National Trust in tangle with fishermen over mooring fees
THE National Trust has become embroiled in a dispute with fishermen in Norfolk after it imposed a £60 charge at a waterway that was previously used free of charge.
For centuries, anglers and sailors have navigated Brancaster Manor, a 2,000-acre wetland which includes a harbour, on what is considered to be one of the most picturesque spots on the county’s coastline.
However, the trust is now charging £60 for people who want to chain up their dinghies, with notices explaining that anyone seeking to sail must now register their vessel and enter a ballot for a place before paying the fee.
The charity has also imposed a fourfold increase for mooring fees for larger vessels kept on buoys.
It says its costs are rising and that the new measures are intended to make the running of the harbour safer and fairer.
But residents criticised the move and have erected their own sign to voice their displeasure. Placed in the reeds near the sailing club, it reads: “Brancaster Harbour is not Blickling Hall, don’t let the National Trust take control”, and is signed by “the Marsh fairies”.
Cyril Sutherland, 78, a fourth-generation fisherman, fumed: “The National Trust don’t listen to local people now. “For the past two or three years, the trust has ignored the fairways committee when making decisions. That has brought a lot of unrest to the harbour.”
Jim Herculson, 77, a retired businessman, recalled the public meeting before the trust took over Brancaster in 1967 at which it said it did not intend to take over the running of the harbour. He said: “We got on with them and as long as the harbour was run OK, they were happy.”
Boat owners who keep larger vessels on moorings must pay between £150 and £300 depending on the size of their craft. Mr Herculson said the charge was previously £40, while the trust has also opted to register the harbour for VAT and send out invoices before the end of the financial year.
He said the trust seemed to be treating the area like one of its country houses, adding: “This is part of this village, it’s not some ancient pile being preserved with all the souvenir shops, cafés and all the rest of it.”
Jon Brown, who has been working at the harbour for more than 50 years, said: “The feeling is that they’ve got too pushy, too big for their boots.”
A spokesman for the National Trust said: “We’ve managed to keep mooring fees fairly constant for several years.
“However, increased running and maintenance costs mean that as a charity we now need to look at increasing these fees.”