adam1uk

The picture is issued by the CPS, and the caption says "The CPS says this area of the River Thames is where Djurberg fraudulently sold houseboats and moorings" which seems fair enough.

The emails come from Civica Election Services rather than CRT, so have you actually checked for the right thing?

It's actually illegal to put domestic or commercial waste in litter bins. People and businesses have been given penalties for it -- although of course there has to be something in there to identify whose rubbish it is. I believe in some cases people have been caught because they put things with their names and addresses on in litter bins, which seems like a pretty stupid thing to do for all sorts of reasons. https://www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/news/article/788/two-lichfield-shops-fined-for-fly-tipping https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/18863799.reminder-domestic-waste-left-litter-bins-neyland/

News release from CRT: 27 November 2023 BOAT LICENCE FEES FOR 2024-25 The Canal & River Trust is today confirming an increase of 6% in boat licence fees from 1 April 2024 for both private boat owners and boating businesses. The rise is based on the latest Bank of England forecasts that inflation will remain at around 4.5% through until April 2024. The surcharges for boats without a home mooring and wide beam boats, and changes to the prompt and online payment discounts, announced on 4 October, will be applied in addition to this rise. Boaters can use a new online calculator on the Trust’s website to calculate what the licence fee will be for their boats: licensing.canalrivertrust.org.uk/LicencePrices. Richard Parry, chief executive at Canal & River Trust, said: “The recent years have been a challenge for organisations and individuals alike. We know that the cost-of-living crisis will have affected many boaters and we have thought long and hard about the licence fee rises we are introducing. There is support available for boaters, and we urge people who are struggling to get in touch with our team. “The Trust has been heavily impacted by the adverse economic environment. Over the past few years, we’ve faced significant increases in a range of our costs, notably the prices of energy, fuel, materials, and other construction demands. Meanwhile our government grant is reducing in real terms and is due to be cut sharply after 2027, unless our Keep Canals Alive campaign and the multi-organisation Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign persuade Government to revisit its decision. We must act now to plug the funding gap, or we risk seeing canals decline and, ultimately, the risk of closures. “We’ll continue to secure as much income as we can through our commercial and charitable activities and focus our resources on those priority works which are required to support navigation, and on controlling our costs where possible. The 2,000 miles of waterways that we care for comprise 10,000 assets and structures, many of which are up to 250-years-old, and they are vulnerable to the extreme weather events that are becoming more common. We are continuing to invest in an extensive ongoing programme of works that will safeguard the future of boating on the inland waterways.” The cost of the licence, which accounts for around 11% of the Trust’s income, has largely kept pace with inflation since the charity was formed. Whilst this is a valuable component of the Trust’s income stream, boaters will not be expected to bear the full brunt of the funding shortfall but will have to make some contribution. The Trust is also working to generate more income from its property and non-property endowment, and from other commercial sources such as hosting utilities and water transfer. A step-change in income generation from towpath users and other supporters is targeted, with fundraising income projected to grow by 10% each year – whilst other commercial waterways income, including from anglers, paddle sports and moorings, is also set to increase. The Gold Licence charges, agreed with the Environment Agency, will increase by 10% from 1 January 2024. This reflects the higher increases applied to fees in 2023. The surcharge for boats without a home mooring will be applied to Gold Licences from 1 January 2025. The additional wide beam surcharge is not applied to the Gold Licence as it already factors in a charge for wider boats. The Trust will continue to support boaters who may be struggling to pay their licence fees on a case-by-case basis. This may include arranging flexible payment plans and signposting to relevant services, for example the Waterways Chaplaincy, local authorities and Citizens Advice. For more information visit: canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/do-you-know-a-vulnerable-boater More information on boat licences is available here: canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/buy-your-boat-licence/long-term-boat-licences -ends-

Who knows what the arrangements for Harecastle Tunnel will be next year -- but this year there were some bookings and some freeflow, so check nearer the time. We also like popping in to Middleport Pottery in Stoke. They have a couple of moorings on the offside right outside, and there are few bits you can look at without paying. And the cafe does good Staffordshire oat cakes.

I reckon this is the former Ownerships boat, Kingsley, as detailed a few years ago here: http://www.boatstoshare.co.uk/kingsley/index.htm Obviously a few things have changed since then, including the colour scheme, but I'd bet it's the same boat.

So on the one hand some people say money should be prioritised on navigation and maintenance -- and then when other things are cut some people (the same ones or different?) complain about it.

When the government did actually say that CRT was good value for money. And then they cut the grant for future years anyway.

The government grant has been frozen for the past few years (at the same time inflation was soaring). When the new grant period starts in 2027, it will be lower than the year before, and each subsequent year will be five per cent lower than the previous one. How is that not a cut?

CRT News release: COUNTING THE COST OF CLIMATE CHANGE: CANALS LEFT DAMAGED BY STORM BABET The Canal & River Trust, the national canal charity, is working across its 2,000 miles of historic canals and navigable rivers to respond to the damage left by Storm Babet. Hundreds of trees have been blown down, and the canal network has suffered structural damage including towpaths washed away, a landslide on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, and considerable damage on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal where the River Soar flooded into the canal, causing over 50 metres of bank to collapse. The Trust’s staff and volunteers attended numerous call-outs as they battled to control water levels and respond to damage, whilst, on the Erewash Canal in Sandiacre in Derbyshire, the quick response by one of the Trust’s volunteers averted disaster when they were able to rescue a member of the public who fell into the canal, one of a many people who were still using the towpath, despite itself, being submerged under storm water. Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, comments: “I’d like to thank colleagues and volunteers at the Trust for battling across the weekend to control water levels, responding to the emergencies caused by Storm Babet, and for all their efforts to keep everyone safe. “Our canal network is a national treasure dating back 250 years. It isn’t safely locked away as an exhibit in a museum. It is here to be navigated by boats as they did centuries ago, used freely by millions of people, and for the benefit of wildlife. We’re going to see Storm Babet leave the canal network with a bill likely to be in the £millions. This illustrates the increasing expense of keeping the canal network safe and open, at a time when funding from government is reducing in real terms, and ahead of the steep future cuts they announced earlier this year. These extra costs are becoming increasingly common place as the changing climate takes its toll. Without adequate funding, they will lead to the gradual deterioration and eventual closure of some canals. “The work of staff and volunteers, together with the support of our partners and friends, is vital if we are to keep our canals alive to benefit this and future generations.” For more information on the Trust’s Keep Canals Alive campaign, visit: Keep Canals Alive | Canal & River Trust (canalrivertrust.org.uk)

“There are 2,000 miles of canals in the UK and 3,000 canal boats."

I got some from efoam.co.uk a few years ago. You pick your shape, put your measurements in, choose your foam and extras like the stockinette covering -- and then they turn up at your door. And then you hope you measured correctly.

He was also a convicted double murderer who'd been on the run for sixteen years after escaping from prison in Poland, and was living under a fake name.

As others have said, I think this is it. The capacity can also change. We can all think of marinas which have opened new bits, but didn’t the one that refused to pay close a whole section as part of the resolution?

I didn’t say they did. I was responding to Arthur who said CRT would charge more for EOG and marina moorings, and pointing out that marinas with a NAA pay nine per cent of whatever they charge. CRT can’t change that.