Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Navigation charges 2023/24

Please find below answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the increases in navigation charges/tolls for the 2023/24 financial year.

Mooring charges at Ranworth and Reedham & increased charges at other locations

Q - What are the proposed charges?

A - Mooring charges at Yarmouth and Norwich will increase from £6 to £8 for a day and £13 to £16 for an overnight stay. This is the first increase in charges in these locations since 2017.

The charge for using Mutford Lock will increase from £15 to £17.

Charges will be introduced at Reedham and Ranworth where staff help people to moor. This will contribute to the efficient use of the mooring spaces at Reedham in this busy location and help people moor safely at Reedham where tidal currents can prove tricky. Charges of £10 for an overnight stay, £5 for a daytime visit and £3 for a powered boat using the dinghy dyke at Ranworth will only apply during the main season from April to October.

These charges contribute to the navigation income of the Authority and it is estimated will generate around £100,000 which is the equivalent of an additional 3% increase on tolls for all boats.

Q - What powers does the Authority have if people refuse to pay the charges?

A – Non-payment of a mooring charge would be recoverable via a Civil Court action if the situation warranted such action, in the same way that driving away from a forecourt without paying for fuel would be. Specific by-laws are not required. Our experience is that users of Broads Authority Yacht Stations are courteous, responsible and pay fees for using the facilities when required.

The fees are collected in person as the facilities are used and customers have the choice to pay and use the facility or to find another nearby free mooring if they do not wish to pay the fee.

Q - Will this have an adverse effect on visitor numbers to these locations?

A - The Authority does not believe that these charges will have an adverse effect on visitors. Staff working in these locations report that many visitors expect to pay for these moorings, and there are similar charges being made in close proximity to the Broads Authority moorings. When considering pricing, consideration was given to ensure that Authority charges did not undercut prices charged by other organisations nearby.

Q - Is the Authority allowed to introduce new charges at Reedham and Ranworth?

A – Yes. There are no restrictions which prevent charging. The Reedham moorings are owned by Broadland District Council and the Broads Authority has sought permission from them to implement charges. The introduction of charges does not require any planning consent as there is no change in land use.

Increase in navigation charges/tolls

Q - Are toll-payers “propping up” the National Park functions of the Broads Authority?

A - The DEFRA Grant provides money to the Authority to manage its National Park statutory duties and the navigation income is used to manage the waterways. Both income streams contribute towards shared services (for example Information technology, human resources, finance, payroll and communications cost) as these are intrinsic to the successful delivery of Broads Authority Services.

The intense financial pressures (detailed in the committee report) meant that it was essential to review the allocation of shared costs between navigation and National Park expenditure because the current use of National Park income to moderate navigation charges cannot be sustained.

Details of this are contained within the report put to Members of the Authority on the 20 January following earlier consultation with Members on 5 October 2022 and Navigation Committee on 12 January. Significant examples of this include the apportionment of Ranger time and the three yacht stations. The Rangers spend 80% of their time on navigation activity while only 70% is currently charged. The costs of the yacht stations are currently funded 25% by National Park Grant and yet their purpose is entirely for the benefit of users of the waterways.

Q - Will tolls increases lead to fewer boats on the Broads?

A – The potential of increases leading to a reduction of boats is considered carefully when reviewing tolls charges and a delicate balance has to be struck. Members are keen to maintain existing levels of navigation services despite increasing costs whilst considering that any resulting loss of tolled boats would adversely affect navigation income. Whilst difficult to accurately forecast, it is anticipated that the hire fleet will continue to reduce by at least 15 boats, as yards seek to provide fewer but larger, more luxurious boats to meet customer demands. It is not anticipated, based on previous experience, that numbers of privately-owned boats will fall. The Broads has a large fleet of small boats so the cash impact for many owners will be relatively minor. During the last recession, numbers of privately-owned boats actually increased.

Q - Why do toll-payers have to fund funding shortfalls? Are there alternatives such as using reserves or cost cutting?

A - The Authority has been relying on reserves to plug the budget gap created by the falling value of the National Park Grant for a number of years. This has previously helped limit rises in the level of navigation charges. This is not a long-term, sustainable option because the Authority's reserves need to be maintained at a minimum level. Consequently, a balanced budget has to be set with expenditure equalling income.

The Authority proposes to reduce expenditure by significantly decreasing office space at Yare House office by around 50% saving an estimated £132,000 this year.

The Authority will continue to seek cost saving measures and alternative grant funds to supplement our valuable work in the Broads. A good example of this is a recent capital grant, secured from DEFRA this year. Although the funding criteria was for investments that promoted biodiversity (National Park activity), the grant secured among other things, a new £250,000 plant cutting machine which will not only help us manage plant growth but also increase our capacity to keep navigation channels clear.

