Licence fees

IWA Persistence Pays Off:- Reduced licence fee increase announced- 12.4 % to 8.3%

BW has issued a press release advising that the licence fee increases are to be limited in the short term to  8.3% for private boat licences (rather than the previously proposed 12.4% increase).

Workboat and trade plate licences will also increase by 8.3%.  Leisure business licences will rise by 3.3% in line with BW’s cost inflation index, whilst a relative licence fee increase of 5.35% will apply to small traders and cargo carriers.

BW’s full response can be read at

http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/images/BW_licence_fee_consultation_report_feb_08.pdf

Whilst IWA appreciates that any rise above inflation is likely to be deemed an un-satisfactory outcome, it is pleasing that collectively it has been acknowledged by BW that  we made a passionate and informed contribution to the consultation process, and in doing so have managed to not just argue a case for retaining the early payment discount, but also for a reduced increase overall, something which was not in the scope of the original consultation paper.

IWA also managed to get across to BW the need to recognise that the boating market is not ‘buoyant’- as it claimed, but that we are seeing a national downturn in boating generally, and in boating sales and new registrations, largely as a result of increasing costs in moorings, licences and fuel, and through inflationary pressure in the domestic environment, something BW seemed to be oblivious to in their original proposals.

IWA’s agenda for better and more visible enforcement, and a need for other stakeholders to be made to pay their share of the upkeep of the system where they gained the benefit – especially riparian local authorities also appears to have been taken on board. BW indicate that they are looking at alternative sources of funding. Whilst we remain to be convinced by BW’s statement of intent, we will never the-less closely monitor this process, and actively work through British Waterways Advisory Forum and other forums to see whether the burden of direct contributions by boaters to the networks overall upkeep, can be reduced through the development of alternative sources of funding.

IWA has recently met with BW not just to discuss increasing boating costs and the licence fee issue, but also to determine alternative ways of managing the allocation of moorings. We have been promised further consultation on the current moorings trial and possible outcomes for the future, and have tabled a list of ideas for making the process more transparent and open, including maintaining the stance that BW must  remove the auction element which we believe creates a false market and therefore unnecessarily inflates prices.

IWA has also cogently explained the case for BW to seriously look towards the need to modify its strategic outlook on moorings and to actively have a policy for providing more budget moorings on the network and allow the high end provision to be more driven by the private sector.

IWA hopes to be able to similarly influence this agenda and mitigate the impact on ordinary users.