Medway Local Plan (Regulation 19, 2025)

Object

Representation ID: 5015

Received: 11/08/2025

Respondent: National Bargee Travellers Association

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

The NBTA regularly receives requests for help from boat dwellers on moorings threatened with planning enforcement action for residential use of leisure moorings. The highest number of requests are from boat dwellers on the River Medway who are threatened with the loss of their homes due to enforcement against residential use or in some cases, enforcement against residential and leisure use of the mooring. This points to significant unmet needs for residential moorings on the River Medway. Instead of taking enforcement action, the Council should include measures to provide planning consent to these moorings in the Local Plan.

Object

Representation ID: 5017

Received: 11/08/2025

Respondent: National Bargee Travellers Association

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

The visual appearance of boats that are used as homes should not be a factor in deciding whether or not to grant planning consent or in any decision to designate land for moorings.

Object

Representation ID: 5019

Received: 11/08/2025

Respondent: National Bargee Travellers Association

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

This ignores the need for residential moorings and undermines S.124 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016. It does not address the need for more residential moorings or allocate land for residential moorings or identify suitable locations. Policy T22 meets the leisure market, not the needs of boat dwellers. The failure to consult with the large boat dweller community in Medway and recognise their needs or consult with national bodies such as the NBTA is unacceptable. The specialist needs of boat dwellers, who cannot afford the high cost of mainstream housing, is not met by Policy T7 or T22.

Object

Representation ID: 5020

Received: 11/08/2025

Respondent: National Bargee Travellers Association

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

If boats used as homes are subject to the same smoke controls as bricks and mortar homes, they will become uninhabitable in winter if boat dwellers cannot use their solid fuel stoves. Whilst climate change and poor air quality are existential threats, there must be justice in the transition to clean energy, and that includes justice to those who have no viable alternatives to fossil fuels for heating and power.

Object

Representation ID: 5023

Received: 11/08/2025

Respondent: National Bargee Travellers Association

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

This appears to be a major capital construction project that implies moorings that will offer premium leisure moorings only; in turn offering no affordable rent residential moorings unless mandated by s.106 agreement.
The plan involves relocating moorings. The mooring should be left where they are because relocation implies gentrification and the existing mooring users including boat dwellers (who are likely to have been present for decades) will be displaced and an entire community will be broken up. This must not be allowed to happen.
No examination has been conducted under s.124 Housing and Planning act 2016 including consulting NBTA.