Squatters - where to start?

[Actionmat]

We spent a few days between Teddington and Shepperton last week. The same liveabords are back (although some never moved) and as usual, space on the river bank is hogged from Sunbury Lock to Ham Lands.
I asked the lock keeper at Sunbury how long one particular barge had been there and was told 'ages'. He suggested I contacted the council, as the EA were powerless to do anything unless they were unlicenced as all but the EA moorings are council controlled.

This is the reply from Elmbridge Council. Someone must be pulling my leg, but who? I dont want to let this drop and need to find the organisation responsible as its getting silly (and the narrowboats haven't arrived yet)

Dear Sir,
Unfortunately the EA is misleading you, Elmbridge Council are only concerned with mooring where water courses abut our land, in the case of the banks you have described these areas are definitely owned and controlled by EA. They are aware of the unauthorised moorings near Hurst Park.

We recommend that you ask your local ward councillors to intercede on your behalf, please see http://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/committees/councillors.htm

Thank you for your enquiry

Philip Robinson

Senior Green Spaces Development Officer

Green Spaces Section

Leisure & Cultural Services

Elmbridge Borough Council

Civic Centre

High St

Esher

KT10 9SD

 

[Chris_d]

"Green Spaces Section" is that the right department? guess you will get a different answer from each department until you find someone who will loose his job if its not sorted.
A long time ago now but our local Council used to hassle a particular liveaboard in Wallingford for non payment of council tax, he managed to prove somehow the boat wasn't his home
address and he was paying it elsewhere, but I'm sure that wouldn't apply to many.

 

[boatone]

Impossible to find this on the new "improved" (???) EA website but it might help:

 

[Actionmat]

Thanks B1. As I suspected, the areas that I enquired about are the responsibility of the council and I'll remind them.

 

[watson1959]

Start at the top and let the message work its way down to the right person.

If you write to the leader of the council, copying the local newspaper or the Daily Wail, someone who is answerable is likely to then give the task to somebody far below him who dare not fail. Also mentioning that your letter and their responses (or lack thereof) will be posted online 'in order to avoid the need for other river users to inconvenience you with the same question'.