Judge rejects bid by boating groups for judicial review challenge over plans for increased mooring fees

A High Court judge has rejected an application for judicial review over plans by Mayor Marvin Rees' Cabinet at Bristol City Council to increase mooring fees in Bristol Harbour.

Bristol Boaters Community Association (BBCA), Bristol Cruising Club and Cabot Cruising Club had claimed a lack of consultation made the local authority’s decision unlawful. The claimants said some boat owners faced a more than 150% rise in fees.

BBCA had raised more than £15,000 for the legal challenge via Crowd Justice.

A spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office said: “We are very pleased that the application for judicial review was dismissed. The costs awarded to the council go some way to recouping the time spent defending the process of January’s decision.

“As we have said throughout, the Mayor and Cabinet want a harbour that is an asset for the benefit of our whole city, one which is financially sustainable, accessible, and contributes to our wider aims of climate resilience and biodiversity. Following a benchmarking exercise we reviewed mooring fees and increased them to a market rate for the first time in 20 years. To date we have received 220 applications for licences of boats in the harbour, including the newly introduced liveaboard licences, which shows that the revised rates are reasonable and the majority of boaters understand the need to make a fair contribution to the operation of the harbour.”

The spokesperson added: “Separate to the Boaters Association’s legal action, we are about to engage on a longer term vision for the harbour and its uses. Working in collaboration with the city’s communities, landowners and those who have an interest in the harbour we are looking to build an understanding of the harbour that Bristol wants. This will guide and shape the on-going regeneration of the harbour as we make it financially sustainable and respond to decades of underinvestment in infrastructure.”

The BBCA has been approached for comment.