Brentford Marina Plan Gets Green Light

Over twenty houseboats face eviction to make way for new berths

A plan for a new marina in Brentford beside Watermans Park was approved last night (9th September) at a borough Council meeting.

The £5.45 million scheme proposes to provide berths for 26 craft at the site but will probably require the eviction of the existing houseboat dwellers.

Artist's impression of scheme

Cllr Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council said: “Our vision to create a marina is part of our plan to regenerate Brentford, creating jobs and prosperity and putting the area firmly on the map as a great place to live and visit in west London.”

He added: “Brentford is an up and coming area and the proposed marina will considerably improve the waterfront both visually and operationally. The proposal also aims to create a positive cash return allowing the council to reinvest funds into vital services for residents.”

The council say they also have a duty to ensure all vessels are licensed to ensure this stretch of the river is properly maintained and safe for residents to use.

They claim that the current occupants have no right to be there and plan to remove them to allow construction to start on the marina which would open in 2017. The marina would be owned by the Council who would share mooring fees with the Port of London Authority (PLA).

The position of the boats at the site has been the subject of legal dispute for some time. The boat dwellers claim that the site has been continuously occupied since the seventies but some locals contest this saying that there have been periods when no boats were present for extended periods. Complaints have also been made about raw sewage from the boats being discarded into the river and the general appearance of the area.

Some of the existing boat dwellers have expressed a willingness to pay mooring fees and Council tax if their position is regularised but they have received no response from the Council who have also given no commitment to give existing occupants preference in the allocation of berths at the new marina.

An exhibition of the plans will be unveiled later this month.

September 10, 2014