Dear British Waterways
You may not be a Housing Authority but you do have an extensive and thriving liveaboard community.
Those of us who habituate the towpath know of your current and ongoing campaign to make rigid the vaguenesses in the law which were knowingly introduced by Mr George Mudie at the 1995 Select Committee Hearings.
The vague nature of the 14 day rule was given to us for our protection against your clear aggression towards your liveaboard customers.
The issues today are no different from those of 1995.
Please do not introduce any new rules that deliberately ignore the wise council of George Mudie MP and his scrutinising Select Committee. To do so would be to ignore the highest adjudication in the land. The phrase 'Ultra Vires' comes to mind.
Thank You.
Simon Greer
Folk have lived on their canal boats since canals were built.
Today many more people are opting for life afloat simply because its ever harder to secure an affordable house.
British Waterways, soon to be Canal and River Trust threatens to withhold licences from towpath boat dwellers unless we move on and keep moving aound Britains 2000 mile network of waterways.
This will force us to leave behind communities, schools, doctors and jobs, forceably uncoupling us from the local communities in which we are enbedded. The alternative is to vacate our homes and seek housing assistance from hard pressed Local Authirities. We boaters dont want this, Local Authorities done want this.
This Petition asks British Waterways to reappraise their negativity towards their towpath liveaboard community and allow us to continue our chosen liferstyle without threats of homelessness and court action.
Thank you.
Simon Greer
Boat Dweller for 35 years. Canal Restorer.
