Mutiny On The River
As residential boat owners face 'massive' increase in PLA licence fees
Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Brentford & Isleworth Cllr Andrew Dakers has joined forces with MP Vincent Cable and actress Susan Penhaligon to highlight the plight of residential boat owners on the Thames.
The river's residents are currently facing a massive increase in licence fees from the Port of London Authority (PLA).
Susan Penhaligon, who has a boat at Kew Bridge, has launched a campaign with her fellow residential boat owners.
Vincent Cable has, so far, held two debates in Parliament on behalf of the 200+ residents in the Twickenham constituency who live on boats, have no security of tenure and are faced with big arbitrary increases in licence fees.
He said, "There have been several cases recently of residents on Ducks Walk and Thistleworth Marina facing exorbitant increases in licence fees and this is a pattern up and down the river. There has to be some regulation of this monopoly charging."
Cllr Dakers added, "The Port of London Authority may have expertise in managing a commercial port, but they would appear to have little appreciation of the consequences of these exorbitant increases in license fees on ordinary people’s lives. Better regulation of the PLA is now essential and urgently required."
March 9, 2010
