Boaters are set to pay more to use Norfolk's waterways for another year, despite boat firms calling for the move to be scrapped.
The Broads Authority (BA) has revealed plans to increase toll fees by an average of 5.9pc for most craft, as part of its annual review.
Diesel and petrol hire boats will see the biggest increase of nearly 10pc, but hired sailing boats and electric day boats will not face higher fees as part of a drive towards a more environmentally friendly Broads.
It follows a meeting of navigation committee members who called on the BA to find cuts and savings in its services rather than putting prices up to 12pc, which the authority says it needs to do to cover increasing costs.
If approved, the changes will mean a 48m2 hired motor boat will pay £2,114.40 a year to use the Broads, an increase of £93.10 on the previous year.
Private motor boats, meanwhile, will pay £743.28 - a rise of only £41.42.
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John Packman, chief executive of the BA, has warned the lower increase of 5.9pc for most vessels will mean the number of hours that rangers patrol the Broads and the amount of dredging work it carries out will need to be cut.
This is due to a £400,000 'black hole' forecast in its funds next year.
READ MORE: Broads Authority seeking savings to avoid toll hikes
Matthew Thwaite, chairman of the Hire Boat Federation, thinks any increase is too much.
He said: "From our point of view, we think increases are too high.
"We have already had three years of increases above inflation. We should not be having any increases this year.
"The BA say if we do not have these increases it will impinge on safety but this is not true.
"There is so much dead wood they could cut down on without affecting frontline services."
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Ben Falat, chairman of the Norfolk and Suffolk Boating Association, believes the increases are fair.
He has consulted figures from the Office for National Statistics that suggest the increases proposed are close to the inflationary costs experienced by the boating industry this year.
However, he has questioned how the BA is using money raised through toll fees, which should legally only be used for navigational duties.
"Toll fees must be only used for the maintenance of navigation in the Broads," he said.
"Things like ranger staff are services to navigation and this would fall outside what tolls are allowed to be used for," he said.
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Further backlash to the increases has come from the Broads Reform Action Group, which is campaigning for changes to how the authority is run.
Chairman Colin Chelebrugh believes there needs to be more transparency of its finances.
“In the last three years, there have been no comprehensive accounts available during the process," he said.
"This is something we find incomprehensible and will continue to campaign for.
“The rate of inflation in tolls is, by the authority’s own admission, causing private owners to sell their boats and placing an unprecedented burden on hire fleets."
A final decision on the new charges will be made on Friday, November 29, by Broads Authority members.
Last year members voted to ignore the Navigation Committee's recommendations of a lower hike and instead opted for a higher increase of 8.5pc.
WHAT BOATERS COULD PAY NEXT YEAR
The majority of boaters can expect to pay 5.9pc more than last year, if the proposed charges are approved.
Private sailing boat owners can expect to pay between £59.75 to £131.45 a year, depending on the size of the craft.
The biggest private motor boat will pay £743.28, while the smallest 5m vessel would pay just £97.80.
Hired petrol day boats face the biggest increase and will pay £770 while day electric hire boats will be charged £479.38
Hired motor craft will face costs between £1,637 and £2,114.
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