Boaters go to court to fight seizure notices

Boats on the River Lea. Photograph: Hackney Citizen

A judicial review will take place to decide whether boats without permanent moorings can be threatened with seizure by the Canal and River Trust.

Lord Justice Jackson has given the go-ahead for a review to decide whether the sending of seizure notices to ‘continuous cruiser’ vessels staying in one place for more than 14 days amounts to lawful practice.

A decision on the matter, due later this year, will affect the lives of boaters on Hackney’s rivers.

Pamela Smith, Deputy Chair of the National Bargee Travellers Association, which took the case to the court, said: “Those who live on the waterway without permanent mooring have been subjected to continuous and widespread harassment and bullying.”

Nigel Johnson, Legal Director at The Canal and River Trust, said: “The Guidance dates back to 2004 and we believe it has stood the test of time and is supported by the great majority of boaters who recognise the need for some limited regulation of mooring on increasingly congested waterways.”

The Canal and River Trust is a charitable trust responsible for 2,000 miles of canals and rivers.