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DeanS

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Hello everyone...it's been a while :) 

Some news.

They're closing New Islington marina for 12 mths (could be longer) for maintenance. (draining the marina).

All boats have to move out at the end of August. 

The marina management is changing.

They're saying boaters have to "re-apply" for their moorings with the new management company once they take over. 

If you're a liveaboard widebeam owner with kids going to school, local jobs, it's a daunting life changing occurrence.

Luckily I have 3 water tanks, 6 solar panels, gas and coal. I figure I can save £400 per month being  out of the marina, and put that into fuel to create elec. 

Forced mass eviction from a marina. You couldn't make it up.



 

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5 hours ago, DeanS said:

Hello everyone...it's been a while :) 

Some news.

They're closing New Islington marina for 12 mths (could be longer) for maintenance. (draining the marina).

All boats have to move out at the end of August. 

The marina management is changing.

They're saying boaters have to "re-apply" for their moorings with the new management company once they take over. 

If you're a liveaboard widebeam owner with kids going to school, local jobs, it's a daunting life changing occurrence.

Luckily I have 3 water tanks, 6 solar panels, gas and coal. I figure I can save £400 per month being  out of the marina, and put that into fuel to create elec. 

Forced mass eviction from a marina. You couldn't make it up.



 

Doesn't the local authority have some responsibility for housing you?

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14 minutes ago, markcuk2016 said:

some more info in the attachment.

 

edit- noticed its dated 2016

 

thanks

 

mark

12_New_Islington_Marina.pdf

That really refers to the arm on the left of the bit that visitors used to moor on. ie the arm opposite the s/stn. That was dammed off last summer when we were there and some boats were occupying what used to be visitor moorings. Dean moors in the main part.

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7 minutes ago, pearley said:

That really refers to the arm on the left of the bit that visitors used to moor on. ie the arm opposite the s/stn. That was dammed off last summer when we were there and some boats were occupying what used to be visitor moorings. Dean moors in the main part.

If you refer to all of item 4.4 in the report it does mention the possible worse case scenario of the need for draining of the marina and all boaters to leave for the duration of the works and boaters were informed 12 months ago.

What I do find hard to believe is that the marina was constructed without adequate sealing not so long ago. Again the report does acknowledge this with the fact that HCA are investigating the original warranties associated with the design and construction.

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3 hours ago, starman said:

Doesn't the local authority have some responsibility for housing you?

I'm ok..I like boating...so I'll just disconnect my elec, and cruise....I'll be sure to keep moving every 2 weeks and try my hardest to remain on the good side of that invisible "distance" requirement.  Mooring and council tax monies will go into fuel and rail fares.  I fully expect to have to keep a daily log of my boats travels (I have 2...a widebeam AND a short narrowboat.) One will pull the other. If I look for a mooring out of Manchester, the travel costs wouldn't justify the small salary I get each month.....so it's all a bit of a balancing act really:)  I know many CC-ers get grilled for not moving into a marina..but it's the first time I've known a situation where I've been a residential moorer and been forced to CC....:) 

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22 minutes ago, dmr said:

I've read the pdf, what can I say? how about "Its English Jim, but not as we know it"

.............Dave

Unfortunately, that is what you get from committee's :D

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This is the full story (contents of letter below) . I'm hoping to CC for a year and then move back in once all the work is done. :)  (unless things change and they decide to accommodate the existing moorers somehow) Suppose they could easily have just made arrangements with CRT to let everyone moor along the canal outside the marina entrance...

