Environment Agency Blues

[Bobbybass]

I was told by the woman at EA that this system no longer exists

 

 

Absolute rubbish!!!

 

Stop trying to deal with office staff!!! Turn up at a lock explain the situation to the lockkeeper take it from there..I know you have alraedy done this, but it looks like you got a temp snd not a full time l)ckkeeper

 

No good..have tried the other lock at Bray now..and met with same..

Lock keeper has been told that 'no display' is an offence...no exceptions..and no amount of me trying to show paperwork made a difference. Neither lock even considered LOOKING at the paperwork.

All of the marinas along this stretch are now encountering the same situation..that you used to be able to 'explain' and they let you pass...having completed a form.

The main EA office said the same thing..that even if you had applied...or even if you HAD a license... non-display is an offence and they will take action...fining and banning you from EA waterways with no 'grace' period.

I'm not prepared to take the chance...so the boat must stay put.

Of course...I could take the risk and try it in front of as judge...but if I can't use an EA waterway...I may be flumoxed..!!

[erivers]

 

No good..have tried the other lock at Bray now..and met with same..

Lock keeper has been told that 'no display' is an offence...no exceptions..and no amount of me trying to show paperwork made a difference. Neither lock even considered LOOKING at the paperwork.

All of the marinas along this stretch are now encountering the same situation..that you used to be able to 'explain' and they let you pass...having completed a form.

The main EA office said the same thing..that even if you had applied...or even if you HAD a license... non-display is an offence and they will take action...fining and banning you from EA waterways with no 'grace' period.

I'm not prepared to take the chance...so the boat must stay put.

Of course...I could take the risk and try it in front of as judge...but if I can't use an EA waterway...I may be flumoxed..!!

Provided your vessel meets the requirement for registration under Sections 3 and 4 and the information you supplied is in accordance with Section 6, there is no way that the EA can ban you from its waterways without giving you notice and giving you the opportunity to provide oral or written representations. In the event that the Agency refused or revoked a registration you have the specific right under Section 7.(7) to complain to your local magistrates court. If such refusal is ruled unreasonable, the Agency must register the vessel without delay.

 

If you can obtain written evidence of the refusal by Thames lock-keepers to allow you to exercise your public right of navigation, then I will endeavour to take it up for you at the highest level.

[FadeToScarlet]

 

No good..have tried the other lock at Bray now..and met with same..

Lock keeper has been told that 'no display' is an offence...no exceptions..and no amount of me trying to show paperwork made a difference. Neither lock even considered LOOKING at the paperwork.

All of the marinas along this stretch are now encountering the same situation..that you used to be able to 'explain' and they let you pass...having completed a form.

The main EA office said the same thing..that even if you had applied...or even if you HAD a license... non-display is an offence and they will take action...fining and banning you from EA waterways with no 'grace' period.

I'm not prepared to take the chance...so the boat must stay put.

Of course...I could take the risk and try it in front of as judge...but if I can't use an EA waterway...I may be flumoxed..!!

How good are your photoshop skills?

[MtB]

How good are your photoshop skills?

 

I think if spotted they'd get you for a variety of offences. Something like 'forgery', 'uttering a forged document' and similar such things.

 

I'm wondering if there is any mileage in the OP applying to CRT for a Gold Licence. That would entitle him to cruise the Thames but CRT would issue it, thus side-stepping the bureaucratic bungling of the EA.

(It would still run for 12 months from 1st Jan though.)

[FadeToScarlet]

The different EA regions obviously have different set ups. I've renewed over the phone before (I recall one year when they phoned me back when I was on a train, I was hoping the signal wouldn't go before I gave them all the details). They've also done things like extending a licence once I'd covered the cost of it; when we first bought the boat, we had to licence it monthly, as we didn't have enough cash to pay for a longer period, and after three monthly licences they gave us a six month licence, as we'd covered the cost of it.

[erivers]

The different EA regions obviously have different set ups. I've renewed over the phone before (I recall one year when they phoned me back when I was on a train, I was hoping the signal wouldn't go before I gave them all the details). They've also done things like extending a licence once I'd covered the cost of it; when we first bought the boat, we had to licence it monthly, as we didn't have enough cash to pay for a longer period, and after three monthly licences they gave us a six month licence, as we'd covered the cost of it.

