Kingston Riverside Enforcement Questionnaire

[Newbroom]

Looks like somebody is trying to do something positive about illegally moored boats.

Dear River User or Friend of the River
I am pleased to report that the Royal Borough of Kingston is proposing to ramp up its enforcement powers to remove illegally moored boats from its land.

The proposal is to include provisions that if a vessel unlawfully moors on council land and has been served a valid notice, if it then returns to any council land within six months of the date of issue and the notice period has expired the vessel can be removed without further warning or notice.

In oder to let the council know your views, please go to http://www.kingstonconversations.co.uk/river-enforcement and complete a questionnaire. Please note that you don't have to be Kingston resident to complete this questionnaire.

May I urge you to circulate the link to all members of your club or organisation and your wider network, and urge them to complete the questionnaire? It is very important that the council is aware of the strength of feeling on this issue among river users and friends of the river.

 

[boatone]

Looks like somebody is trying to do something positive about illegally moored boats. etc

That message is from the chair of RUG8 which covers Teddington to Bell Weir.

It is very easy to assume that nothing much is being done about the illegally moored boats etc but this would be far from the truth. The Environment Agency and Local Authorities are doing quite a lot but they are severely hampered by local legislation and the legal system itself which takes forever and doesn't always deliver the desired result.
There are two separate issues from an EA point of view. The first is whether a craft is registered - that is entirely an EA matter. The second issue relates only to mooring and comes down to the ownership of the land. If the boat is moored to EA land it is an EA issue but otherwise it is a matter of the landowner to deal with. The EA will provide advice and guidance if requested to do so but, in this case, it is for Royal Borough of Kingston to decide what to do - hence the questionaitre.

There is a wider problem and that is where do these boats go if they are moved on ? The management of EA 24 hour visitor moorings has much improved with the advent of the Thames Visitor Moorings scheme and we are seeing much less incidence of overstaying. Where boats are moored to local authority or privately owned land this is for the landowners to address.

The term "illegally moored" is being widely used these days but boats are only illegally moored if the land owner chooses to take action.

 

[miket]

Presumably they came from somewhere in the first place?
Surely they can either return there or be broken up and scrap sold.

 

[oldgit]

Presumably they came from somewhere in the first place?
Surely they can either return there or be broken up and scrap sold.

Do believe that CaRT already have been down this route, although it does take considerable time and persistance to get the required legal permission to carry out the removal of the vessel from the waterway and its disposal.
Account of the owners circumstances does have to be taken into consideration.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that CaRT will bend over backwards and work with any owner to find an acceptable resolution, even to try and assist to find a mooring for the offending craft.
Apparently some folks simply or wilfully refuse to be helped.

 

[CX54WEK]

Presumably they came from somewhere in the first place?
Surely they can either return there or be broken up and scrap sold.

Most likely of CRT waters.

You can keep them there on the Thames

 

[CX54WEK]

Do believe that CaRT already have been down this route, although it does take considerable time and persistance to get the required legal permission to carry out the removal of the vessel from the waterway and its disposal.
Account of the owners circumstances does have to be taken into consideration.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that CaRT will bend over backwards and work with any owner to find an acceptable resolution, even to try and assist to find a mooring for the offending craft.
Apparently some folks simply or wilfully refuse to be helped.

Or take legal advice from a bar room barrister and try to take CRT to court ending up in countless thousands wasted on court cases and bigger costs for the boat owner.