Housing shortage sees canals clog up
BRITAIN: Stepping off a canal towpath and on to a narrow boat was for many years a short cut to peace and tranquillity - but Britain’s waterways are becoming increasingly congested as a growing number of people take to boats to beat the country’s housing crisis.
Unaffordable prices for homes on dry land have encouraged thousands to live on the water, where the costs are far lower. However, permanent moorings in London are now all taken, and the canals are home to more than 1600 ‘‘water gypsies’’, houseboat owners who have to stay permanently on the move.
Many fear that rising property prices will inevitably lead to similar demand in other cities with canal networks, such as Birmingham, Manchester and Cambridge.
The number of ‘‘continuous cruisers’’ has risen from 638 in 2012 to 1615 last year, an increase of 153 per cent.
A recent survey of 1323 London boat dwellers by the Canal and River Trust (CRT), which administers 600 moorings in the London area, found that more than half were doing it for financial rather than lifestyle reasons.
The trust, which looks after 160 kilometres of London waterways apart from the tidal Thames River, says house prices and a spate of magazine articles about the low cost of living on a houseboat are responsible for the increase.
Some users complain that London’s canals are becoming as congested and stressful as the M25 motorway. If they leave their spot to refill their water and fuel tanks, there is no guarantee they will find a mooring when they get back. Sometimes they have to travel dozens of kilometres to find somewhere else to tie up.
Many actively prefer the life of a water gypsy: unlike permanent moorings, which can cost thousands of pounds a year, temporary moorings are free.
A boat licence costs £50 a month and is issued after the CRT has checked that the vessel is watertight and insured. A narrow boat can cost as little as £12,000 to buy but requires regular maintenance, particularly if it is often on the move. All services, including sewerage, are the responsibility of the owner. - The Times