IWA Responds to C & RT Above Inflation Increase on Boat Licence Fee .
26 October 2016 .
The Canal & River Trust has announced that private and business boat licence fees will rise by 2.5 % from 1 April 2017 after having capped licence fees to inflation for the past three years .
According to C & RT the rise in licence fees will raise income to ensure that the Trust can continue to sustain the increased spend on waterway maintenance over recent years . Over the past three years the Trust has spent considerably more on caring for the waterways , with the amount spent on maintenance and repair in 2015 / 16 rising to £ 128 million , over 15 % higher than was expended in 2013 / 14 . In the same period the proportion of income from boaters has reduced from 19.9 % to 18.3 % of total income .
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The Trust is also announcing that , following feedback from boating customers and the boating volunteers who sit on its Navigation Advisory Group ( Licensing and Mooring ), it will be carrying out a wideranging review of the structure of boat licensing fees to help guide potential changes to the structure of licence fees from April 2018 .
There will be an extended period of engagement and consultation with boating organisations , boat clubs and societies . Individual boaters will also be given the chance to be heard to ensure that any proposals are based on a full understanding of the range of views from across the Trust ’ s wide range of boating customers .