More moorings

Sat Aug 27 20:01:28 BST 2011

Nice one. . Now, how about yurts, benders, shacks and caravans, Mr  
Shapps?
SF
Shapps urges councils to increase houseboat moorings

Grant Shapps said a residential mooring could allow people to live  
closer to their jobs, family or school
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The government is offering councils financial incentives to allow  
more moorings for houseboats on waterways.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps says new moorings could be eligible for  
the New Homes Bonus, which sees the government match council tax from  
new-build homes.

He says houseboats could allow people to live in areas that otherwise  
might be out of their financial reach.

The Local Government Association said the incentives were "all well  
and good" but there were wider housing issues.

'Lease of life'
Mr Shapps said: "Landlords, councils and communities all have a clear  
incentive to get more mooring sites in their areas.

"Around 15,000 people live on our waterways and many more would like  
to do so. The government's commitment to localism could be an  
opportunity for living on boats to be given a new lease of life."

Mr Shapps said the money that councils received from mooring sites  
could be invested in new marina facilities or waterside recreational  
activities that everyone could benefit from.

Half the population lives within five miles one of Britain's  
waterways, while water based recreation and tourism is thought to  
generate more than £1bn for local economies and support 24,000 jobs,  
he said.

Mr Shapps said creating more residential long-term moorings could  
also reduce the number of boats overstaying on the towpaths of canals  
and waterways.

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“

Start Quote

An average boat with a decent mooring for sale now rivals any house  
purchase”

Jenn
BBC news website reader
Sally Ash, of British Waterways, said the organisation hoped Mr  
Shapps's call for more moorings would "alleviate localised congestion  
along the towpaths".

"We are also pleased to note the reassurance from Mr Shapps'  
department that people can qualify for housing benefit for help with  
mooring fees," she said.

An LGA spokesman said it was obviously not opposed to ideas or  
incentives that gave more people access to housing, but the crux of  
the problem was that councils needed more powers "to build 21st  
Century council homes".

"The problem is councils do not have the muscle that they need, the  
flexibility doesn't exist - the wider issue about housing goes a  
little deeper," he said.

Alan Wildman, chairman of the Residential Boat Owners' Association  
(RBOA) said: "Living afloat is arguably the most sustainable, lowest  
impact way to live, whilst still being able to enjoy 100% of the  
modern amenities that are available to those who live in conventional  
housing."

'No moorings'
News website reader Jenn, from Falmouth, Cornwall, told the BBC she  
had considered living on the water when she moved to Brighton for a  
new job, but found it very difficult.

"Despite an array of amazing and relatively affordable converted  
working boats on offer around the country there are no moorings. And  
an average boat with a decent mooring for sale now rivals any house  
purchase," she said.

Jenn welcomes more moorings but says they have to be in places that  
are convenient for people, with services and access available.

"I had to find somewhere to live quite quickly and ended up choosing  
a place on dry land because there seemed no way I could find a boat  
and a place to moor it close enough to where I work."

Claire Thompson says living on a houseboat is not quite the cheaper  
housing solution people think it is
Claire Thompson, from Reading, lives on a houseboat with her family  
of four.

She told the BBC living on a boat was "great", but the government  
needed to concentrate on helping those already living on the water.

"We need more moorings, but to serve those already on the water - not  
to encourage more people to live aboard. They would be better  
removing the rulings around residential moorings, which would  
immediately increase the number of moorings," she said.

She added that living on a houseboat "is not quite the cheaper  
housing solution people think it is".

"Utilities are different, mobile broadband is rubbish, every two  
years you need to get the boat out of the water to black its bottom.

"Also if I was an awful neighbour, the people on the boats around me  
could move but they might not be able to throw me off my mooring.  
There are a lot of things to consider - I don't think that just  
adding more moorings will help the housing situation," she said.

More on This Story
Related Stories

A history of social housing 04 AUGUST 2011, POLITICS
Shapps scales back tenancy plan 29 JULY 2011, POLITICS
Empty homes 'hidden from figures' 23 MAY 2011, UK
Relaxed local planning laws tried 02 APRIL 2011, POLITICS
Social housing waiting lists rise 15 JANUARY 2011, UK
Houseboat living - a life less ordinary 18 JUNE 2010, BUSINESS
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British Waterways
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Simon Fairlie
Monkton Wyld Court
Charmouth
Bridport
Dorset
DT6 6DQ
01297 561359
chapter7 at tlio.org.uk

http://www.thelandmagazine.org.uk/
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