owner was complaining that the EA hadn't warned them ........

 

[oldgit]

The main area affected is Yalding(we walked there for lunch ) it has been flooding since the dawn of time.Cannot believe anyone living there is unaware of the problem.
The EA were giving warnings left right and centre but suspect the sheer speed of the river level going up caught some people by suprise.
No amount of money spent on prevention is going to stop the water.
People who have been there a while just deal with it,suspect it was newcomers who were caught on the hop.
Can understand the frustration when you ring the council and find out the staff all buggered off on the 21st DEC and do not get back until 5 th JAN or similar.
Makes the building trade look really good

 

[Capt Popeye]

Well what has the (any) council to do with it, really?

Protect your own home and property is really the solution. Sand bags are not to be relied upon. Proper and effective boarding of all lower entrances and air bricks is a really good start to protecting your home. Even build a Moat Wall around the property.

The councils and other authorities might be responsible for the effective and proper maintenance of water courses, but I cannot see how they are responsible for individual homes etc.

Blimey, perhaps we should start, in 'The Forum' of course, a whinge about Home / House holders asking for 'Benefit' assistance from Govt / Councils because their homes are flooded.