Broads boaters face ban in row over £1 fee

BOATERS will be banned from mooring at a popular spot on the Norfolk Broads after a local authority sharply increased a £1 lease charge to £675 a year.

For decades, tourists have parked their boats on the staithe, or mooring point, at Barton Turf to enjoy one of the most picturesque views of the rivers.

However, the local council withdrew free mooring this week after the Broads Authority (BA) refused to pay the increased lease fee. Barton Turf and Irstead parish council, which rents the staithe to the BA, said motor and sailing cruisers could now no longer drop anchor, and only paddle-powered dinghies would be permitted to moor.

For the past 50 years, the BA and its predecessor leased the moorings for a nominal £1 per year. However, after the increase to cover maintenance, it will not renew the lease when it ends today. It said the proposal by the council was “untenable” and “disappointing”.

The BA said: “The parish council was not able to offer a lease that was long enough to be financially tenable for the Authority, given that the liability and associated costs for the piling (and other maintenance) would become the authority’s responsibility.

“This short seven-year lease, combined with the associated liability and potential costs of the site, resulted in the proposal being unanimously rejected by the Broads Authority.”

Glenn Neave, chairman of the parish council, said other locations charged far more than a nominal fee when they have far fewer facilities. He added: “We are not prepared to give away a valuable asset when other places get paid – it wouldn’t be fair on our parishioners.”