I am a boat owner in Brentford in West London. I am part of the Watermans boat community. That community has developed over many years in front of the Watermans Park on the River Thames. The park was built on the site of the old Brentford Gas Works. Two years ago, Hounslow Borough Council decided they would close and demolish the Watermans Arts Centre adjacent to the park. The Arts Centre and the park overlook the river. The Council want the Arts Centre to be turned into luxury flats. Our boat moorings will also be demolished and replaced with an expensive gated yacht and boat marina.  

Our boat community have raised concerns about the environmental impact of the proposed marina design. Construction will involve the excavation of tonnes of soil and its replace with marine concrete. It will disturb the heavily contaminated river bed. Toxic metals and contaminants remain long after the demolition of the gas works site. The proposed marina, with boats moored across the flow of the stream, will churn up the river bed sludge and release the metals and other contaminants into the water of the Thames.

Opposite the proposed luxury moorings is a bird sanctuary. It is sited on the two islands facing Kew Gardens. The development will directly impact and disturb that sanctuary.

Our boat community has never been opposed to mooring improvements. The community commissioned their own architects who proposed a simpler and more ecologically aware mooring scheme. Their design would incorporate the existing houseboats, have a sympathetic design and have less impact on the river ecosystems. 

Rather than adopt our sympathetic design, the Council want to create more than 20 moorings each priced at £250,000. Needless to say, none of the boat community could ever afford such expensive fees. The Council intend to demolish an existing affordable houseboat mooring and replace it with an expensive luxury yacht and boat park. The Council want to replace the current affordable river housing with what will be an unaffordable exclusive and gated 'socially cleansed'  investment opportunity. 

In November 2017, the Council's legal team obtain a court injunction to remove all the houseboats. The court exempted the Council from any and all criminal and civil liability. The Council were given carte blanche to bully the residents, destroy their homes and damage the river. Previously, when the Council managed to acquire a deceased resident's boat, they let that boat sink on its mooring. Immediately, quantities of diesel oil, gas canisters, furniture and all manner of debris were released into the river. In the middle of the 2015/2016 winter, Council officers suddenly without notice cut off the electricity to all the houseboats. The electric supply company were horrified. They immediately put the power back on.

Our lawyers have got permission to appeal to the High Court and we ask for your backing to help us in our fight. We have a very good legal team but we need funds to keep them on the case. If the court order is not set aside it will not only destroy our homes and boats but the outcome will directly impact all those who live in boats, mobile homes and other affordable dwellings on water and land.