Thorpe Island

[RayandCarole]

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/environment/high_court_rules_moored_boats_jetties_and_pontoons_on_thorpe_st_andrew_island_are_unlawful_1_4184639

Todays EDP

Ray & Carole

[Baitrunner]

I haven't been round there for quite a while, but it used to look a bit of a mess!! I am not an expert on planning permission, but would have expected it to be stay on the plot rather than disappear if the plot is sold.

 

I can sympathise with this guy and it is a shame if they cant agree to something in the middle ground. It's bad for the people who live there as well, but I guess it is no different to traveller sites or people who build without the right paperwork.

 

Just goes to show you need to investigate all the pros and cons when you make an investment like this - unless your a big corporation that has more money to splash on legal bills than the small man.

[kfurbank]

Generally speaking planning permission only last for three years and then lapses unless the work is started. It would have been appropriate to have clarified if planning permission existed before buying the plot, at the very least no work should have been started until planning permission had been checked or reapplied for and won. Starting work and then applying for retrospective planning is a tactic too often used these days.

[MBA Marine]

This one is far from over, Roger is in it for the long haul, and I wish him every success. 

[JawsOrca]

Good luck to the guys living there and will be affected... despite the legalities etc etc etc it's still peoples homes.. so fingers crossed everyone is sorted out without too many problems.

[MBA Marine]

There are very few if any liveaboards moored in the basin itself at present.

[Oddfellow]

The Broads Authority's draconian planning policies are the most significant thing holding back the Broads.

I wish Roger every success, but there are some horrible laws being used by authorities that are screwing people. Just take a look at the Proceeds of Crime act and see how some planning departments are destroying people...

[JanetAnne]

I know very little about this case but it is quite usual for someone to obtain planning permission on a piece of land and then sell it on to developers. The permission always goes with it....

[brandenjg]

I've moored on the island for the past 5 years. I moor there because it's the only mooring I can get to as I don't have my own transport and the only place I can afford.

If I was no longer allowed to moor there where exactly would the BA expect me to move my boat to? Branden

[kfurbank]

Branden, With all due respect, why is it any business of the BA where you moor, providing it is a lawful mooring with planning permission?

[lampini]

Hi Branden,

I do hope all this gets sorted favourably for you, I really do. Roger seems to be pretty persistent and also quite respected locally - so that's a good start! As an ex-traveller myself, it's my experience that the best and quickest solution always comes from compromise. It's not very hip or very revolutionary but it can work. There have been posts before about how the island looks a bit tatty; maybe do a bit to tackle that? Try and get some locals onside, a petition maybe?

I wish the BA (and navigation authorities in general actually) would stop being so snobby about liveaboards generally.. Most yards, IMHO given the choice would like to have a couple around at least, for security, they'd like to be able to offer it to staff sometimes too.. And why not? Council tax could be paid, pp granted.. Then maybe folks wouldn't have to all be in the one spot so much...

All I'm saying is that I wish some sensible compromise could happen BEFORE it gets silly and the only winners are the lawyers..

[Hockham Admiral]

Hear! Hear! Jane... :clap

[brandenjg]

Branden, With all due respect, why is it any business of the BA where you moor, providing it is a lawful mooring with planning permission?

Because there are no other moorings available that I could access or afford, my options would be moor illegally which I won't do, or sell the boat I've spent a lot of time and money on getting it ready for my family and I to use.

[kfurbank]

Branden. The point is that you want moorings that you can afford, something we all want. However it is not the responsibility of the BA to turn a blind eye to illegal development, so that you get cheaper moorings. I also rather suspect that if the marina did get full planning permission and was fully redeveloped you would see the mooring fees rise dramatically to allow the developer to get his investment back and to reflect the better range of facilities on offer.

[ChrisB]

Once you start appealing against a High Court decision then the Legal Profession are already the winners.

[JawsOrca]

Branden owning a boat when you are young is hard work.. it's not the cheapest hobby as I'm sure you know. We had our first boat on the coast. Sadly the river system is always more expensive that coastal areas.. as the coast you don't pay river tolls, Boat safety is "Optional" and there's lots of things like Boating clubs where for something like £100 a year you can get moorings.. But you won't find such things like on broads and certainly not near to Norwich.. I think there probably is cheap moorings but you will have to search for them and any are going to be in the rural areas but if you are lucky there maybe a train station nearby.

 

Sadly as Kfurbank said the BA's job is not to provide cheap moorings for us.. I think we are bloody lucky they even provide 24 hour moorings as there's many of other agencies which don't even do this. 

 

Good luck with things though.. I suspect any appeals process will be slow so you probably have time to sort things out although it wont do any harm to get looking.. (Maybe looking at the local sailing clubs.. many need and welcome young members if you are willing to give them a hand with things.. a corner spot on their land and use of a tractor to put the boat in every now and again is no cost to them if you catch me..) 

 

Well said Lampini, although the liveaboard phobia is country wide and not just the BA.. It is a bit strange considering if there a few liveaboards in a marina they would be very safe Marinas (The amount of times I've yelled a shadows in the nearby marina) and considering people still visit Amsterdam even though it's full of liveaboards!  

[BuffaloBill]

I have said it many times before on the NBF that the Thorpe Island marina

would be an ideal place for a live-a-board marina. Off river and most of it

out of sight with the only downside for the 'residents' is the train noise being

so close to the line as it would be. 

I have spoken to Nick, who I believe is spokesman for the islanders, and I

told him I would give my full support for such a marina.

Why the BA are resisting such projects is baffling when I seem to remember

something about the government trying to encourage such places as it would

help relieve the pressure on housing.

Good luck to Roger.