Questions about Manchester New Islington Marina

[Rachael Farrow]

Hi! Newbie here with some questions about New Islington Marina, this is actually my first post! ?
So I understand the marina has been closed for the last year and have evicted the whole community. It's such a shame, as the community has really built something wonderful in that area simply to be moved on from their homes. 

My question is this: What is the situation with residential mooring in the marina now? I saw an Air BnB ad for a houseboat on the marina the other day, but I'm not sure if a different license applies for business use. 
My partner and I are still fairly new to boating and are looking to purchase our first boat, so we're new to the whole process. If we were to get a residential mooring in New Islington, who do we contact to acquire this? 
 

I feel like I've come a few years too late to the party as I've been wanting to try the liveaboard lifestyle for a while now, and with my current circumstance, I may finally have the chance to if I can find a residential mooring in Manchester, and not only is the New Islington Marina beautiful, the community seem like an amazing bunch too. I can't believe the council would just evict everyone like that on such short notice.
If there are limited spaces, I'll have to expand my search further afield and look elsewhere as I feel the residents who made the area what it is should have first grabs! I heard they were given no guarantee of getting their mooring back, or even if they would have preference over new applicants. ?
If it turns out there are moorings, but there are limited spots, can anyone say what it's like at Droylsden? How easy is it to get residential mooring there?
 

[Dr Bob]

Welcome to the forum Rachael. Sorry I can't answer your question but hopefully someone will be along shortly to help.

This will help get it back to the top of the list.

[Rachael Farrow]

Thanks Bob! Really any info on how to go about actually getting residential mooring is appreciated. I've heard it's notoriously difficult in some areas!

[cuthound]

Best to contact the marina directly, however Googling doesn't come up with a website for them.

[rgreg]

I'm not sure about the present situation at New Islington, but here is a list of other marinas in the Manchester area who may be able to accommodate you: http://www.bridgewatercanal.co.uk/boating/mooring

[pearley]

And there's the Waterside Moorings one at Plank Lane, Leigh. 

[billh]

I think Droylsden Marina is pretty full, not surprising as it is very convenient for shops, trams,buses etc. You could make enquiries with Portland Basin Marina who manage Droylsden.

I was talking to an acquaintance  a couple of days ago about New Islington. He is welding together the "hulls" of floating houses, I would not call them boats, for sale/rent there in due course. There will be no opportunity to go boating with one of those, there's even talk of 2 floating  apartments one atop the other. All very well until the water level in the Marina drops (it's on a short pound of the Rochdale) and the houses tip up on their mooring- like the Fun House  at Blackpool Pleasure Beach!

[Jim Riley]

I think they've kept it open, a couple of boats have just come up the Rochdale who are moored there. Best to pop round and have a look, talk to folks if you can? BTW a lot of people liveaboard without a residential mooring. They tend not to have to pay council tax. 

 

I hope I haven't just lit a "contentious" fuse. 

[Sea Dog]

We passed it last week and couldn't fathom out whether we could even go in.  There's a lift bridge at the entrance but no signage and the left bank is a building site.  We found one description saying it was "Manchester's best kept secret",  which seems pretty accurate! 

 

If its back to how you say it was and full of residential boats who don't move it's not so much a marina as a pond with floating houseboats on it which excludes cruising vessels.  I struggle to see this as a good thing for a canal navigation system.

[billh]

3 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

We passed it last week and couldn't fathom out whether we could even go in.  There's a lift bridge at the entrance but no signage and the left bank is a building site.  We found one description saying it was "Manchester's best kept secret",  which seems pretty accurate! 

 

If its back to how you say it was and full of residential boats who don't move it's not so much a marina as a pond with floating houseboats on it which excludes cruising vessels.  I struggle to see this as a good thing for a canal navigation system.

The lift bridge, on the Ashton Canal twixt lock 2 and 3 is not the access to New Islington. Access is from the Rochdale Canal, up two locks from Dale St where the Ashton joins the Rochdale. Going that way you turn under the fancy footbridge and moor up. Last time I was there , overnight mooring was free and we were made welcome.

[rgreg]

45 minutes ago, Jim Riley said:

I think they've kept it open, a couple of boats have just come up the Rochdale who are moored there. Best to pop round and have a look, talk to folks if you can? BTW a lot of people liveaboard without a residential mooring. They tend not to have to pay council tax. 

 

I hope I haven't just lit a "contentious" fuse. 

I suppose that depends on who reads it 

[Sea Dog]

1 minute ago, billh said:

The lift bridge, on the Ashton Canal twixt lock 2 and 3 is not the access to New Islington. Access is from the Rochdale Canal, up two locks from Dale St where the Ashton joins the Rochdale. Going that way you turn under the fancy footbridge and moor up. Last time I was there , overnight mooring was free and we were made welcome.

