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Coronavirus: Canal & River Trust to extend boat licences by one month


Tim Lewis

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 Press Release

 

Coronavirus: Canal & River Trust to extend boat licences by one month

 

The Canal & River Trust is extending all boat licences by one month in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.  The situation will be assessed again in a month’s time when a further view will be taken about the extent and likely timescales around the coronavirus disruption on boating.

 

All boat licences that are due to expire at the end of April will be extended by one month to run until the end of May.  All other current boat licences will be similarly extended by a month from their current expiry date.

 

With the crisis affecting the Trust’s income and funds available to look after the network, it is asking those able to afford it to ‘donate’ the extra month’s licence fee back to the Trust - using the ‘donate’ button on the charity’s website.

 

Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, comments: “We are living through unprecedented times and I know that many of our boating customers will be very anxious about the virus and the impact it is having on all our lives. The Trust is acutely aware that the impact on boaters – whether living aboard and remaining on the boat for long periods, or a leisure boater who can’t access their boat or use the network – is very disruptive.

 

“Whilst we’ve cut back activity on the network in line with government advice, we’re working to keep it available and safe and to be ready to bring it back to life when the crisis passes, and boating can resume again.  In the meantime, we have been doing a range of things to assist boaters during the pandemic; supporting those who are most vulnerable, in high-risk groups or suffering financial hardship and providing assistance to the many boating businesses whose incomes have been so affected by the crisis.

 

“The Trust is facing significant financial challenges of our own, so whilst we’d invite those who can afford it to ‘donate’ their extra month licence fee back to the Trust, I hope the licence extension reflects our recognition of the restrictions that all boaters are suffering during these unprecedented times.”

 

The full message from Richard Parry, sent to recipients of the Trust’s Boaters Update, is available online.

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well good for them!

 

Maybe that will shut up the bleaters that think they shouldn't have to pay a licence fee while not use their boats.

Edited by dor
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1 minute ago, dor said:

 

well good for them!

 

Maybe that will shut up the bleaters that think they shouldn't have to pay a licence fee while n't use their boats.

I agree, I will be donating mine back no I arnt rich but appreciate running costs don't evaporate when a virus arrives. 

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12 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

My licence will now expire on 31 January 2021 - much better than falling due over Christmas/New Year, which has always been a pain.

snap!! and my moorings and the insurance!! I paid six months moorings this year to space things out, neednt have bothered

11 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I agree, I will be donating mine back no I arnt rich but appreciate running costs don't evaporate when a virus arrives. 

A lot of the staff have been furloughed so their costs have gone down

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14 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

I haven't checked the details to see if it applies but I do not want my license put forward so that I catch the next round of price increases.

They're giving you a month free, so unless the next price increase is greater than 8.3% you'll still be ahead.

 

MP.

 

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2 hours ago, cheshire~rose said:

This is a most unexpected bonus for us. We are throwing a lot of money down the drain with the boat this year and an extra month to find the licence fee will help. 

There you go Ive corrected that for you :D

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6 minutes ago, cheshire~rose said:

...and I have corrected that for you ?

 

Throwing money down the drain would be to buy a boa like wot we bought and not do the maintenance needed in a timely manner. 

Boa, Python, is there a snakey theme here for the Chesterfield ? ? 

 

Haggis

Edited by haggis
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14 minutes ago, Quattrodave said:

Wonder if the EA are going to do something similar...

We got this..options on how to cough up ?

Boat registration

 

The provisions of the Environment Agency (Inland Waterways) Order 2010 mean that owners of all boats kept or used on our waterways need to register them and pay the registration charge. The income we receive from boat registration charges is vital for us to continue to manage and maintain our waterways, ensuring people and the environment are protected from harm.  We have made adjustments to our working practices to work within the new restrictions, so our staff are continuing to work hard to monitor and manage water levels and provide an appropriate level of service and maintenance. 

We recognise the wide range of challenges Coronavirus is causing across the country and that some customers are particularly affected by the recent measures to restrict the impact of the virus. We do understand that some customers may now experience difficulty in paying for their registration in a single amount and there are several payment options available at this exceptional time. Customers who are renewing their registration can get in touch with our Boat Registration team to discuss the payment options we can offer to help. Please call 0330 159 1983 from 10am – 4pm Monday to Friday or email boatreg@environment-agency.gov.uk

For any general navigation enquiries including making a new application customers should call 03708 506506.

