This space is to bring together news, documents & resources that counter the CRT-proposed Water Safety Zones (WSZ) for boaters and other stakeholders.
NBTA London is determined to fight the Water Safety Zones (WSZ) until CRT comes to the realisation that they cannot win. Click here to read our statement via a clearly explained, easy to read PDF.
Recent news
[September 2023] Risk Assessment Confirms River Lee ‘No Mooring’ Zones are ‘Not Necessary’
The National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA) commissioned an independent risk assessment across CRT-proposed “No Mooring” Zones within the WSZ in December 2022. This assessment, carried out by a qualified and experienced IOSH and IIRSM Risk Assessment professional at three of the ‘No Mooring’ Zones, concluded the following:
‘Boats moored in this area cannot be considered an additional risk as they comply with national standard practice(…) Mooring restrictions at these sites are not necessary’.
The resulting verdict goes on to suggest that it is more important for craft – including row boats – to manage their speed effectively to avoid any potential incidents. Read more here
The Safety Zones continued…
When the CRT first proposed the full details of the Water “Safety” Zones in 2020, NBTA calculated that 550 mooring spaces would be lost in Broxbourne and Tottenham/Hackney. In some places the CRT also proposed introducing a ban on double mooring and wider boats. Following the magnificent efforts of the boating community to push back against these “Safety” Zones, CRT initially appeared to desist from their implementation, in favour of a navigation forum of stakeholders.
Unfortunately, the CRT continue their attempt to impose, potentially the most draconian part of the original “Safety” Zones outline, their new no mooring sections. We now estimate that 295 casual mooring opportunities are at risk.
Snapshot history of the Water Safety Zones
(click on the arrows to reveal key moments of the campaign each year)
2023
CRT stated that enforcement of their no mooring zones would begin on 10 January 2023. Hundreds of boaters remained defiant, with many staying in these zones up to 14 days before being replaced by another resistant boater. The CRT notices left by District Enforcement stated that a boater was moored contrary to British Waterways Acts, Bye-laws, Conditions, Guidance etc. To investigate what kind of legal standing CRT believed they had, NBTA solicitors asked them to qualify which specific Acts and Bye-laws relate to the no mooring sites. CRT subsequently failed to provide any Acts or Bye-laws to support their stance.
NBTA caseworkers continued to provide boaters with replies to CRT enforcement letters around the clock. In response, CRT responses were weak and deflective. After one particular email exchange where we sought to clarify the CRT’s stance in relation to the law, the officer ended one of their emails with:
“Anyway, I’ll leave it there for now. Feel free to get back to me if you have any other questions I won’t be able to give a straight answer to.”
This elusiveness hasn’t been exclusive to the legal side of the campaign either, with CRT’s public relations efforts regarding the matter continuing to deny their unfair treatment of itinerant boaters.
As of 31 May 2023, a Freedom of Information Request detailed that the Trust had spent £250k (rounded to nearest 10k) on trying to stop boaters from mooring in the ‘Water Safety Zones’ on the River Lea (across Lower Lee at Hackney/Tottenham and Broxbourne). All the while, CRT continued to increase license fees and divide the boating community.
2022
26 June 2022 – Hackney Protest Picnic
8 June 2022 – CRT announce a reduction of no mooring restrictions, within the WSZ, by a total of 157 metres
26 March 2022 – Hundreds march on CRT’S London office
7 January 2022 – CRT attempt to stop mooring protests with “Improper Mooring Process”
2021
2 September 2021 – CRT backs down over safety zones
4 June 2021 – CRT attempts to limit responses to WSZ stakeholder feedback
13 June 2021 – Hackney Flotilla Protest
17 May 2021 – Stop the Safety Zones Protest Picnic
17 April 2021 – Broxbourne Flotilla Protest
16 May 2021 – CRT agree to open formal consultation on the WSZ
The CRT lied to us by stating that they were putting the safety zones on hold, pending a discussion within the Lea Navigation Forum meeting. However, before the first Forum meeting had taken place, the CRT had already installed no mooring signs on most of the ‘no mooring’ sites on their Water Safety Zone map. We (NBTA London) brought this dishonest behaviour to the attention of the Lee Navigation Forum. CRT’s response was to disregard the dishonesty of their own actions which undermined the whole Lee Navigation Consultation. We asked for reasoning from CRT to why each of the no mooring spaces were made as such. CRT didn’t provide this. We then provided a document stating our opinion of each no mooring site at the very next meeting. More than half a year later CRT were yet to give a proper response.
During that half year, boaters moored in places that are perfectly reasonable and safe have continued to receive unjustified threats from CRT. Thankfully people continue to moor in these places in large numbers.
2018-2020: FROM ‘WATER SPORTS…’ TO ‘WATER SAFETY…’
“Water Sport Zones” had been part of CRT’s 2018 London Mooring Strategy, much of which wasn’t realised for funding reasons. After fading away for 2 years, CRT reintroduced them in 2020, cynically rechristening them as “Safety Zones”.
Predicated on the deeply flawed notion that stationary, moored boats pose a collision risk to rowers, the Safety Zones had not undergone stakeholder consultation (except for two rowing clubs) and caused a backlash from boaters.
National Bargee Travellers Association - London Branch 