Be concerned!

Published: Monday, 29 June 2015

BELOW is a link to the internal process by which Canal & River Trust (CaRT) monitors boats for short term licence renewal, writes Allan Richards.

Before you dismiss it as not applicable please be aware that some of it applies to boats with a home mooring.

Refuses to tell

Just as CaRT refuses to tell boaters exactly what they have to do to avoid having a twelve month licence refused, it also refuses to give its own staff sufficient guidance to enable them to decide if a licence for less that a year should be granted (or enforcement action started).

Whilst the monitoring process starts off well stating that 10 months sightings are used to calculate a range for a boat, it rapidly descends into farce by using the phrase overall 'range of concern'. What exactly is 'range of concern'? Why can't a figure in miles or km be given?

.... and what does 'overall' tacked on the front of the expression mean?

Not clear

The document then goes on to says that 'cases with an overall range of concern' are considered under a number of headings

  • number of months seen, length of contract
  • network coverage—distance, frequency, location
  • approved overstays, equality adjustments, winter moorings
  • change of ownership/mooring status
  • current enforcement action

Again no guidance is given to staff on deciding if a 12 month licence should be refused.

They might do better simply tossing a coin!

14 days reminders

All boats, the document says, will be targeted as overstayers if seen on the same km of waterway for more than 14 days. So popping out of the marina to your favourite spot each weekend may make you the subject of enforcement action!

Well narrowboatworld did warn you!

A copy of the monitoring process can be found at:
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/allanrichards/CC-monitoring-process.pdf