I can provide some info to balance all of this
We have moored in Castlefield often, because as a widebeam the Rochdale 9 is the only exit route from our marina, which leads to Castlefield basin. There are boats which have lived in Castlefield for years, but they all know each other, and get along well. They cause no problems. There are a lot of tour boats operating on weekends, pumping out loud music as they take their hen parties etc cruising, but this is part of the ongoing charm of the basin. They have run those services for years, and again, everyone knows each other, and there is a lot of mutual respect between the boaters there. You then get a different crowd in the basin...all the boats which are "passing through". These boats often find that the elsan point is not up to standard, although quite honestly, there is a full marina/showers/toilets/elsans/diesel/gas/pumpout supplier 45mins down the Bridgewater (Stretford Marine). There are some permanent moorings on the Science Museam side, and these boaters tend to run generators at all hours. They have been there for years, and cause no real trouble. Occasionally when the Council has bands playing etc, they have to move their boats out of this area, and then they return. The guys in the 2 black boats, are decent, if left alone. One boat has had altercations with pubcrawlers in the past. Motley Crue owner is a genuine guy, and causes no problems.
The troubles recently began, when 2 scrappy looking GRP boats (with windows missing, and basically inhabited by undesirable types) were kicked out of New Islington marina (on the Rochdale) for causing some problems. They moved down to the Bridgewater, and took up residence. Local boaters in Castlefield basin (after having a few pints), decided they needed to be encouraged to leave. One black boater rammed one of the boats a few times. It never sunk, and looked fine days later. (which surprised me). Weeks later, the GRP boats were still there, and I'm not surprised they were encouraged to leave the area if the boater pulled out weapons.
Yes it makes a great story for a journalist, but it's a real non story really. Those boaters have been there for years and are actually doing Peel a favour by keeping Castlefield basin from becoming inhabited by hobos on boats who try and escape CRT by hiding on the Bridgewater.
If Peel put up signs, nothing will change at all because there's actually no real issue on a widescale.