Half-sunken boat ‘must be resolved’
A half sunken boat that has blighted Bath’s riverside for more than three weeks shows no signs of moving.
The owners are understood to be two men from Bristol who through personal circumstances are unable to recover the stricken vessel by Victoria Bridge, which witnesses say was left uncovered and filled up with rainwater during a heavy downpour.
Crest Nicholson, the landowner at Bath Riverside, said the Dawncraft boat was moored illegally.
It has denied responsibility because the boat is no longer tethered to the riverbank, although it was tied up when Councillor Dine Romero tweeted a photo of it on July 19.
Now, some three weeks later, the vessel is adrift, its windows have been smashed, and an array of items, including buckets, cleaning fluid and rotting strawberries, has been left on the riverbank.
Westmoreland ward councillor June Player said: “I know residents aren’t happy seeing it like that. Some people have spent an absolute fortune on their homes.
“My biggest concern is the pollution and the impact on businesses.
“Will it just get left to sink to the bottom? It’s complicated but it’s got to be resolved. It can’t stay like that.
“I can’t believe we’re allowed to just leave it like this. Enough is enough.”
The Environment Agency said it would get involved if there was a pollution risk. Any attempt to remove the boat would need to be done through a service it has granted a permit.
Boaters said that is likely to be a costly operation.
A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust, the navigation authority for the river, said: “We are aware of the sunken boat and have a process to deal with incidents such as this. We are unable to comment on specifics and are looking at this one at the moment.
“However, we can confirm that it’s not considered to be a hazard to navigation at this time.”
I know residents aren’t happy seeing it like that. Some people have spent an absolute fortune on their homes Councillor June Player