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TWO marinas planned for the Grand Union Canal at Knowle have both been refused planning permission.
 Solihull Council have refused planning permission for a marina at Stripes Hill adjacent to Knowle locks for 223 boats and a smaller marina at Grove Farm with 140 berths, Allan Richards tells us.
Green belt
The marina at Stripes Hill, with associated development including car parking, site office, chandlery and toilet, showers, dry dock and slipway was refused due to it being on green belt land. The decision was made because:
'It is considered that the proposal amounts to inappropriate development as it constitutes an engineering operation that does not maintain the openness of the Green Belt and it conflicts with the purposes of including land in the Green Belt. Having regard to the scale and artificial nature of the engineering operations and extensive re-grading, together with the associated urbanising effects, it is considered to have a significant impact on the openness of the Green Belt'.
Planning permission was also refused for a second smaller marina at Grove Farm for the same reason. Other reasons for this refusal were that the development was next to the farm house which was a grade II listed building and that the site was within a flood zone with the development considered to pose an unacceptable risk of flooding.
Concerns
The news will come as some relief to boaters with moorings at Knowle Locks who were particularly under threat due to BW's 'ten for one' mooring reduction policy.
 In October 2009, Caroline Spelman (MP for Meriden and Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pictured) wrote to British Waterways and Hilary Benn, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs expressing her concern for boaters following a meeting of local boaters in the Knowle area.
No comment
She said that despite paying taxes and a licence they 'seem to get second class treatment', and that boat owners 'have a right to value for money'. However, somewhat surprisingly, she made no comment regarding the proposed marina developments.
It is not known if an appeal will be made regarding either application. BW's website, which contains details of planning applications, has yet to be updated to reflect the refusals. |
