GovWire

Press release: Abingdon boat owner's court costs for not registering vessel

Environment Agency

December 8
13:41 2023

A live-aboard boat-owner moored at Abingdon has been convicted of failing to register his boat for use on the River Thames.

Environment Agency officers discovered Peter Bristow had no valid registration for his narrowboat vessel, Ladybird, moored in meadows opposite Wilsham Road, during routine checks in July this year. He was handed a warning notice requiring him to comply with the law within 14 days.

It is a criminal offence to keep, use or let for hire an unregistered vessel on a waterway.

After he did not pay, officers revisited in August and he was given a letter explaining that he would be prosecuted if he did not register within 7 days. Bristow didnt do this, so the Environment Agencys legal team notified the court, and a summons was issued.

Oxford magistrates court was told riverside inspections by officers revealed Bristow had skipped the annual 378.72 registration fee, determined by the length and width of the boat. Including costs and compensation, he was required to pay a total of 668.72.

Colin Chiverton, Thames environment manager at the Environment Agency, said:

We were both patient and understanding with Bristow, though his actions made it clear that he was unwilling to pay a fee that goes straight towards the upkeep of our rivers to support navigation. Although the fine itself was minimal due to circumstances, Bristow is still responsible for full payment of court costs as well as the original fee.

Renewal invitation letters for 2024 registrations have gone out to everyone that registered their boat this year. If you have a boat on the Thames, now is the time to renew; from January our enforcement teams will be patrolling the river checking for valid registrations. In 2024, once a summons has been issued, we wont stop court proceedings, even if the boat owner pays their registration fee.

Similar to excise duty for road vehicles, boat registration fees allow the Environment Agency to manage and maintain more than 600 miles of inland waterways across England, keeping them open and safe for thousands of boaters.

Peter Bristow entered a guilty plea at Oxford magistrates court on 1 December 2023 of breaching the Environment Agency (Inland Waterways) Order 2010. He was fined 40 and ordered to pay costs of 250 and his outstanding boat registration fee of 378.72 for 1 January to 31 December 2023.

  • Owners of powered or non-powered boats, including paddleboards, must register their vessels annually with the Environment Agency for use on the non-tidal River Thames.

  • Boat registration on the Thames starts on 1 January every year. Any boats found on the water after that date, without having registered, may be liable to a fine.

  • On 31 August 2023, during a river-wide census, Environment Agency officers recorded the locations of 11,310 boats on the river.

  • Boats can be registered by calling 03708 506 506 or going to River Thames: boat registration and application forms - GOV.UK (www.

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