Thames mooring crisis

[ChrisJefferies]

Some pretty worrying figures in the latest Canal & River Trust report:
http://www.motorboatsmonthly.co.uk/...lains-plans-to-tackle-thames-mooring-shortage
Less than 1% of long-term moorings are available in London.
The CRT plans to increase the number by just 3% in the next two years.
Around 10,000 people are currently living on London waterways.
So what's to be done about it?

 

[oldgit]

So what's to be done about it?

It simple. All you need to do is to make it worthwhile for folks both private and public to be able to make some money from moorings
Folks will kick the the door down to provide them, all sorts of barriers and objections will melt mysteriously away at the prospect of some easy cash.
But theres the problem.
Most of the transient boat community are doing their level best to avoid paying anything but the bare minimum for their style of life.
You will get what you are prepared pay for !
About £40.00 quid a night per livaboard boat should do the trick ?

 

[Chris_d]

I presume CaRT have very limited options to do anything, they don't actually own much that could be developed and don't have the money either.
There are lots of old Docks that could be developed, but expensive housing etc.. is much more profitable, there is no profit in mooring boats and
nobody wants to live next to a load of scruffy looking livaboard boats. Nice expensive aspirational superyachts are fine but old dutch barges and narrowboats
are out.

 

[boatone]

To suggest that this story is about a "Thames mooring Crisis" seems inappropriate.
C&RT have absolutely no responsibility for moorings on the river Thames or, indeed, the river itself. Their jurisdiction is limited to the canals and waterways previously managed by British Waterways which as far as London is concerned includes parts of the Grand Union, the Regents Canal, the Lee and Stort Navigation etc and Limehouse Marina and some docks e.g. West India.

 

[ChrisJefferies]

Good point, although it's worth keeping a close eye on the CRT all the same, after all they could be taking over the EA's assets as early as next year:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/over-1-billion-investment-secures-future-of-new-waterways-charity

 

[teddington_lock]

?

 

[ChrisJefferies]

Fourth para from the bottom:

The inland waterways managed by the Environment Agency will transfer to the new waterways charity from 2015/16, subject to the next spending review and the agreement of the charity’s trustees.

 

[teddington_lock]

Have things changed since the link below ?

http://www.canaljunction.com/news/environment-agency-rivers-wont-join-crt-in-2015/1160

 

[ChrisJefferies]

Touche. Although this seems to suggest that the idea has been put on hold, rather than scrapped.
And since the CRT has just beaten its fundraising target by £5m, I wouldn't be surprised if it was resurrected:
http://www.motorboatsmonthly.co.uk/...ase-waterways-spending-after-5m-funding-boost
I suppose a lot depends on who wins the general election next year...

 

[teddington_lock]

We'll see

 

[Chris_d]

I fear CaRT is the only future for the river the EA have no money or aren't allowed it.