Q - A 13% increase is above inflation (plus additional mooring costs on top of this) – how is this justified…especially as mooring spaces are reducing? / Aren’t toll-payers getting “less services for more money”?

A - The Authority is entirely dependent upon income from tolls to fund the maintenance and improvement of navigation and it is the only major navigation authority in the UK that does not regularly receive central funding for this role.

The reality is that many aspects of navigation have remained consistent or improved in recent years and the Authority continues to improve the facilities available to the boating community. The total length of mooring provision has increased, there are more ranger patrols, more plant cutting than ever in order to cope with increased growth and dredging activity has become more efficient (refer to detail below).

In order to continue the effective delivery of its statutory purposes and responsibilities and retain the enhanced safety provision from increased patrolling by seasonal Rangers an increase in charges of 13% is required.

Q - Why do charges over the last 10 years vary between different boat types?

A - Charges for boating on the Broads have not increased at the same rate for all boats.

The largest increases over the last ten years have been for the large private motor boats which have in recent years also increased in number. The increases for the weekly hire fleet have been lower in recognition of the important contribution they make to the local economy.

A key decision by Members in November 2016 to make the whole tolls structure fairer means that small boats, which were decreasing in number, have not seen those same increases.

Owners of hybrid, electric or unpowered boats have also befitted from lower tolls rises.

The effect is that today 1:10 of the private boats will still be paying less in 2023/24 than they did in 2016/17.

This year a small private motorboat (5m2) paid £75.30 and next year it will pay £85.10, a £9.80 (+13%) increase.

But that is still below the charge ten years ago when it was as follows:

• 2012/13 £97.44
• 2013/14 £90.00

A large proportion of the boats on the Broads are relatively small and therefore the annual cash increase is “relatively minor”.

That doesn’t mean that Members aren’t mindful of the impact on the owners of larger craft.

Data regarding mooring frontage, Ranger patrols, riverside tree/scrub management, water plant cutting and dredging

Length of 24-hour mooring frontage across Broads network

The Authority currently manages 53% more mooring frontage than twenty years ago (data not shown in table), 9.9% more than 10 years ago and 4.8% more than five years ago. Although the total number of different 24-hour mooring sites has fluctuated from year to year, the length of mooring frontage has increased despite pressures from landowners as well as rising material and equipment costs.

Ranger time spent patrolling

The amount of days spent by Rangers on patrolling the waterways to keep visitors safe and reduce antisocial behaviour has increased 38% compared to ten years ago and 21% compared to five years ago. This is thanks to an increased focus on visitor safety and the recruitment of a number of Assistant Rangers.

So far in the 2022/23 year, Rangers have completed 1713 days of patrols, and it is expected that this will be in line with the 2021/22 figures by the end of the financial year.

Person days spent dredging the waterways

Dredging days have fluctuated up and down as various projects around the Broads waterways are scheduled and completed.

Over the previous five year period, person days have remained consistent, with 2022/23 figures not yet completed. Productivity in terms of cubic metres of sediment per staff working days spent dredging has remained very consistent over this period. The variations between years reflects the complexity of the sites being worked on and the competing demands of other priorities within the waterways management work programme.

Each year the dredging projects are prioritised according to waterways compliance, ensuring that dredging works are targeted at the worst performing areas across the Broads system, rather than targeting a consistent volume with little benefit for users.

Days spent cutting water plants

During 2022/23, approximately 200 additional days have been spent by our Operations team cutting water plants across the Broads system to keep the waterways navigable when compared to ten years ago (+277%), and 90 additional days when compared to five years ago (+47.8%). In total, 272 days were spent cutting in 2022/23, the highest total since the beginning of data capture.

Capital funding recently received from DEFRA will allow the Authority to purchase a third cutting vessel, improving our efficiency in cutting water plants in future years.

Length of riverbank managed for tree and scrub

Ten years ago, the Authority took a less co-ordinated approach to planning and delivery of riverside tree and scrub management, and we are therefore missing total length data.

However, since beginning our latest five-year management plan, we have consistently managed approx. 3000m of riverbank year-on-year up to 2022/23.

The 2022/23 figure is lower (at approx. 2000m) as our team have dedicated significant resources to tackle the main bulk of the priority areas in the previous five years, leaving a smaller area to focus on this year and allowing us to focus on other areas of our work.

Full maps of areas that will be managed over coming years are available on the Authority’s website.

Friday 20 January 2023