Boaters march to protect their homes!

Last Saturday (16th April), just over 200 boat dwellers marched to Downing Street to hand in a petition against the Canal and River Trust’s (CRT) policy that threatens travelling boat dwellers (boats without a home mooring) with restricted licenses and even eviction. Along with protesting against evictions, we are demonstrating over the need for more mooring rings and more facilities such as water taps and sewage points.

CRT’s policy was introduced in May 2015 and attempts to restrict licenses and evict boat dwellers without a home mooring for not travelling far enough or travelling in a pattern of movement not to CRT’s liking. To add insult to injury, CRT does this without stating a minimum distance or pattern of movement that they believe would satisfy them. Instead CRT has continued to enforce this policy inconsistently.

The British Waterways Act 1995 is the law that governs boats without a home mooring on CRT waters but this policy goes beyond this Act. The Act does not contain any requirements to travel a minimum distance or to follow any specific pattern of movement. The Act clearly states that boats without a home mooring must be navigating and must not stay in one place for longer than 14 days.

The petition, Boats are Homes, has been signed by more than 29,000 people. The petition asks the government to put pressure on CRT to end their policy and stop the unnecessary eviction of boaters.

The National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA) has a growing number of cases where boat dwellers are being threatened with eviction by CRT. Since the policy was introduced (in May 2015) to March 2016, 1,130 boats without a home mooring were given a restricted licence. During the first 6months of the policy in London alone, almost 1 in 4 boats without a home mooring (295/1225)were given a restricted licence. Boaters on a restricted licence are more likely to be evicted , have their home taken away from them and effectively be made homeless by CRT.

The number of boats without home mooring has declined since the start of CRT’s policy. CRT has stated that there were nationally 5,600 boats without home a mooring at the start of their policy and in a recent statement, CRT state that this is now around 5,000. The NBTA believe that this reduction of boat without a home mooring is down to this policy.

Living on a boat was once a peaceful way of life but now it has become a stressful and difficult existence. The threat of homelessness through this policy increases the more it is enforced by CRT and at a time when people, especially in London are facing a desperate housing crisis.

A spokesperson for National Bargee Travellers Association said

“Due to Canal River and Trust’s (CRT) policy, people are leaving their way of life as travelling boat dwellers. Many in our community feel that the CRT is trying to force us off the waterways. We are under increasing strain due to the CRT’s policies.”

“CRT doesn’t have a set distance or way we must move. They deal with us inconsistently, refuse and restrict our licences without giving us clear reasons and threaten people with eviction.”

‘However, today we have shown that we will stand together. We will not let us be picked off one by one.”
We are fighting for our homes and our way of life.’

Boaters already affected by a lack of water, rubbish and toilet facilities across the UK are protesting as more facilities are removed in London.

A tow-path gathering on Sunday 27th March at Stonebridge in Tottenham bore witness to increasing frustration amongst boaters in London. Through the day almost 70 members of the community and local residents battled the wind and rain to come together to discuss their options, in a situation where the necessities for living a decent life on the water are being taken away, and boaters feel that their plight is ignored.

Boaters pay substantial license fees to the Canal and River Trust (CRT) and rely on them to provide water taps, rubbish points and toilet facilities. Access to facilities however, is now being removed and restricted, and boaters are increasingly forced to endure primitive and unsanitary conditions.

CRT made a surplus of £39.4 million in 2014/15, these figures were taken from the 2014/15 Annual Report, and it is noted that they hold a reserve fund of £660 million. CRT can easily afford to install more facilities for boaters, but earlier this year, CRT demolished water tap, toilet facilities and rubbish point at Waltham Cross.

CRT are now restricting the opening hours of the toilets and showers further down the Lee in Stonebridge, despite attempts by the National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA) to negotiate with CRT to try to prevent this.

Facilities have been removed on the River Lee before, and with planned redevelopment at Hackney Wick, there are fears that this will only continue to get worse.

With areas being privatised, facilities being removed and a population that has grown, many boaters feel they are being pushed out by CRT.

The event at Stonebridge was also a celebration of the boater community, and included music, crafts, public speakers and homemade food.