The Middle Level licence fees issue

SEEMS as usual, one hand does not know what the other hand is doing, writes Kelvin Alexander-Duggan.

CaRT are telling people that the Gold licence does not cover the Middle Level (*See email Below).

Discount for early payment

As to the report, the licence fees were set at the October 2019 meeting of the navigation committee; we have have known about them since December last year. What happened at the November 2020 meeting was the agreement that boaters who apply for licences before the end of the year, would be given a 25% discount on next year's licence in April. 

On a legal point the new By-laws have yet to be approved by the Secretory of State for Defra, without which, the Middle Level Commissioners (MLC)  will have trouble with enforcement due to no powers. The owners of the squatter boats on the town moorings know this and intend to fight.

The rates

The weekly rate is £74.84, the daily rate is £17.81. The cheapest daily rate being £10.50 for 32ft or less.  Most people will buy two one-day licences to pass through.  These licence rates for the Middle Level have been known for some time, since the report of the interview with the Head of the Middle Level who did state when asked that the fees would be about the same as the Environmental Agency rates.

As for John Steven's rant, it's not greed, it is a question of covering the costs of providing navigation. There are two full time lock keepers, two relief lock keepers (summer months) and a navigation officer.  Well Creek is only used for navigation and, as is a matter of record, was to have been filled in when no longer required for drainage and replaced with a pipe in the late 1960's to allow the widening of both A1101 and the A1122 in Outwell.  The locals put up a fight against the plans,

Wall Creek

Well Creek has been dredged over the past three years at great cost.  Well Creek also has to be kept topped with water from the main drain by a pump at the Muilcourt Aqueduct, the yearly cost of which runs into five figures. There is no such thing as a free lunch; someone always has to pay.

For nearly 400 years, private boaters have had a free ride, In the beginning it was only to allow you to go to church on a Sunday. Private boating only took off in the 1950's.

The true cost of crossing the Middle level with a 40ft boat would be £11.82 per day.  Normal passage time is two days due to the tide times at Salters Lode, so the real cost would be £23.64 each way . Which is still cheaper than the Rochdale Nine was in it's final Year of charges (£30) for one and a half miles.  As for people buying licenses, many have done so with even owners of 70ft boats having paid for a half year licence, so will gain the 25% discount next year.

Believe in the free lunch

The only ones against paying are members of the National Bargee Travellers Association who believe in the free lunch.

*Hi Kelvin,

Thank you so much for taking the time to contact us.

I'm afraid not, seeing as the Middle Levels are not under our authority neither in that of the Environmental Agency and, we are the only 2 navigation authorities involved in these licenses.

I hope this helps but do let us know if there is anything else we can do for you.