Due to changing our ways of working to meet Government guidance we are unable to take card payments over the phone or receive applications by post at the moment. When you contact us you will be given 3 options of how to pay for your registration (see payments method section at the end of this message for more detail):

  • Pay by bank transfer or
  • Receive an invoice

Please also note that you are not required to travel to your boat specifically to display your registration certificate.

 

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I may be clutching at straws here, but it does occur to me that CRT wouldn't have done this now if they expected lockdown to continue and force  them to add more free months to licenses. I take this as some evidence, therefore, that come the middle of May, we'll be free to go. Maybe I'm deluding myself, but we can hope.

 

MP.

 

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1 hour ago, MoominPapa said:

I may be clutching at straws here, but it does occur to me that CRT wouldn't have done this now if they expected lockdown to continue and force  them to add more free months to licenses. I take this as some evidence, therefore, that come the middle of May, we'll be free to go. Maybe I'm deluding myself, but we can hope.

 

MP.

 

I hope you are right, but not really expecting to see the boat again this year, I hope I am wrong.  To rub salt in I switched to a gold licence in Jan as we were planning to do Gt Ouse and Thames this year, so having paid more I fear I will not even get the extra month that CRT are giving.

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8 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I hope you are right, but not really expecting to see the boat again this year, I hope I am wrong.  To rub salt in I switched to a gold licence in Jan as we were planning to do Gt Ouse and Thames this year, so having paid more I fear I will not even get the extra month that CRT are giving.

I like you think we will be lucky to be cruising in May

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Splendid. Hopefully this will be the starter gun firing for other public, or quasi-public authorities to realise that cutting services comes with a moral requirement to cut fees, rather than to maintain the status quo of increasing fees year on year, regardless of any justification in doing so. Local authorities; I hope you're listening. 

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5 hours ago, dabchic23 said:

Speechless... Yes. Will be donating ours back too. Shortsighted otherwise.. It surely is beneficial to all if it helps CRT to maintain system for when boating resumes. 

As will I, a no-brainer if you can afford it without hardship, which I imagine most of us can - staying home has saved me a lot of money.

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7 hours ago, The Welsh Cruiser said:

Splendid. Hopefully this will be the starter gun firing for other public, or quasi-public authorities to realise that cutting services comes with a moral requirement to cut fees, rather than to maintain the status quo of increasing fees year on year, regardless of any justification in doing so. Local authorities; I hope you're listening. 

You spout a lot of nonsense: the public demand more and more services every year, they take all current service standards as entitlement, you try running a business with these restraints, there is only one solution, and that it to increase efficiency and/or increase charges.

 

Please tell me how efficient a care worker can be when attending to the elderly in their own home?

eg

If the minimum need is three visits per day, seven days a week? How do you cut costs without either cutting the hours per week or privatising to cut staffing costs?

 

I don't know how you earn a living, but I am sure you neither run a business nor employ anyone, and I'll bet you are first in line when it comes to pay increases, or do you earn per hour the same as you earned in the year 2000? 

Edited by LadyG
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7 minutes ago, LadyG said:

You spout a lot of nonsense, the public demand more and more services every year, they take all current service standards as entitlement, you try running a business with these restraints, there is only one solution, and that it to increase efficiency and/or increase charges.

 

Please tell me how efficient a care worker can be when attending to the elderly in their own home?

eg

If the minimum need is three visits per day, seven days a week? How do you cut costs without either cutting the hours per week or privatising to cut staffing costs?

My local authority immediately closed the tips, we now have lots of fly tipping going on. Why?, is it impossible to have a tip with social distancing? They also closed their 'call centre'. If you try to call them it's 'emergencies only'. Why? Banks, insurance companies etc. managed to keep their call centres going, either by re arranging things so social distancing in their offices or setting up employees to work from home. Why have local authorities been unable to do this? Could it be because there's no incentive to do this, better to just pack the staff up, send them home on full pay then have the annual moan 'we haven't got enough money' and whack the council tax bills up once again?   

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