Ah, now that sounds a bit more like it!  I couldn't find that info anywhere and clearly the OP isn't finding much either.  Odd there's a lift bridge to it from the Ashton though, isn't it? Also a bit strange that it's "Manchester's best kept secret"! 

[billh]

The original plan for the marina was that it would form a new link between the Ashton & Rochdale, there was to be a slight adjustment to the water levels of the two canals. Mill Street, past the former Ancoats Hospital divided the proposed route and had main sewer and gas main which would make the project too difficult(i.e. expensive) so two separate water areas were built, the Ashton Canal side never getting any boats even though there is a huge , never used lift bridge at the entrance.

[Sea Dog]

3 minutes ago, billh said:

The original plan for the marina was that it would form a new link between the Ashton & Rochdale, there was to be a slight adjustment to the water levels of the two canals. Mill Street, past the former Ancoats Hospital divided the proposed route and had main sewer and gas main which would make the project too difficult(i.e. expensive) so two separate water areas were built, the Ashton Canal side never getting any boats even though there is a huge , never used lift bridge at the entrance.

Interesting Bill, thanks.

[magpie patrick]

10 hours ago, billh said:

The original plan for the marina was that it would form a new link between the Ashton & Rochdale, there was to be a slight adjustment to the water levels of the two canals. Mill Street, past the former Ancoats Hospital divided the proposed route and had main sewer and gas main which would make the project too difficult(i.e. expensive) so two separate water areas were built, the Ashton Canal side never getting any boats even though there is a huge , never used lift bridge at the entrance.

The difference is nearly 3 feet so that was an ambitious plan, and altering either level by that much would have been problematic. I know it was proposed but i don't think they had thought it through.

 

To the OP, friends of mine used to be in New Islington but left, antisocial behaviour and repeated attempts to steal their motorbikes were too much. Locals were the root of the problems not boaters. Tas is a tough nut who used to love city living sobit must have been bad. It may be that site security has improved, it was effectively (but not officially) public open space

Edited July 24, 2018 by magpie patrick

[dmr]

1 hour ago, magpie patrick said:

The difference is nearly 3 feet so that was an ambitious plan, and altering either level by that much would have been problematic. I know it was proposed but i don't think they had thought it through.

 

To the OP, friends of mine used to be in New Islington but left, antisocial behaviour and repeated attempts to steal their motorbikes were too much. Locals were the root of the problems not boaters. Tas is a tough nut who used to love city living sobit must have been bad. It may be that site security has improved, it was effectively (but not officially) public open space

Its a very busy place now with a lot of new trendy housing for young professional and a few families. Its a popular public place not far from some not so good housing estates but the trouble of the past has largely gone. Spent a night there last week and have since been boating up the Rochdale with two residents. who both love living in New Islington.

 

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

[nicknorman]

28 minutes ago, dmr said:

Its a very busy place now with a lot of new trendy housing for young professional and a few families. Its a popular public place not far from some not so good housing estates but the trouble of the past has largely gone. Spent a night there last week and have since been boating up the Rochdale with two residents. who both love living in New Islington.

 

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

Hmmm, well it depends on who you want to believe, this one : https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/people-living-new-islington-marina-14727071

 

or this one: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/hidden-waterside-oasis-manchester-city-14908743

[dmr]

4 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Hmmm, well it depends on who you want to believe, this one : https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/people-living-new-islington-marina-14727071

 

or this one: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/hidden-waterside-oasis-manchester-city-14908743

 

The first link is quite old I think, it still looks like a boarded up building site, and a single pile of rubbish on the ground is hardly news. The second link looks very positive, though I have only speed read it. I believe that rather like the Floater and Narrowboatworld, there is a local who enjoys producing a lot of negative publicity about every incident.

 

Its an inner city public park in effect, so there is bound to be a bit of trouble from time to time, but it felt pretty safe and "young professional" to me, though we certainly saw and met a few homeless people too. We stayed on a hot Saturday night and a group of people (not homeless) did have a late night drink on a bench next to our boat and one did step onto the back deck to peep into the open back doors but left quickly when he saw Gillie lying on the bed playing computer games! That's pretty much a minor incident on my scheme of things.

 

On our way to the rubbish bins we met a homeless couple sat at a picnic bench and we gave a little help with reading a newspaper advert for accommodation. On the next table a large group of young professional were having a full on dinner party with vases of flowers and bottles of wine, posh wine glasses etc all set out on the table. I think that maybe sums up New Islington.

 

The trendy bakery is even trendier than described in your second link. We had an early morning private breakfast in there on Sunday morning and a huge queue was forming outside ready for them to open to the public.

 

The visitor moorings are always public, the residents mooring are public daytime but locked at night. The self pumpout costs £2.

 

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

[nicknorman]

Well worth going if only for the pumpout!

 

But the first article is dated May 2018, the second one July 2018. Perhaps a lot can change in 2 months!?

Edited July 24, 2018 by nicknorman