Mooring vacancies, lack of!

[alan_fincher]

9 hours ago, FadeToScarlet said:

Plus, CRT are subject to the competition commission regs- as a very large authority, they cannot legally significantly undercut private business in the area.

So when that marina is created, with more expensive moorings, the average price for a mooring in the area jncreases- and CRT have to raise their prices too, which I'm sure they are only doing out of legal duty and in no way doing it to maximise their income.

I'm not sure this is correct.  The two are generally in no way the same "product", beyond being a hole in the water that your boat should fit in to. (I say "should", because on our last CRT mooring the hole proved to not be deep enough!).  In our area the few linera CRT moorings are usually on the towpath, insecure, generally without facilities, and in many cases not even with available parking.  (there are a few exceptions, but not many).

I have seen no evidence of prices being increased when a new marina is built.

In fact for many years BW and CRT just increased their fixed price list by a fixed annual percentage everywhere.  The idea of actually adjusting some, (but not all) prices based on demand is very recent, but it is based on demand, I think, not because new marinas are built.

In fact, it is in the most popular areas where there is no prospect of any marinas being built that "above the average" increases seem the most rife, and that is, I suggest, because less moorings are available, so those that do exist demand higher prices, even if largely unserviced, insecure, without parking, and in fairly unattractive locations.