Richard Parry answers - Second page

(Trevor Wash) I'm a continuous cruiser and roving trader, I've enquired about trader's mooring permits for 14 days in one spot. I asked Richard to look into this, nothing has been done.

I have raised it with the Business boating team—have you spoken to them? I can see potential objections to this; why should a roving trader have the right to extended stay when others don't? It's a significant step. I'm not ruling it out but we need to think about the wider considerations. This would include potential impacts on those who lease the property by the visitor moorings.

(Trevor Wash) If I want to buy the licence and permit to trade at Stoke Bruerne for 14 days, who would I contact for a trade licence?
You can't do this at present.
(David Danes) Crick, Stoke Bruerne, Braunston take up moorings for longer periods for their events, rallies etc, but he as a trader trying to earn cannot get this? What is the difference?
These are canal events that CRT support, we are supporting these as they are events that promote and bring life to the waterways and bring thousands of people to them.

(Trevor Wash) I've been going for 4-5 years so I have an interest and bring life also.
We are supporting the traders but I'm not sure if this would be popular to change.
(Straw poll conducted in the room—of those who ‘voted' roughly 60% in favour of the change, 40% against)

(James Griffen) We need to have more fair licensing. A lot of wide beam boats on the GU South have a good deal as they only pay for a narrowboat. There need to be charges based on length and breadth. People are not buying the correct sized boat to use the system and this needs addressing.

I've been asked this before and have heard strong views on this. It's a boat licence, not a narrowboat licence, though yes its currently only based on length. There are advantages from this as it's simpler to apply but of course it's conceivable we could do something different as they do on other waterways, and we will be carrying out a survey to get a wider range of views in the coming months. Until then we have no plans to change—if we did want to look again at licensing, I am conscious that people should be able to predict what costs they face when they look at buying a boat so any change we might consider would have to be phased in over a period of time.

(Unknown male) What are the conditions on Trade Plates? I walk dogs and boats make regular visits with trade plates. They never seem to be spotted by enforcement officers but I see the same ones mooring and working there. Boats that continually visit the same spot. I contacted Julia Moore at CaRT but didn't get a good response. Why are enforcement officers not looking at this as the boats are there continually.

I understand trade plates should only be used for moving boats from one commercial location to another; they may have to moor up briefly if undertaking a longer journey. I'll take this away to look at and follow this up.

(Unknown female) Wide boats never used to come above Berkhamsted on the GU but now they do and often there isn't the space for them to pass. Sometimes even narrow boats have difficulty. There seems to be more wide berths on the move.

(Rodney Evans IWA MK) There are facilities locations gaps, Three facilities in Milton Keynes is not enough. The operation of the refuse disposals is not an IWA responsibility (though the IWA have adopted the area), Biffa have also been chased and just about manage to keep up now which is an improvement. Refuse disposal points are abused as it's not just boaters using them, non boaters are coming to dump rubbish too. How can these areas be made more secure? Refuse disposal should probably be fenced/wired in. Maybe you should need a CaRT key to get in? Can this be revisited to look at should it be more difficult for people to get in to.

I'm pleased to hear we are doing better than before and I understand it needs to be well-managed—though we also need to ensure we don't spend huge amounts of money on this that needs to go to other things. I'll ask Dan Barnett to address the details.

DB: Cosgrove is the worst area in Milton Keynes and people throw rubbish in even though it has a key system and is more secure. So more security isn't always a solution; we continue to work with and appeal to local residents not to abuse the sites. It is difficult to enforce, for example some boaters bring rubbish by car so it is sometimes hard to identify who's a boater and who's not. If people don't have keys they will still leave waste outside.

(Unknown) Anyone who wants a spare CaRT keys can go on to the website and buy one, it's not policed, anyone could buy one?

Well we do want to make keys available to boaters—if it's too hard to get keys it wouldn't work.

(Hugh Mayes) What does Richard see to be the role of the waterways? Are they a linear housing estate, popular tourism or historic legacy. People are dumping rubbish, parking, water etc. There's an infrastructure impact of increased residential impact on local people and the waterways and degrading the historic legacy of the waterways.

(A woman leaves as she is offended about the fact that residential boaters are degraded by the people in the room.)

RP: Let me be clear; we will support and listen to all types of boaters. People will have a range of differing views about the canals and how they can be used. Canals have had many uses over the years and we want to support this diversity. We must have some regard to the legal position and boats shouldn't stay static unless they have a home mooring; we try to encourage people to move. But it is quite legitimate not to have a home mooring. What we have in common is that we all love the waterways, and we should try to be positive: some changes need to be made to ensure use of the canals is sustainable and we have a role in doing this and yes we must get better at it. My plea is that we work together with all users willing to discuss to move this issue forward.

(Hugh Mayes) Leisure boaters cannot moor near attractive places as permanent boaters take the spots.