Riverside residents in Lower Sunbury may be interested to know that Spelthorne Council is stepping up enforcement action to tackle the problems created by boats mooring on the Thames in certain parts of the Borough.

Residents of Ryepeck Meadow and Council owned land near the Red Lion pub in Shepperton have been battling problems caused by boat owners mooring and discharging waste from their boats.

Cost-effective and timely enforcement of unauthorised moorings on the Thames is an issue which the River Thames Alliance and Environment Agency have been grappling with for some time and earlier in the year the Environment Agency completed a six month pilot scheme using specialised contractors to enforce mooring restrictions in Elmbridge and Oxford.

Following the success of this pilot, Spelthorne Council will be the first local authority to take up this new innovative enforcement method. Signage is being introduced to warn boat owners of the mooring restrictions and, following warnings; enforcement action will be taken against those who ignore the conditions.