Massive Cam increases
THE Cam Conservators who regulate the river have just announced that they are increasing boaters' fees by up to a massive 21.5% in April.
Currently, boaters can use the Cam/Con water if they buy an Environment Agency licence, under an 'Interchange Agreement'. Most boats choose to do this, except for the 25% who buy a Cam only licence from the Cam Conservancy, writes Representative of Cam boaters, Amy-Alys Tillson.
Changing dramatically
However, from 2012, the Interchange Agreement is changing dramatically. For boats who moor on the Cam, buying an Environment Agency licence will no longer be an option. All boats moored on the Cam will have to buy a Cam Conservators/Environment Agency (Cam/Con) licence which will be 110% of the relevant Environment Agency licence for their length, effectively 17% more than a current Environment Agency licence because of Its 6.4% (CPI+2%) fee increase this year.
This means that for the 25% of boats who currently have a Cam-Con licence, their fees will effectively increase by an extraordinary 21.5%.
Options
For those moored on the EA waters, they have the option of:
- an EA licence which does not allow access to the Cam,
- an EA-Cam/Con licence, at 110% of the relevant EA licence for their boat length,
- a visitor licence at 15% of the relevant EA licence.
If they are found to be on the Cam without a licence, they will be obliged to pay for a visitor licence at 25% of the relevant EA licence.
Additional visitor licence
As it stands, Gold licence holders will have to opt for an additional visitor licence for the Cam, as the Gold licence will not cover Cam/Con water. the concept of 'trade plates' is being discussed to allow visiting boats to come to the Cam for services such as slippage and repair work.
River users have accused water bosses of acting like an 'unaccountable monopoly' as they seek to charge them more for living on the Cam. Some say they will be forced into social housing.
Refuse to pay
Camboaters—representing those who live on the river—said they refuse to pay anything more than 6.4 per cent on their licence fee.
We're outraged that they are proposing to increase our licence fee by 17 per cent as of April. The services the Cam Conservancy offer are limited. They are not aiming to improve them in the future and yet are expecting us to pay so much more. It is an unaccountable monopoly.
Force people off the river
One family who live on the river are Anna Knight, 21, partner Nick Hopton, 32, and their baby daughter Dolly, with Anna pronouncing:
"This could force people off the river and into council housing, which is not what anyone wants."
As it stands, a boat on the Cam pays a mooring fee of just over £1,000 to the council and a 48ft boat, for example, pays a licence fee to the Environment Agency of £660 per year, but if the proposals go forward, to have access to both Environment Agency waters and Cam Conservators' waters, users would have to pay 17 per cent more at £773.
'Financial future'
A spokesman for Conservators said they were 'looking to ensure a sustainable, financial future'.
The proposals will be discussed at a meeting tomorrow.