Climb-down on charity boat fees

THE swingeing fee increases for charity boats that were proposed by Canal & River Trust (Resignations over CaRT 'charity boats' greed) will not now be enforced but will now be in common with increases for private boats.

Today (Friday) CaRT published a report setting out the outcome of its consultation on charity and business boat licences. It has announced modifications to many of its proposals, it states 'to reflect the comments received during the consultation'.

Increase of 2.8%

The wholesale changes that were proposed will not now be implemented for community and charity boats, instead, licence fees for these craft will increase by 2.8% in common with the increases for private licence holders. Though the Trust states it will 'now carry out further detailed work to address its wider relationships with charitable and community organisations with a view to developing proposals for April 2015 by next autumn'.

Chief Executive, Richard Parry, explained:

"We've taken the time to listen to our customers and have significantly changed our proposals in light of this. The result is a revised set of prices with proposed changes to community boat fees shelved and holiday hire fee proposals substantially amended. I hope this decision will help support our valued community and business boating partners in the year ahead."

Listening to feedback

We are told the changes have been made as a result of listening to feedback from 113 respondents representing every kind of boating business from holiday hire sector to those running charity boats.

The main changes, which take effect from 1st April 2014, are:

Holiday Hire: The consultation proposals have been substantially amended. The current structure will be largely retained for 2014. The part of the fee that equates to the length of the boat has been increased by 2.8% in line with the increase that is being applied to private boat licences, whilst the remainder will be frozen. The result is increases of typically 1.5%.

Day Hire: The Trust is retaining a length-based licence fee for these boats rather than implementing the proposed seat-based fees it consulted upon. Following discussions during the post-consultation period, day hire rates will be set at a rate just above the cost of a private boat licence.

Roving traders: Instead of the two types of trader as proposed there will be just a single category of roving trader priced at the lower of the two price lists previously published.

Skippered passenger boats: The proposed carrying capacity-based proposals will be adopted, with the key change that, as the effect on the boats carrying larger passenger numbers is quite significant in some cases, increases will be phased in by 2017. The pricing structure has also been simplified by presenting it in clear price-bands.

Other than the changes noted above, there will be no additional annual business boating licence fee increases in April 2014.

Discounts phased out

However the 75% ‘without locks' discount and the 25% Disconnected Waterway Discount will both be phased out in even steps by 2018.