IT CERTAINLY WILL NOT be an Happy Christmas for some boat moorers on the Weaver.
They being told that they all have to vacate their moorings in their marina next year as its land it to be used for housing.
No other moorings
With no other moorings available on the river and no exit as both the Anderton Boat Lift and Marsh Lock are broken and unworkable, this means the resident boaters will be homeless when leaving Weaver Marine.
A resident boater at the marina told the Northwich & Winsford Guardian:
“Some of us have been here upwards of 20 years. The owner was adamant we would be able to stay while the building work was going on.
“I would say 90 per cent of the people live here permanently, and the vast majority of them are pensioners. “Some are in their 70s and 80s and they really need access to amenities like electricity.
"I’ve seen them walking around with their faces in their hands, worrying. “Others are just in denial, I think.
“The town marina is full, and they can’t go into Acton Bridge because it's not permanent mooring.
“Leaving by Marsh Lock and over to Liverpool means going into the sea, which a lot of them wouldn’t enjoy. [Marsh Lock is closed].
“I’ve heard some say they will moor up by Anderton Boat Lift, but there’s 30 of them. “They’ll block the river. There’s no waste disposal, no electricity, and no water.
"It's just not practical."
Could keep their moorings
Outline planning permission was granted in 2020, but Weaver Marine's owner, Jeremy Tyrrell, assured the residents they could keep their moorings while the site is developed in phases. However, on Wednesday, December 17th, they all received an email explaining things had changed, and they would now have to leave.
The email stated:
Due to the worse than expected ground conditions and the poor economic situation, the buyer has advised it is not economically viable to conduct the development in phases.
This means moorings will no longer be available in the construction period.
Canal & River Trust tell that some boats used Marsh Lock recently to leave the Weaver, and further movements are planned by the trust next year.