TEIGNMOUTH mariners at the centre of a row about mooring charges packed into the town council chamber on Tuesday to call for support. Despite the item being taken off the agenda, the power of numbers led to a vote in favour of allowing the public to speak. The decision came despite notices of next week's public meeting to fully discuss the issue being advertised on the entrance to Bitton House. Barry Wilson, spokesman for the Teign Fisherman and Waterman Association, said it was 'vital' for the town council to know the facts before any public meeting takes place. 'It will be too late if we leave it any longer,' he said 'The commission has already threatened to take up people's moorings. We should be prepared to discuss this tonight,' he said. The upsurge comes after mooring holders that are claiming ancient rights to moor their boats received letters from the harbour master telling them to 'pay up or sling their hooks'. Several boat owners maintain that they have customary rights, allowing them to moor for free and protected by Harbour Acts dating back to 1836. It is a complex legal issue that was last year thrashed out by the leaseholders Harbour commission, owner crown Estates and watermen. But the letter by harbourmaster David Platt has been seen as a reneging on that agreement. It states that if no payment or registration is received within 28 days, action may be taken under Teignmouth Harbour bylaws and the mooring allocated to the extensive waiting list. Cllr David Cox said that he had been assured that the criterion that was agreed by all sides last year still stands. 'But gentleman's agreements require goodwill and good faith and I have to say that this letter disturbed me,' he said. Paul Barczok, treasurer of the waterman's association, yacht club and member of the harbour consultative committee urged people 'to fight for your rights'. 'You have had more than 20 years on your mooring you've got that right but you have to tell the commission that you have got it. We have to fight for what we have and to protect our families' rights,' he said. Cllr Roy Philips urged the town council to seek legal advice on the matter. 'This estuary is a gold mine and a lot of people have got their greedy eyes on it.' The legal opinion is already documented,' said Cllr Cox. 'We are at the point of a test case now and does the town council want to be the body that pursues it to the House of Lords?' The town council once again re-enforced its opinion that those currently not paying for moorings should not be required to do so. Cllr Sylvia Russell added that it should be for the commission to prove in court that it has a right to charge for the moorings.' The issue has been an albatross around the neck of all concerned for more than 12 years. Previous leaseholders Teignbridge Council gave up its lease in 2004 after years of attracting criticism for trying to impose charges and a licensing system. The Harbour commission eventually signed the new lease this year. The letter by Capt Platt comes after boat users were asked to submit evidence if they thought they were entitled to prescriptive rights attached to a property or customary rights by the end of last year. Some mooring-holders submitted their evidence direct to Crown Estates, because the harbour commission had not at that point signed the lease. Before the meeting, clerk to the commission Graham Bond said: 'We thrashed out criteria for those that would be exempt from payment. 'We then wrote to mooring holders that if they thought they had a claim to prescriptive rights or other exemptions to go through the claim process with the commission which would then pass it to the crown. 'We had 25 such claims come in and letters were issued to those who had not paid and had not put a claim in. 'The current furore is by those that may have claims but have not bothered to make them. 'We do not want to stand in the way of those we are quite sure do have claims and we ask them to make their case,' he said. A public meeting will be held on Monday at Bitton House, 7pm.
