The Mayor of Bristol has told people living in houseboats on the Floating Harbour that they are a ‘privileged few’ who have been abusing the system to live cheaply in the city centre.
Marvin Rees has defended an imminent and controversial decision to hike the fees charged for mooring a boat in the city’s old docks, which have caused outrage among people who use boats on the harbour. People living on the water, ferry boat companies and the clubs who represent people who have boats on the water for leisure have all slammed the rises, and thousands have already signed a petition against the move.
But the mayor has said the amount of money the council has charged has not been increased sufficiently for years, and the fees were only being brought into line with comparable costs in other cities in the UK.
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Marvin Rees said too many people were living on boats in the harbourside when they technically shouldn’t be - they were using and abusing leisure licences which only permit the boat owners to stay overnight on board for 15 days in a year.
And in fact, the Mayor has revealed that out of the scores of people living in houseboats on the water, there are only eight people with permanent resident licences that allow them to live there.
He branded those living in boats without paying council tax or without the right permits as a ‘privileged few’, and said they needed to pay a fair amount to the city coffers. “We have now reviewed fees and benchmarked against other cities and harbour authorities,” the Mayor said. “They are set to rise above RPI for the first time in 20 years and be brought closer to the necessary funding required to run an effective harbour service. Only eight people have permanent moorings in the harbour and so no other boat should be permanently resident.
“Apart from the eight permanent residential permits, all other boats in the harbour are present on leisure licenses. The leisure licence is offered on an annual basis and permits the owners to berth their vessels in the harbour but do not have any right of tenure and under the terms of this licence cannot stay onboard for more than a 15-day period. Anyone on a leisure permit has to register a residential address, and does not pay council tax for the boat.
“Boat users failing to comply with the license system and treating a leisure permit as a residential privilege are abusing the system and damaging the city’s ability to manage the harbour for all, to allow for better usage and to improve the facilities,” he added.
“The harbour is owned by the city for the city. We must ensure it is managed effectively for all, not for a privileged few. As well as being a requirement under legislation, it’s also a moral one at a time when Bristol City Council faces a cost of operating crisis. We continue to protect frontline services, like libraries, children’s centres, and parks, at a time of severe pressure from high inflation, rising demand for services, and continued national austerity,” he said.
Boat owners, boat dwellers and opposition councillors have complained about the price hikes, with calls for a review that takes into account the impact of the changes on a wide range of residents and businesses. Mr Rees said the new costs of the boat permits would still be a cheap way of staying in the city.
“Boat permits continue to offer low-cost stays in our city but they do not enable people to use a leisure licence as a permanent residence,” he said. “Comparing a boat as a residence to a land-based dwelling shows clearly that despite the upcoming fee rise, boat ownership remains a low-cost alternative.
“The revised fee structure is comparable with other cities. We cherish our harbour businesses, boat and land users, and visitors, and we want them to prosper. We also want the harbour to be an open, inclusive, and excellent facility at the heart of the city,” he added.
Boat owners, residents and club members are planning a protest on College Green ahead of Wednesday’s 4pm meeting of the Bristol City Cabinet, where the matter is set to be decided.
Rachel Evans, from the Bristol Cruising Club, said the hikes in fees and permits would not just hit people who are trying to live in their boats, but will also adversely affect everyone who gets on the water - from the companies that run hire cruises and ferries to the clubs that use boats for leisure purposes.
“The fee increases are significant,” she said. “For a Bristol Cruising Club member, currently entitled to a 10 per cent discount on mooring fees, with the loss of their club discount, it will mean an increase of over 60 per cent. For a tug boat, it is an almost 800 per cent increase,” she said, adding that the council has said there will be no equality impact - without actually doing an equality impact assessment, or any consultation.
“These fee changes will mean that a lot of boat owners, many of whom are pensioners, will have to sell their boats. Not only will they lose the access to their hobby, but they will also lose the social side, being a member of a club,” she added.
“The fee changes will be worse for businesses. For example, Tower Belle, which runs trips up the river to Beese’s, will have to pay increased mooring plus a new £50 bridge swing charge - twice. There will also be a 20 pence per passenger surcharge for all ferries and tourist boats.
“These charges will have a material impact on the harbour - currently, the chance to go on a boat in the harbour is a major draw to tourists, but this long-established characteristic of Bristol could simply disappear if ferry operators go out of business due to the increased fees.
“The increase in fees may also discourage boat owners from joining clubs, which provide advice and education on how to navigate the Bristol Channel. This stretch of water has the second biggest rise and fall in the world and can be fatal for a boat owner who doesn’t understand the tides,” she added.
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