Noisy neighbour

Like what Stab's said.

Huh, over me head again.
Phil

How do I get rid of noisy narrowboat neighbours? Is a very intriguing headline.

Paywall for me too.

Copy/paste the juicy bits ? Might not be possible - screenshot?

Do they provide an answer or is it another bullshit article with a tempting headline.

AUGUST 31, 2017 by: Adam Fletcher and Simon Fulford
Neighbours are too jolly roger
I have just moved on to a narrowboat on the Regent’s Canal in London. I thought it would be a charming, peaceful life, but my dreams have been dashed. The peace is constantly being broken by our neighbours — a couple of 30-somethings priced out of the London housing market. They play loud music and run their generators late into the night. They have even started flying the skull and crossbones. Is there anything I can do to get them to move on?

The first thing you should do is determine whether they are on a residential mooring or are simply “continuously cruising”. If they are cruising, then they will need to move on within 14 days and the problem will likely go away by itself.

Alas, I think they might have a residential mooring.

In that case, you should establish who owns your neighbour’s mooring and get in touch with them. If they’re causing a disturbance, it is likely that they will be in breach of the conditions of their mooring agreement. Under these circumstances, the owner of the mooring may terminate the agreement and ask them to move on. If your neighbour fails to do so, the mooring owner will be entitled to damages, and could legally remove the boat themselves.

They must surely be in breach. The boat is a complete tip most of the time.

If contacting the mooring owners doesn’t work, you could make a complaint to your local council. Local authorities have a duty to investigate any statutory nuisance, including noise, smoke or a build-up of rubbish.

I’ve spoken to the council already, but it’s taking them ages to respond.

There is one more thing you could try. As I’m sure you are aware, all barge owners need a licence, which they can get by fulfilling conditions set by the Canal and River Trust (CRT), which has responsibility for maintaining the peaceful enjoyment of the waterway. Conditions include having up-to-date insurance and a Boat Safety Scheme Certificate (similar to an MOT). If you suspect that your neighbours have not fulfilled their licence conditions — perhaps they don’t have insurance — you could make a complaint to the CRT. It has funds set aside for investigation and enforcement of the rules, and can revoke your neighbour’s licence if they fall short. They will receive written warnings first, but if they fail to comply the CRT or its enforcement agent is likely to remove their boat from the water.

Adam Fletcher is a trainee solicitor at Farrer & Co.

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