DOMINIC RAAB MP, Member of Parliament for Esher & Walton
HOUSE OF COMMONS, LONDON SWI1A 0AA
Councillor Stuart Selleck, Leader, Elmbridge Borough Council
Elmbridge Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, Surrey, KTl0 9SD
11 January 2021
Dear Councillor,
Further to my letter of July and your letter of 15 July, I am again writing on the issue of illegally moored boats on the Thames in Walton and the Molesey's.
As you will be aware, six months have now passed since your letter. With this in mind, I am keen to understand what progress, if any, Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) has made in its discussions with its partners, including the neighbouring boroughs and Surrey County Council, in securing a consistent and long-term way forward to properly manage the issue of illegally moored boats.
As you know, I favour a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), believing it to be an efficient and effective tool in addressing this issue once and for all. I am therefore particularly keen to understand whether it is still under consideration by EBC.
Given that the Environment Agency (EA) has now appointed a contractor to issue penalty charges to the owners of unauthorised moorings on EA owned land, I am keen to understand what further action EBC is taking. In particular, is there a risk that boat owners will simply move from EA owned land to EBC owned land?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Dominic Raab
A scanned version of this letter is also available.
