Support Our Campaign!

We need funds to run our campaign, so we've set up a GoFundMe page. Please help if you are able: https://www.gofundme.com/project-duckstorm-2wf9r8s

River bank residents launch ‘The Camboaters River Review’.

[Press Release] 

Camboaters, the Association representing the interests of boats moored on the river Cam, are today announcing their ‘Camboaters River Review’. It seeks to identify ways of improving the already strong community that has been built up over many years between most land and river residents, as well as the many riverbank and river users.

The Camboaters River Review also aims to achieve a well-considered collective response to the Cambridge City Council’s recently announced Public Consultation on its ‘Moorings Management Policy’. The Council is asking for views from the general public on a range of their propositions which include; relocating boats from the Council’s Riverside moorings to an unspecified new mooring zone on The Commons; reducing the number of mooring licenses; doubling its mooring income; spending more, on an enhanced management and enforcement system for residents and visitors. Given the complexity and serious nature of the situation, and the shortage of information provided by Cambridge City Council, the Camboaters River Review also aims to provide the information people would require to be able to make an objective and well informed response to the Public Consultation.

The Camboaters River Review was born out of the shock, anger and anxiety caused by the Council not communicating with any local boat owners before launching their Public consultation. However, Camboaters have since concluded this is also an opportunity to consult on ways of expanding the already extensive cooperation between the diverse communities upon or nearby the river.

There are two main strands to The Camboaters River Review; Discovery and Consultation. A range of Camboaters working groups are looking into every aspect proposed by the Council. Investigations, enquiries, and private meetings with Councillors and Officials are already underway to seek more clarity about their motives and objectives. Camboaters will then hold a public meeting to air the Council’s proposals, present constructive alternatives, and explore additional ideas. Details of their public meeting will be announced soon.

Camboaters Chairman Jim Ross, a Practical Sustainability Architect, says about the launch “The Council’s initial proposals with notions of auctioning off moorings to the highest bidder, and ‘extinguishing’ boats from Riverside, came out of the blue. It shocked our close knit community to the core. Subsequent insinuations, in public meetings, that boats are moored illegally are groundless, and upset many, needlessly. Since then there’s been a welcome softening of Council approach, and a fantastic response by both Camboaters and many supportive local house residents. We’re rallying and reaching out to find ways the whole riverbank community can be improved for residents and visitors alike. We’ve led the way with initiatives like The Cam Clean-up. Our presence and communication network helps keep the whole riverbank environment safer for all. The Camboaters River Review aims to continue to be positive and lead by example’’.

The City Council Moorings consultation Survey can be found here https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/T6HD7D6

Cambridge Residents support the Boaters

Check out this video, created by Cambridge residents in support of the boaters. Thanks to Hilary for making it!

Council Consultation

Cambridge City Council are in the process of launching a consultation on moorings in Cambridge which could see boaters face financial hardship or even lose their homes.


The Council are proposing:

• Abolishing mooring along Riverside, reducing the number of residential moorings in Cambridge by around one third. This is despite a recent consultation showing strong public support for retaining mooring on this part of the river. People have lived on Riverside for 20 years or more, and there is nowhere on the river for boats to go if they are moved on.
• Doubling the mooring fee for all boats on Council moorings, and abandoning the principle that fees should be set at a fair level that reflects the cost of providing services to boaters. A doubling of fees would cause significant financial hardship for many people who live on boats.

Camboaters are extremely concerned at the proposals in the consultation. We want instead to see:

• Riverside boaters integrated into the existing moorings policy. We believe safety concerns over the railings that the Council are using as a pretext for the proposed evictions have been greatly overstated, as people have moored there for at least 20 years without incident. With small modifications to access (gates in the railings, ladders on the wall, and mooring rings - already in place on some parts of the river wall), excellent access could be provided for boaters for very little outlay.
• Keeping the current simple and fair fee structure. Integrating Riverside into the Council's mooring policy so that boats there pay the same mooring licence as other boaters is a better way of increasing revenue!

The proposed consultation document is online on the Council's website. We'll be doing everything we can to persuade the Council that there is a better, fairer way forward for boaters and the City than the current proposals.

We'll provide regular updates on the website, through Facebook and Twitter, and by email. Please contact us at camboaters.committee@gmail.com if you would like to be on the mailing list or can offer support.