College Cruisers eviction

In a disturbing twist to the Canalside saga, PWC, the administrators of the canalside site have arbitrarily caused chaos for Jericho’s boat hire company College Cruisers. While the site was unused, College Cruisers had been hiring some of the northern part, on which they had an office, a car park and their facilities for pumping out the toilets on their boats. They had been leasing this on the assumption that they would leave when development started. When the lease expired this month they had asked for an extension to at least the end of this season in October. Instead last Wednesday they were suddenly given an eviction notice, and on Saturday a company arrive to fence the area off – though they had to abort this since there was confusion about where the fence was supposed to go. Peter Choppen, the company engineer, could not understand why they had done any of this. “Now they are not getting rent from us and instead of us helping look after they site they have employed a permanent security guard to keep us out.” College Cruisers have had to put up temporary portakabins on the other part of their site which they lease from the Canal and River Trust, along with a generator since the administrators would not even allow them to make a temporary connection to their previous office. For pumping out toilets they have had to make an arrangement with the marina at Thrupp – a couple of hours away by boat. For the Jericho Wharf Trust, Peter Stalker says “This makes absolutely no sense. Not for the owners of the land, who no longer get any rent. Nor for College Cruisers whose business is badly affected, Nor for SIAHAF who supposedly have bought the site since it could look bad for them. And certainly not for Jericho for which this is an important local business. SIAHAF’s position is strange. They have argued with the administrators in support of College Cruisers – asking that they be allowed to stay. But their voice seems to carry remarkably little weight. This is odd because they say they are buying the site unconditionally – that is, not subject to planning permission. But almost a year after making the purchase they have yet to complete it. SIAHAF have now applied for planning permission which they say they should get by the end of next month. Then in October, when they say they should have completed the purchase, they would allow College Cruisers to return. That seems an optimistic schedule.