Fines for boats which abuse moorings
BOAT-people who abuse short-stay moorings in Huntingdonshire now face the risk of prosecution and fines of up to £1,000. The district council last week authorised the Environment Agency s inspectors, who regularly patrol the river banks, enforce its bye-l
BOAT-people who abuse short-stay moorings in Huntingdonshire now face the risk of prosecution and fines of up to £1,000.
The district council last week authorised the Environment Agency's inspectors, who regularly patrol the river banks, enforce its bye-laws at council-owned moorings, where boats are allowed to stay for up to 48 hours.
But some boat-dwellers have been mooring for weeks or months at a time to avoid paying charges at marinas in the district, Councillor Deborah Reynolds told HDC's cabinet.
This blocks space for day visitors and discourages them from stopping to visit the district's attractions, the cabinet heard.
But, without its own staff to police use of the moorings daily, it can take several days before HDC can issue notices requiring the boats' removal.
It is a particular issue because of the Inland Waterways Association's annual festival, which is this year being held in St Ives over the August Bank Holiday weekend, when as many as 30,000 visitors are expected.
Most Read
- 1 Family pay tribute to brothers, 13 and 17, killed in horror BMW crash
- 2 Recap: Severe disruption on Great Northern and Thameslink trains to London
- 3 Huge Victorian house with pool and gym on sale for £1.75m
- 4 Met Office weather: Yellow storm and flood warning for East of England
- 5 Judge makes contempt of court ruling against Camp Beagle protesters
- 6 Food delivery robots taking to streets of Cambridgeshire
- 7 First episode of tractor TV show features farmer in Cambridgeshire
- 8 Jacob Crawshaw memorial football match raises more than £8,100
- 9 Man in his 40s suffers ‘life-changing injuries’ in major crash on A14
- 10 Work starts on affordable 56-home development in Huntingdon
EA inspectors already police the agency's own facilities and can now move people on from HDC's.
An agency spokesman said: "We would start by asking them to move on. The last resort is that we could prosecute them in the magistrates' court, but it's not something we often do because most boat owners are reasonable when asked to move.
"It is a criminal offence under the Environment Agency's byelaws to moor a boat on a 48-hour mooring without the consent of the agency for longer than 48 hours in any three consecutive days. This carries a maximum fine of £1,000.