The Canal and River Trust lied to us. They are imposing reduced ‘water safety zones’. They are still taking 295 mooring spaces away.

We are organising events in Hackney and Broxbourne

The Hackney event will be at Daubeney Fields on Sunday 24rd October * at 11am
<https://www.google.com/maps?q=51.555252,-0.035016&entry=gps&shorturl=1>).

The Broxbourne event will be opposite the Rowing Club on the same day *Sunday 24th * at 3pm

<https://www.google.com/maps?q=51.740823,-0.013727&entry=gps&shorturl=1>)

Together as a community we will stop CRT behaving in this way!
Our actions will win!

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After a successful campaign against the ‘safety zones’ which were to be implemented on the Lee Navigation in Broxbourne and Hackney, Canal and River Trust (CRT) advised the public that they would not be introducing them; unfortunately, we now know this to be not fully true.

Due to the actions of our community, much of the so-called ‘safety zones’ was scrapped. CRT claims that they are willing to discuss safety in a constructive way via the newly formed ‘Lee Navigation Forum.’ However, instead of engaging with the users of the waterways as promised, they are continuing to introduce the ‘no mooring’ sections of the ‘safety zones’, resulting in the unnecessary removal of 295 mooring spots. There is absolutely no justification for this.

With 140 people signed up already to disobey the restrictions, we encourage people to moor in the places with new ‘no mooring’ signage and pledge on the NBTA website to ignore CRT’s ‘Safety Zone’ mooring restrictions.

Mooring protest pledge here: https://nbtalondon.wordpress.com/mooring-protest-pledge/

Here is a template letter for enforcement: https://nbtalondon.wordpress.com/2021/10/10/template-letter-safety-zones-enforcement/

If enforcement contacts you, you can send them this letter. The NBTA will put our full support behind anyone who disobeys the restrictions. https://www.bargee-traveller.org.uk/nbta-in-favour-of-action-which-opposes-safety-zones/

We are organising events in Hackney and Broxbourne.

The Hackney event will be at Daubeney Fields on *24th October * at 11am
<https://www.google.com/maps?q=51.555252,-0.035016&entry=gps&shorturl=1>).

The Broxbourne event will be opposite the Rowing Club on the same day *Sunday 24th * at 3pm

<https://www.google.com/maps?q=51.740823,-0.013727&entry=gps&shorturl=1>)

Bring your boats, bring yourself.

Together as a community we will stop CRT behaving in this way!
Our actions will win!

Find the new poster to put on your boat here:

 We are moored here in protest poster | National Bargee Travellers
Association – London Branch (wordpress.com)
<https://nbtalondon.wordpress.com/2021/10/10/2688/>

Download and print here:

To Whom It May Concern,

I am moored at my current location which has been lawfully moored on without any penalty for years. It is the case that this mooring space has historically been used as a temporary mooring. These restrictions are new. They are not existing rules, as Canal and River Trust (CRT) are claiming.

Furthermore, I’m moored here in accordance with the Public Right of Navigation, which exists on the River Lee. The Public Right of Navigation, as stated in the English law book, Halsbury’s Laws of England, 5th edition, paragraph 691, states:

“The public right of navigation includes the right … to remain for a convenient time, to load and unload, to moor and fix temporary moorings in the waterway.”

The length of time that can be considered “convenient” cannot be determined in advance. According to Moore v British Waterways [2013] EWCA Civ 73, paragraph 63, a reasonable right of stopping:

“….must depend upon circumstances. You cannot lay down à priori what is reasonable”.

This is a Common Law right and cannot be extinguished by Byelaws or Terms and Conditions.

Canal & River Trust (CRT) does not have the authority to restrict mooring on the River Lee. Further to this, in accordance with Section 17 of the British Waterways act 1995, CRT does not have the lawful ability to refuse a boat licence if the boat owner has insurance, Boat Safety Certification and the boat is used for navigation (does not stay in a place longer than 14 days unless reasonable or a mooring). I’m in full compliance with Section 17 of the Act, therefore my licence may not be lawfully refused.

I am moored at this location in good faith and in accordance with the law. In view of this, any sanctions applied to me in relation to my current mooring would not be supported by the law and would be challenged by the National Bargee Travellers Association.

Yours faithfully,

Boat Owners

Download and print here:

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Bath & North East Somerset Council were planning to get rid of a stretch of 14 day moorings in Saltford, on the River Avon. 

Well, that was until a boater with the support of the Community Law Partnership challenged them with a Judicial Review of the Council’s decision. The Council then backed down from removing the 14 day moorings. They are now still 14 day moorings for everyone to use if they want.

A win somewhere is a win for us all.

From time to, CRT comes out with statements saying boaters are using up too much of CRT funds, however the truth is very different. In fact over the years, boaters pay more and more. The last published Annual Report in 2019/20 stated that CRT received £41.6 million in income from ‘Boating and mooring’. In which 21.6 million was from just boat licences. On the other hand when asked how much they spent on boater facilities in the same year, it was just over 2 million. Of course, more is spent on the upkeep of the waterways than boater facilities however it would near impossible to tell much each waterway user should pay for what. 

Nevertheless, in general it looks like we as boaters put in a load more than we take out. So next time CRT says something like ‘too many boats are causing too much strain on facilities’, call it what it is, bullshit.

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