--------------------------------------------

You will recall that I wrote to you in October 2016 explaining that the City Council needed to install a portadam to isolate the Marina canal arm to manage water levels and to undertake a programme of site investigation works across the New Islington Marina to fully understand and devise solutions for a number of problems identified. The City Council appointed engineering consultancy AECOM to manage and supervise the site investigations that have been undertaken and BAM / Mott McDonald to help produce and cost a programme of remedial works to address all of the issues that have been identified within the Marina. The programme of works that has been recommended includes the following: ● The undertaking of additional waterproofing works to the Marina canal arm; ● The resurfacing and re-profiling of the public promenade to ensure that surface water drains directly into the canal; ● The lifting and relaying of coping stones abutting the Marina (with waterproof mortar); ● The permanent “stopping up” of the two canal stub branches; ● The relocation of foul drainage from the boaters’ hut to the public foul sewer network at an identified location within the estate; ● A programme of remedial works to a number of bridges; and the boardwalk and its supporting structures; ● Remedial works to the reed beds; and, ● waterproofing works to the Ashton canal basin. The first phase of these works, which will address the issues in the Canal Arm will commence in May 2017 and will continue until June 2017. In tandem with these works, additional temporary emergency works have commenced on the public promenade where a number a sinkholes have been identified. It is imperative that vehicles are not parked on the promenade and all boaters are requested to ensure that vehicles are not brought onto the marina for any reason. It is the intention to procure a contractor to undertake the remainder of the works, and the current programme indicates that these will commence in late summer 2017 for an estimated contract period of 12 months. Given the confined nature of the marina, and the limited working space that will be available it will be necessary to serve notice on all boaters who currently hold licences within the marina, to enable the works to be undertaken in the most cost effective and safe way possible. On this basis all boaters are being requested to vacate the marina by 31 August 2017 so that works can commence. The New Islington Marina forms part of the wider New Islington Estate,which is a private estate open to the public. As you will be aware, Urban Splash have been acting as the managing agent for the estate on an interim basis while surrounding residential development plots are delivered. As development is now gathering momentum, the City Council is currently in the process of establishing a Management Company for the Estate who will be responsible for the procurement and appointment of a commercial managing agent who will oversee the management and maintenance of the open spaces and a commercial marina operator who will manage the moorings and associated equipment once all the remedial works are completed. Once the remedial works are complete the preferred marina operator will then be inviting applications for new mooring licences as the marina reopens. I am therefore advising you that you now need to start to consider alternative arrangements for moorings, and to assist you in this process I attach a list of marinas that you may wish to contact. The terms of your existing mooring license provide for its termination upon the service of one month’s notice. Such formal notice will be served no later than July so that it will be possible for remedial works to commence in September 2017.

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Just now, jam said:

Unfortunately, that is what you get from committee's :D

No, I reckon its just Council Speak. So glad that I live in a simple plain english world of cants, uxter plates, and stuffing boxes.  :D

..............Dave

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We also live in the marina and  if  the closing of the arm is anything to go by  ( 12 months ) is most certainly wishful thinking ! . They have given a list of local marinas but I would think finding about 35 narrowboat 's and 5 wide beam boats  a mooring each around Manchester is nigh on impossible.  So the community here will end up scattered all over the the greater Manchester area and beyond , after all the upheaval and stress ,extra cost etc they then say we will be invited to apply for a Mooring ! How thoughtful of them !  This has forced us into some  major decisions and we now have a new Mooring  that we shall be  moving to in a few weeks time and are very happy with , ourselves and Dean and his family were the first two boats in this marina . we had been in contact with the man overseeing the building  of the marina and waited 5 years for our Mooring . Urban splash and the council  built  this into community with the help of the boaters and now expect us to go fend for ourselves for 12 months They should be ashamed . It will be a  sad day to leave the people and the Mooring , but Home is where the boat is !  and we will be looking forward to seeing old friends and revisiting our  old haunts on the river weaver . 

Edited by Greg & Jax
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On 2017-5-17 at 23:16, DeanS said:

 Once the remedial works are complete the preferred marina operator will then be inviting applications for new mooring licences as the marina reopens. 

 

30 minutes ago, Greg & Jax said:

they then say we will be invited to apply for a Mooring ! 

That's not what DeanS' letter says! I'd interpret it as saying the operator will be inviting applications from anyone and there's _nothing_ about the old licencees having any kind of priority/guarantee of getting back in. You need to get something in writing quick, or I suspect its going to be new, shiny and expensive 

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17 minutes ago, DaveP said:

 

That's not what DeanS' letter says! I'd interpret it as saying the operator will be inviting applications from anyone and there's _nothing_ about the old licencees having any kind of priority/guarantee of getting back in. You need to get something in writing quick, or I suspect its going to be new, shiny and expensive 

Sounds just like Popes Corner, the Fish and Duck on the River Cam

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Hi dave .

I read it with the view that anyone can apply for a Mooring and the current boaters would not necessarily be given priority although i think it's unfair , given the stress extra costs etc . I'm afraid you may well be right shiny rebuilt marina  , city centre living and a healthy  waiting list equals raised mooring fees . 

Edited by Greg & Jax
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The sour pill to swallow is that many of us endured through the bad times,  knowing that things would eventually improve...and just as it does...after 5yrs, they kick us out with 2mths notice. Knife in the back comes to mind.  Yes we'll do everything we can to get our mooring back at some point, but Greg is right. Home is where the boat is.

 

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depends on your definition of "sorted",

Security is non-existant.
Druggies still shoot up nearby.
Boats are still broken into.

however...

all in all the stone throwing yoof of earlier days seem to have dissipated and we haven't had any boats set alight for 2yrs. 

The summer holidays are approaching though.....and where people are bored....they turn into idiots.

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