The end at last for Jericho?

THOSE of you who have been readers of narrowboatworld for some years may remember the 'battle for Jericho', but it seems that at last it could be settled.

It was a group of stalwarts who stood up against British Waterways  and Bellway Homes in 2006 who wanted to develop the old Castlemill Boatyard at the bottom of the Oxford Canal. British Waterways sent in the  'heavies' to clear the boatyard of its inhabitants, shown in the picture, as it wanted all the people off the site to be able to sell it for its development.

'Stalag Jericho'

Regular readers may remember that at one time there was the infamous barbed wire topped fence surrounding the site at Jericho to prevents the inhabitants returning, and developer after developer tried their hands at putting in plans for building, all to no avail, as the group named Jericho Living Heritage Trust fought on to retain a boatyard.

Has the money

And now the Trust says it has the money to develop the old boatyard for the community, with a new public square with shops, cafés and a new community centre facing the waterway. looking out onto the canal. And of course—as the whole fight as been about—a working boatyard, with Sarah Murphy of the Trust stating:

"The plan is to buy the land as a community and create something special for the community of Jericho, rather than a block of flats. We are all very excited about it, and we want the boatyard to become the setting for a beautiful jewel—St Barnabas Church."

The boatyard site currently stands empty as the further plans by Spring Residential in 2008 to turn it into a block of flats  (artists' impression pictured) were also rejected.

Remaining problem

The remaining problem is whether Jericho Living Heritage will be able to afford to buy the site, but as it is obvious Oxford City Council is not allowing it to be developed for houses or flats, the asking price should have reduced accordingly.

There is a good chance that a £2m grant will be forthcoming from the Community Builders fund in January, and so eventually the long struggle against the loss of the boatyard will be successful.