Britain's boaters say water-dwelling is becoming unaffordable

Sam Tabahriti - Reuters - 16/04
The roughly 35,000 people for whom the waterways of England and Wales are home are worried that what has long been a low-cost alternative to living on solid ground is being made unaffordable by government spending cuts and inflation.
  • Government has reduced funding for canal trust
  • Licence fees for boats increased, with further rises expected
  • Boaters fear many will be excluded from the waterways
LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) - The roughly 35,000 people for whom the waterways of England and Wales are home are worried that what has long been a low-cost alternative to living on solid ground is being made unaffordable by government spending cuts and inflation.
Especially in London, the waterways managed by the Canal and River Trust have been a refuge for those priced out of the capital's bricks and mortar property market.

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Increasingly, however, the trust, which operates as a charity, has been passing on costs after the government reduced its funding.
Emma Chonofsky, who lives on a narrowboat about 30 miles (48 km) northwest of London, said the licence she needs from the trust last year increased to over 1,200 pounds ($1,587) from around 900 pounds annually, a rise of 33%, with further increases scheduled until 2026.
"My budget has completely gone out the window," she said, also citing increases in the cost of the coal, diesel and other products she needs to keep her boat "Ethel the Unready" running.
Permanent moorings for those who live on the roughly 2,000 miles of waterways managed by...
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