Bailiffs Take Possession of Ridgeways Boatyard

Historic site now deserted as developers obtain eviction through courts

A small piece of Brentford history looks to have disappeared following the enforcement of a 2005 High Court order against Ridgeway's Boatyard to the south of Brentford High Street.

Bailiffs arrived on Friday morning to take possession of the yard, changing the locks and towing the houseboats inside the yard into the canal. By mid-afternoon the site was effectively empty, save for the presence of security guards placed there to monitor the site.

The High Court granted possession of the site to its former owners in October 2005. Since October 2006 Geronimo’s solicitors have sent letters to the occupiers of Ridgeway’s Wharf requiring them to vacate Ridgeway’s Wharf and indicating that failure to do so would result in the enforcement of a High Court Possession Order. The site is now in the possession of Geronimo Ltd, the company being used by Ballymore Properties as the landowner for their forthcoming application for the south side of the high street.

The possession order came before a possible action by another company, Brentford Yacht and Boat Ltd, contesting the High Court order based on possibly contradictory information on ownership shown on the Land Registry. However the action was dismissed as "without merit" by Geronimo.

Discussion of this issue on the forum

June 18, 2007