The mayor of Bristol was heckled in a public meeting after claiming some boat dwellers were “privileged” and “abusing the system”. People living and working in Bristol harbour face huge fee increases from April, with warnings some could be unable to pay and made homeless.
Marvin Rees apologised to a packed public gallery in City Hall, during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, January 24, and promised to meet with boaters about the huge fee hike. But the cabinet also agreed to press ahead with the fee hike, and “consult” with people later.
The mayor said he could not guarantee that all the people currently living on the boats in the harbour, of which there are at least 100, would be able to get new residential permits. Boaters urged him to pause the fee increase and consult with them on reasonable changes.
