Costs to live on a canal boat could planned to go up by 75% within five yearsYoung people who have bought residential canal boats after being priced out of the conventional property market have reacted with horror to news that they face costs almost doubling in five years.
In the shadow of West Ham's football stadium on the River Lea, there are more than 150 boats moored on a three mile stretch of water. Terence Baude, 34, and his partner Abai Lavender, 34, have lived on board the Athair Enion for four years. 'Rent is expensive but there are major costs on a boat. We paid our fees in October so the price increases haven't hit us yet. I work as a jeweller in Farringdon, so living on the river is great for me.
'We moved onto the boat two and a half years ago and I wouldn't change it for the world. Anyone who wants to put me off the water is going to face a battle. There are talk of"safety zones" where nobody will be allowed to moor, but this is part of a purge to get rid of us. Outside London on the Grand Union Canal, Ricky Bartram-Carter, an NHS worker, says the change will increase his bills by 64% in the next five years and force him to delay his retirement.
He added that most continuous cruisers have a positive impact on the waterways by cutting back overhanging branches and clearing other people's litter but believes CRT is choosing to prioritise holidaymakers. From April 1 the base licence fee will increase for all boats with an additional fee is applied to boaters without a permanent mooring, such as a marina. Wide-beam boats face even higher charges. At the end of this period, 2029, some boaters will be paying 75% more than they are now.
'I wanted to get on the property ladder but couldn't afford to buy a house. For a lot of young people, particularly creatives, who want to live in London and have jobs in London this is the only way they can do it but it's being taken away.'