Pillings Marina to be transferred

OWNERSHIP of Pillings Lock Marina will be transferred from Quorn Marina Properties (QMP) to a phoenix company three weeks before Canal & River Trust (CaRT) carries out its threat to blockade the marina, writes Allan Richards.

This will provide a window of opportunity for a Network Access Agreement to be put in place without connection to CaRT's waterways being disrupted.

Blockade details

On 3rd March 2014, CaRT's Head of Boating Business, Phil Spencer informed berth holders:

‘In the event that there is no prospect of an NAA being complete by 14th April, the Trust will proceed to close off the connection between the marina basin and the waterway on or shortly after that date.

This will take the form of secure and effective temporary works to prevent navigation between the marina and the waterway, but leaving in place the physical connection thus continuing to supply water to the marina basin. In an effort to mitigate the adverse impacts on you and your fellow boat licence holders moored at the Marina, I am now able to confirm that these works will also allow those boats that remain in the marina after 14th April a further period up to the 31st May in which to leave the marina.

I must make it very clear that we will only allow passage out of the marina basin but this will not be available on demand. There will be a small number of designated periods when controlled passage will be provided. I would be happy to receive your views on what these arrangements might be. The final decision will however be the Trust's.

Under no circumstances will boats be allowed to enter or re-enter the marina basin following the installation of these works unless and until a new NAA is in place'.

His email continues that after the 31st May the Trust might sever connection completely but this would be costly both for the Trust and any new company requiring reinstatement after an NAA was signed.

Transfer details

However, an email from Roy Botterhill a partner in Leicester based solicitors Shakespeares which has been forwarded to narrowboatworld gives some comfort that the blockade may not now take place. He states: ‘I have been working on the project plan today and can confirm that we expect to be in a position to have completed the legal process to transfer all of the site to No. 750 Leicester Limited by Friday 21st March 2014'.

He adds that from that time the new company will be the legal owner of the site with the right to run and operate it.

Is three weeks enough?

Whilst this is very good news for boaters in the marina, one has to ask if three weeks is enough?

CaRT appears to want standard NAA charges but those in control of Pillings want NAA charges dramatically reduced to reflect market conditions or better still scrapped on the basis that 19 out of 20 of CaRT's own marinas (operated by wholly owned subsidiary BWML) pay zero NAA charges.

There is no news regarding whether the new company is willing to honour leases granted by QMP to about 20 moorers. QMP's ‘statement of affairs' suggests that if these leases are not honoured by the new company these moorers will stand to lose £444,000 between them.