 

With due respect, there is now no such thing as a six-month licence on EA waters which are all covered by the same legislation. There are 1-day, 1-week, or 31-day short-term VISITOR licences or an ANNUAL licence running from 1st Jan (on the Thames) or 1st April (on Anglian waters).

 

It seems more likely that you had set up a monthly Direct Debit to spread the cost for an Annual licence which is allowed.

 

Is it possible that the dealings you describe were actually with the Cam Conservators who have been known to apply a more flexible and considerate approach to payment of registration fees?

Edited May 30, 2016 by erivers

[gazza]

Discounted licences once applied for craft registered after August.

[FadeToScarlet]

 

With due respect, there is now no such thing as a six-month licence on EA waters which are all covered by the same legislation. There are 1-day, 1-week, or 31-day short-term VISITOR licences or an ANNUAL licence running from 1st Jan (on the Thames) or 1st April (on Anglian waters).

 

It seems more likely that you had set up a monthly Direct Debit to spread the cost for an Annual licence which is allowed.

 

Is it possible that the dealings you describe were actually with the Cam Conservators who have been known to apply a more flexible and considerate approach to payment of registration fees?

This was back in 2008, so it's entirely possible that the situation has changed. I was just pleased that I had no longer to pay a monthly licence for a few months.

 

It was certainly with the EA, at that time the interchange agreement with the Conservators was different to how it is now, and there was effectively free access for EA registered boats onto CamCon waters, so CamCon only had direct registration income from about 30 of the 150 or so powered boats on their waters; hence the renegotiation, in 2010 I think.

Discounted licences once applied for craft registered after August.

Ah, it was probably that then.

[gazza]

This was back in 2008, so it's entirely possible that the situation has changed. I was just pleased that I had no longer to pay a monthly licence for a few months.

 

It was certainly with the EA, at that time the interchange agreement with the Conservators was different to how it is now, and there was effectively free access for EA registered boats onto CamCon waters, so CamCon only had direct registration income from about 30 of the 150 or so powered boats on their waters; hence the renegotiation, in 2010 I think.

 

Ah, it was probably that then.

We launched the Mayland at NBC in September 2003, waited till then to take advantage of that fact.

 

She had been at NBC on the hard for a 6 month odd refit that was just about finished by the end of July if memory serves.

It didn't make any sense to pay a years licence for the want of waiting another month of so.

[Tony Dunkley]

 

No good..have tried the other lock at Bray now..and met with same..

Lock keeper has been told that 'no display' is an offence...no exceptions..and no amount of me trying to show paperwork made a difference. Neither lock even considered LOOKING at the paperwork.

All of the marinas along this stretch are now encountering the same situation..that you used to be able to 'explain' and they let you pass...having completed a form.

The main EA office said the same thing..that even if you had applied...or even if you HAD a license... non-display is an offence and they will take action...fining and banning you from EA waterways with no 'grace' period.

I'm not prepared to take the chance...so the boat must stay put.

Of course...I could take the risk and try it in front of as judge...but if I can't use an EA waterway...I may be flumoxed..!!

 

It would seem that the EA have chosen to fall in line with C&RT's penchant for claiming powers they don't actually have.

 

The EA (Inland Waterways) Order 2010 does enable them to remove unregistered boats from their waters in much the same way as the 1983 BW Act enables C&RT to remove sunk, stranded, abandoned or unauthorized vessels from their waters, but there are more and better safeguards against misuse within this Statutory Instrument than are to be found within the 1983 BW Act.

 

You can demonstrate and prove that you have fulfilled your obligations with regard to the Registration process before taking your boat onto their waters, so you have nothing to fear from either over officious lock keepers or bumbling administrators/office staff.

They don't have powers to ban individuals from their waters, and in the unlikely event that they were to instigate boat removal action, you do have at least 28 days to immediately halt the process, and obtain your Registation, by means of application to a Magistrates Court, and NOT the County Court that you are fearing.