End of wide beam licence disparity

THE Canal & River Trust has announced it is to start an independent consultation about how boats are licensed on its waterways, with particular emphasis on the disparity of wide beam boat licences.

The exercise of the consultation is of course to see if more money can be raised to combat the decreasing number of licenced boats on its waterways. The purge of unlicenced boats has been successful in increasing the revenue to its coffers, but nowhere near makes up for the downturn in licence revenue.

Based on length only

One aspect that is being scrutinised is the disparity between the licence costs of narrow and wide beam boats, the owners of which both pay their licence fees based on length only, that has been a bone of contention to many narrowboat owners. It is expected that the results of the consultation will mean the cost of licences will in future be based on the overall length/width, with wide beam owners paying a great deal more that on length only, that would bring in a considerable amount to the Trust.

The independent charity, Involve, organising the consultation, will contact boaters asking them their views on licensing and how to split the financial contribution made by the different types of boats and boaters. We are told of course this is for the upkeep of the waterways.

How it will be done

The first step in what will be a three-stage consultation is just starting, with Involve interviewing representatives from the main boating organisations to find out their views on how the consultation should work and what it should cover.

The second stage will run from April, when Involve will host a series of in-depth workshops with boaters across the country.

The final stage will be of most interest to boaters as it will be a consultation for all boat owners to give their views on the options developed during the two previous stages, though we are not told how this will be done.

Overly complex

Ian Rogers, Customer Service and Operations Director at Canal & River Trust, explained:

"The current licensing system has been in place for over 20 years. Boating has changed a lot in the meantime and the Trust wants to ensure the licensing structure is fit for purpose. Feedback from boaters suggests that many feel the current licensing is overly complex and can be perceived as unfair, and this consultation seeks to discuss these areas of concern.

"It's more important than ever that we plan to ensure the long-term sustainability of our waterways so that boaters can continue enjoying them both now and in the future. With income from licensing playing an important part in the charity's finances it is essential that it is spread fairly across all types of boaters as well as other income sources like property, utilities and fundraising. This is the most significant review of licensing in a generation and I welcome the fact that boaters will be helping to decide the shape of things to come."

[There was a consultation by the then British Waterways in June 2005, with amendments made to the licensing system, as reported in narrowboatworld.]