'Clear the scruffy boats'

ONCE again there as been a call to 'clear the scruffy boats' from the Grand Union Canal that are an eyesore.

This time a Maria Johnson is forming a group around the Cowley and Uxbridge areas of the Grand Union Canal to put pressure on the local councils to clear out the 'strings of scruffy boats' along the waterway.

Success

Over the past few years British Waterways has had some success at moving boats away, placing buoys to stop them returning, but slowly they are coming back, bringing with them the bank side detritus of before, as seen in the photograph below, much to the disgust of both locals and towpath walkers.

This has prompted Maria to form the group, who told narrowboatworld:

"At one time there were scores of boats along the banks of the canal, but they were slowly going owing to pressure on the authorities, but it seems they are coming back, and are worse than ever, most of them adorned with blue plastic, and rubbish holding it down.  They are a right eyesore.

"But it is not just the boats, but the rubbish on the bank that is both dangerous and a health hazard, so we are taking it up with the authorities."

New effort

For many years this area of the Grand Union has had problems with these boats, that are occupied, with British Waterways taking action in response to complaints, but this seems to have eased off, with boats returning, hence the new effort to get them cleared.

The photographs are of the original boats, when the clearance first started.