JERICHO ECHO ARTICLE

Uneasy calm settles on the boatyard

Compulsory purchase option

November 2009

The City Council has applied to the government for permission and funds to make a compulsory purchase of the boatyard site under the Sustainable Communities Act.

”If the Council purchased the land for the people of the city”, says Councillor Bob Price, “we would need to thrash out a definitive plan, taking account of the various proposals.”

Since this is just one of 299 submission coming from around the country, of which only half a dozen or so will succeed, this is a long shot. At any rate, we should know more early in December.

This intervention has temporarily stalled the fund-raising efforts of the Jericho Living Heritage Trust which also wants to buy the land. The Trust is in discussion with individuals and funding bodies and is working to establish an ‘Industrial and Provident Society’ that might own the site on behalf of the community.

Meanwhile it seems that a number of other developers have been sniffing around, though none has yet declared an interest, mindful perhaps of the recent history of successful community organization, with the additional factor of the newly appreciated flood threat.

To fulfil its contract for the piece of land on the site for the new community centre, the Community Association has applied for outline planning permission which is now being considered by council officers.

Whoever owns it, the site could remain unoccupied for some time, so some of the boaters, with the support of the Association, are preparing a proposal to ask the administrators, PricewaterhouseCoopers, to let them re-open the DIY boatyard. Many canal boats are now in a poor state, and need a local repair option.

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