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Want to visit Cambridge? It will cost you extra in future.


Black Ibis

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The River Cam is mostly controlled by the Conservators of the River Cam, who are a separate, independent navigation authority from the EA who control the rest of the Cam, and the Great Ouse, of which the Cam is a tributary.

 

An "Interchange Agreement" between the Conservancy and the EA has meant that boats registered with the EA can come onto the Conservancy waters free of charge.

 

As it stands, holders of Gold Licences have the same access as holders of EA licences.

 

However, this agreement is being renegotiated, and the Conservancy have changed it. **EDIT** The meeting happened this morning and the results are confirmed as the following:

 

For visitors, they have the option of 1)an EA licence which does not allow access to the Cam, 2)an EA-CamCon licence, at 110% of the relevant EA licence for their boat length, 3) a visitor licence at 15% of the relevant EA licence, or 4) if they are found to be on the Cam without a licence, they will be obliged to pay for a visitor licence at 25% of the relevant EA licence. As it stands, Gold licence holders will have to opt for an additional visitor licence for the Cam, as the Gold licence will not cover Cam Con water. The concept of 'trade plates' is being discussed to allow visiting boats to come to the Cam for services such as slippage and repair work offered by Two Tees boatyard and the Cambridge Motorboat club. At the meeting we stressed that it was unlikely that visitors would continue to come to the Cam if these changes took place. They said that they are prepared to take that risk!

 

If you wish to make a comment on this, you'll need to email Dr. Philipa Noon, river.manager[at]camconservators.org.uk. I'd also be grateful if you'd BCC in nbluckyduck[at]yahoo.co.uk, as we're representing the local boaters, and I'd like to gather opinions from other non-locals who will be affected by this.

 

Full details on Document 7b, at http://www.camconservators.co.uk/meetings.html

Edited by Black Ibis
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So, if I've read this correctly I can either renew my EA licence as usual, and this now means no access above Bottisham, but if I change my mind later in the year and decide I want to go above Bottisham I can buy an additional visitors licence at 15% of my EA licence fee ... or, I could pay 110% of the EA licence at the renewal to include access to the Conservators stretch?

 

Given that I only pootle up that way about once or twice a year and even then often turn around at Waterbeach, it's a simple decision for me, I shalln't be visiting the Conservators waters any more, and besides there's plenty more of the Cam/Ouse system to enjoy elsewhere.

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It certainly seems to be a strange move if they want to attract visitors to the the area.

 

I would suggest that the Cam Conservators are looking at their own finances and not the bigger picture.

I imagne that water-borne visitors to Cambridge as a percentage of total visitors are about 0.001% of diddly squat, so no real impact there.

 

I'm sure its all about raising funds for the Conservators. Not seen the details, but the proposed scheme doesn't seem to differentiate effectively between long term/permanent boats, who ought to pay a reasonable sum, and short term vistors, who it looks are going to be priced off.

 

David

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Can't help think this is the thin end of the wedge. First make it stupidly expensive to tour you boat there, thus reducing the boat movement numbers.

 

Now I wonder who would benefit from that most?

Edited by Biggles
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Can't help think this is the thin end of the wedge.

Thats the main worry isnt it.

 

On one level, 10-13% is maybe £50? A few gallons of deisal and a crate of beer at best and if you really want to go you will pay it.

 

That said, if your a bit this way that way and actaully the Nene looks quite night this year, maybe you wont. Certainly its enough money to make you think 'I would like to do that, but...' especially as, when all said a done, its not the most accessible or inviting waterway to start with!

 

Mistake in my book. Mistake.

 

Daniel

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I see that the increase in revenue from visiting craft is estimated at £5K per year. I presume that this assumes the same number of visitors as formerly. Given the reaction here, it may well be much less. If this is going to be checked on in any way whatsoever, it will probably result in a net loss. The words shot and foot spring to mind.

  • Greenie 2
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I see that the increase in revenue from visiting craft is estimated at £5K per year. I presume that this assumes the same number of visitors as formerly. Given the reaction here, it may well be much less. If this is going to be checked on in any way whatsoever, it will probably result in a net loss. The words shot and foot spring to mind.

 

This has been pointed out to them, but they know better.....

 

The meeting to decide fees is today, so we shall see what happens.

 

The CamCon are responsible to Parliament, and our MP is now getting involved, so this could get interesting.

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Thats the main worry isnt it.

 

On one level, 10-13% is maybe £50? A few gallons of deisal and a crate of beer at best and if you really want to go you will pay it.

 

That said, if your a bit this way that way and actaully the Nene looks quite night this year, maybe you wont. Certainly its enough money to make you think 'I would like to do that, but...' especially as, when all said a done, its not the most accessible or inviting waterway to start with!

 

Mistake in my book. Mistake.

 

Daniel

 

At least double that figure, surely? According to the EA website the annual fee for a full-length narrowboat is over £800, so 13% is over £100

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I moor at Isleham and intended to take a few trips to Cambridge last year, unfortunately doing work on the boat kept me from doing that.

 

I would definitely have been doing a few trips this year, but if they make me pay I will almost certainly not bother. Shame...

 

Mark.

  • Greenie 1
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The meeting happened this morning and the results are confirmed as the following from April 2012

 

For us, it's pretty bad: ALL boats moored on the Cam HAVE to buy a CamCon-EA licence which will be 110% of the relevant EA licence, effectively 17% more than a current EA licence because of the EA's 6.4% (CPI+2%) fee increase this year. This means that for the 25% of boats who currently have a Cam-Con licence, their fees will effectively increase by an extraordinary 21.5%

 

For visitors, they have the option of 1)an EA licence which does not allow access to the Cam, 2)a CamCon-EA licence, at 110% of the relevant EA licence for their boat length, 3) a visitor licence at 15% of the relevant EA licence, or 4) if they are found to be on the Cam without a licence, they will be obliged to pay for a visitor licence at 25% of the relevant EA licence. As it stands, Gold licence holders will have to opt for an additional visitor licence for the Cam, as the Gold licence will not cover Cam Con water. The concept of 'trade plates' is being discussed to allow visiting boats to come to the Cam for services such as slippage and repair work offered by Two Tees boatyard and the Cambridge Motorboat club. At the meeting we stressed that it was unlikely that visitors would continue to come to the Cam if these changes took place. They said that they are prepared to take that risk!

 

Enforcement of the current licensing situation is minimal, and it is not clear how well they will be able to police the new system - there is talk of a new warden. Badly I expect, and it will probably result in a net loss, but they are barging ahead with it nonetheless.

Edited by Black Ibis
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So as we are on EA is the Cam worth 10% ?

Its a small boat so thats £35 or there abouts

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

perhaps not

 

Exactly! Either people will know about it and decide it's not worth it, or they will not know about it and come in anyway, because enforcement is so lax!

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I don't know the area that well, but is there a problem with continious moorers in the Cambridge area?

 

It might be a ploy to push them down river by introducing additional fees?

 

We're only talking about half a dozen or so miles of river and a few locks aren't we :huh:

 

I can understand as someone in your circumstances is an additional expense you can well do without :glare:

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Where is the boundary - ie at what point does the control change from EA to Cam? I assume the "Five Miles from Anywhere" is within the area of EA jurisdiction? I will again merely turn around at that point, after a few beers of course.

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