Hope for boat owners as Oxford city boatyard plans revived

6 hours ago

Victoria WaltonOxfordshire political reporter

BBC

Boaters like Bruce Heagerty need to travel four miles upstream for running repairs

For the first time in more than 20 years, people who live on the waterways around Oxford will have a place to fix their boats in the city.

At a meeting of Oxford City Council on Wednesday, the Jericho Wharf site was approved for a compulsory purchase order, if a developer can't be found to take forward plans for a DIY boatyard, community centre and riverside housing.

It comes after the original planning approval for the site lapsed, following a series of delays to the development.

For Bruce Heagerty, who has lived on the river for 25 years, the new facility can't come soon enough, with the prospect of a four hour journey upstream to Eynsham when running repairs are needed.

Oxford's last community boatyard closed more than 20 years ago

"Imagine if your car broke down and you had to go to Newcastle to get it fixed. That's what it's like for boaters. We really need a community boatyard here," Heagerty said.

Living on a boat has become a popular and affordable way to stay in Oxford. With 400 narrow boats on the river, Heagerty thinks time is running out for some of them to be fixed.

"Boats are becoming more and more dilapidated as you can't take them out of the water. If you get a sudden leak on your boat, you've got nowhere to go."

"Last year, three or four boats sank and that will only increase over time. Enough is enough," he said.

The original planning approval for the has now site lapsed, following a series of delays to the development

As well as the boatyard, there are plans for a new community space to serve Jericho and the surrounding area. The current "Jericho St Barnabus community centre" was built alongside the original homes in the mid-1800s.

According to Peter Stalker, who's treasurer of the Jericho Community Association and has lived in the neighbourhood for 50 years, it's time for an upgrade.

"The current one is a wonderful old Victorian building, but unfortunately the basic fabric is requiring ever larger sums of money to repair.

If there were to be a problem with the roof for example, that would involve dramatic sums of money, then we'd all be in trouble," he said.

"Before that happens, we want to get the new community centre set up and, with the city council's planning behind us, I believe that we can."

A new community centre is also part of the plans, replacing the current building which is 150 years old.

Following the council meeting, the authority will now attempt to find a development partner to take on the site. Should that not be possible, councillor Ed Turner confirmed a compulsory purchase order would be considered "as a last resort".

"My patience is at an end, we just need to crack on," Turner said.