Autumn Newsletter: October 2015
SOCIAL DATES
Camboaters AGM
31st October
Our AGM will take place at 6:30-8pm, Thursday 29th October
Kids pumpkin carving workshop
in the Blythe Room, Clare College Colony, Chesterton Road (at the Colony, just ask the porters for directions to the room)
5pm, outside the Fort St George on narrowboat Rosie
New faces always very welcome and the following positions need to be filled:
Brown’s Field Boaters Party
Chair
6:30 til late. There will be a bonfire to sit around. Please bring something to drink and a musical instrument to play. Boats welcome to moor up on field for the night.
Secretary (to be divided into three roles – Minute taking, Event organising and Publicity)
5th November Midsummer Common Fireworks 7:30pm, plus funfair 6-9pm
Treasurer
Cambridge City Council to consult on mooring enforcement changes At the Community Services Scrutiny Committee meeting on the 8th October, Cambridge City Council voted to hold a consultation on the enforcement of the visitor moorings in Cambridge. Currently, the Council must take overstaying boats to court for trespass, but they want to bring in new methods of enforcement which involve fines, similar to car parks. Following a meeting of boaters (the minutes of which are on the Camboaters website and Facebook group), several boaters spoke at the Council meeting. We raised several concerns: •
That enforcement could make people homeless if they were unable to move and the resultant action meant their boat was impounded.
As well as the Facebook Page we now have a new Facebook chat Group:
•
That it was as a result of Council mis-management that some boaters do not have a licence to moor, so this needs to be addressed
Search for “Cam Boaters”
•
That this would not solve the many other issues we have such as un-lived on boats and renting.
Find us on Twitter: @camboaters
email the committee camboaters.committee@gmail.com or text/call 07828763885 (Secretary’s number – Amy on Willow)
We will make sure that all boaters receive a copy of the consultation when it is published.
Electoral registration for boaters Camboaters was contacted recently by the new Electoral Services Support Officer, Emily, whose role is to make sure everyone knows how to get on the Electoral Roll if they want to. We met with her to hear about our options and she has written a statement explaining them. Basically, if you have a mooring in Cambridge (including those on Riverside as long as they are registered with the Council) then you can vote using you boat as an address and don't need to make a "Declaration of Local Connection". Those boaters without a permanent mooring will still need to make a DLC in order to vote. There are two key ways for a narrow boat resident to register; the approach depends solely upon the status of the mooring held. Status 1: any person living on a boat, houseboat or similar residence which has a permanent mooring in Great Britain can be treated as being resident at that address. People living permanently in such residences will be registered as ordinary electors. For example your address will be listed as- Narrow boat Christmas, River Cam, Cambridge. Status 2: when a person lives on a boat or other similar residence that has no permanent mooring, that person cannot be treated as being resident at any particular address. Any such person will, however, be able to register by making a declaration of local connection. They will be registered at a place where they spend most of their time or to which they have some connection. This may, for example, be a boat yard or a local friend’s house that you trust and regularly frequent. How to registerStatus 1: visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and complete the online form, however if you cannot find your address contact us for a registration form. You do not need to re-register every time you move your boat. If you move to a different location along the river, you will remain registered at the place where you made the initial application. There are different polling districts along the river so regardless of where your boat is moored at the time of an election you would always have to travel back to your original polling station to vote. Furthermore, as with all other properties you will also be required to respond to our annual canvass form in autumn of each year. Status 2: contact us either by phone or email so we can send you a declaration of local connection form; your registration will need to be renewed annually but we will send you a reminder before it expires. Email: elections@cambridge.gov.uk
Telephone: 01223 457050
Events Diary The events calendar is now on Google Calendars and can be found at http://www.camconservancy.org/#!events-diary/c1nvz Number to call for passage through th
th
26 -30 Oct th th 26 -20 Oct th
th
4 -5 Nov th
14 Nov 22
nd
th
Nov
26 - 28 Nov rd 3 Dec th
th
12 Dec
Bait’s Bite Lock Closed A14 –Railway bridge
Maintenance Works
Cam Con
University IVs
CUCBC
Maintenance W0rks
EA
07742 086214
Bottisham Lock closed Bait’s Bite Chesterton Long Reach
Winter Head
Cantabs RC
Emma Sprints
Long Reach
Clare Novice Regatta
A14 Bridge – Jesus Boathouse Railway Bridge – City Boathouse
Fairbairns Cup
Emmanuel College Clare College Jesus College City of Cambridge
Christmas Head
13:00-17:00
07:30-15:30 09:00-15:00 14:00- 16:00 All day
07742 086214
10:00-15:00