Tower Hamlets council also wants to 'educate' boaters

January 2017 - by Peter Underwood

London's local councils, especially in the increasingly 'hipster' areas of the capital are attempting to have a greater say in how boaters live on the canals passing through their areas.

In some parts of Islington there is open hostility from the owners of multi-million pound homes close to the canal and about a year ago the council handed out leaflets urging boaters to use smokeless fuels and not run their engines whilst moored – ignoring the reality that most boaters without a fu;l solar array simply could not comply with such a dictat.

Now Tower Hamlets, the council serving the East End, has decided to follow suit. One local councillor has been handing out the leaflet to boaters on the towpath of canals passing through the East End.

Once again amongst the sensible and practical advice is the suggestion: “Charging batteries should be done whilst the boat is navigating, it is not appropriate to run engines whilst moored as this may cause excess noise and diesel pollution which is harmful to health – your health and potentially the health of those living close to where the boat is moored.”

The leaflet may be a clone of the Islington version but London boaters are puzzled as to where the motive to produce it has come from.

Boater groups are currently trying to establish what lies behind the move and whether there is likely to be another conflict between moored boats and local residents, concerned to preserve the price of their increasingly valuable homes.