When the current prices were introduced in 2017 following a public consultation, Scottish Canals committed to reviewing them regularly to ensure that the cost price of living on, or enjoying, Scotland's canals by boat reflects market conditions, available facilities, and investment in the infrastructure.
Two independent consultants have been commissioned to carry out the latest review, with The Tourism Resource Company focussing on the leisure industry and Gerald Eve concentrating on the residential market. Both organisations are specialists in their field and have begun analysing the cost of fees across the country using the methodology that was agreed in 2017.
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Richard Millar, COO of Scottish Canals, said: "In 2017 when we introduced a new methodology for setting and reviewing the price of leisure and residential moorings as well as transit and navigation licences, we committed to carrying out a review every five years to benchmark our fees against the wider market. We are embarking upon our first review this year with new prices coming in effect in 2022/23.
"I am pleased that, once again, this will be an independent review led by third party experts who will assess current market conditions using a methodology that was developed in an fair and transparent way to shape how we determine prices going forward.
"As custodians of these valuable heritage assets we want to ensure Scotland's canals remain vibrant waterspaces with thriving residential communities that welcome hundreds of leisure boaters from across Europe and beyond. Offering the right customer experience at the right price point is crucial to their future success."
Scottish Canals is working with Scottish Waterways for All, an umbrella organisation of boaters' groups across Scotland, to ensure the independent experts have an accurate picture of the facilities available and that project milestones are communicated clearly. Scottish Canals is also liaising with British Marine, Sail Scotland, Royal Yachting Association Scotland and its 500 mooring customers throughout the review.
The consultants will make their recommendations in March 2022 and Scottish Canals determining how they are implemented with new prices being introduced in Spring. Scottish Canals will write to each mooring customer to explain how they will be affected.
