Mooring price increase

[Sweeny Todd]

Just received this email from C&RT. I am not sure whether this is for information, whether it means I am one of the lucky 'above inflation rises' and not entirely clear as to when this increase will kick in. Anyone have any further info? 

 

Dear Customer

Canal & River Trust – Waterside Mooring Price Review 2017

 

The Trust provides and manages approximately 3600 long term leisure and residential moorings in England and Wales as part of its discretionary commercial business activities.  This represents approximately 11% of the current long term moorings provision – in other words, there are many other private providers of moorings who we are effectively in competition with.  The income raised through moorings makes a vital contribution towards the substantial costs of caring for the 200+ year old historic and fragile waterway infrastructure – it requires considerable maintenance, care and attention to ensure future generations are able to appreciate and enjoy the waterways.

 

The Trust must operate its long term moorings within a strict legal framework which ensures that we comply with UK competition law at all times.  The prices we charge for our long term leisure and residential moorings must be set by reference to market rates.  This means that moorings cannot be subsidised.

 

The waterside mooring sales website has now been operating for 15 months.  Sales have been exceptional with many selling above the guide price.  We are currently at 97% capacity.  We have used the sales results to help assess the level of the price increases.

 

The majority of sites will see a 2.7% increase based on the projected inflation rate for 2017. RPI for January 2017 is already at 2.6%.  Sites where we have seen an increased demand via our sales website or where we have made substantial investment will see an above inflation increases.  Sites which are still proving to be unpopular will have their prices held.

 

In summary, 3% of sites will in real terms have no increase. 57% will see an inflationary increase only.   40% of sites have been increased between 1% and 3% above inflation.  We will only write to customers on those sites where there has been an above inflation increase. 

 

NB Price increases will only apply to those customers who are currently on 12 month contracts.  3 year contracts are not affected.

 

For those customers with end of garden moorings (where the moorings is adjacent to their residential property) or those moored on farmers’ fields, as in the past their permit prices will increase in line with their local ‘indexed’ mooring site. 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Jenny Whitehall

Head of Directly Managed Moorings

[alan_fincher]

As your letter states:

Quote

We will only write to customers on those sites where there has been an above inflation increase. 

I think you can safely assume you are one who will see an above inflationary increase.

I can't fully answer your other questions, other than that the CRT price lists are normally from April 1st of 1 year until March 31st of the next.

I think if you pay a year in advance you get whatever the rate is on the date of renewal, so you may have months already paid for at the old rate, whereas someone who renews on 1st April will be paying the increased amount from the earliest possible date.

It used to be easy to find the price lists in downloads sections on the CRT site, but I have just failed to quickly find them now.  Perhaps someone else is better at finding things on the CRT site than I am!

[Arthur Marshall]

Mine's gone up by just under 3%, can't be bothered to work it out exactly, so it looks like it's the inflation amount. I'm on EOG on the Macc.  Still going to make a fair old dent in the bank balance, especially as the boatyard have just told me what they're charging me for taking the flexible coupling out, looking at it, putting it back again and doing a spot of welding at the bottom of the rudder.  But then, if you wanted to be rich, why would you have a boat?.

[mrsmelly]

20 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Mine's gone up by just under 3%, can't be bothered to work it out exactly, so it looks like it's the inflation amount. I'm on EOG on the Macc.  Still going to make a fair old dent in the bank balance, especially as the boatyard have just told me what they're charging me for taking the flexible coupling out, looking at it, putting it back again and doing a spot of welding at the bottom of the rudder.  But then, if you wanted to be rich, why would you have a boat?.

Very true boats are bottomless pits. Suffice to say the costs have risen quite considerably in my years of ownership but I accept it and fully expect it to go up yearly by more than inflation and if it doesnt I class it as a bonus.

[David Mack]

20 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Very true boats are bottomless pits.

Bottomless boats don't tend to float for long.

[Jess--]

5 hours ago, David Mack said:

Bottomless boats don't tend to float for long.

can a bottomless boat sink?
surely once it's sat on the bottom it's no longer bottomless

[matty40s]

On Friday, February 24, 2017 at 15:04, alan_fincher said:

As your letter states:

I think you can safely assume you are one who will see an above inflationary increase.

I can't fully answer your other questions, other than that the CRT price lists are normally from April 1st of 1 year until March 31st of the next.

 

Alan, this email has been sent to anyone using CRT waterside moorings.