Residents are angry after a fence was built following complaints of trespassing.
Locals now describe the waterfront as a construction site. The area, once considered nice, now features new two-meter high railings. Residents are upset with FirstPort, the apartment management company, for removing a pleasant fence adorned with plants. They believe the new fence ruins the view and damages the community spirit.
Tony Wass, a 67-year-old resident, is particularly aggrieved. He spent over £1,000 on his side of the fence. He was in Australia for six months, and contractors removed everything in his absence. He said FirstPort now owns the wall and ripped out the old fence, replacing it with an unsightly barrier that makes Albion Mill look ugly and leaves him feeling less secure.
Tony finds the barrier unsafe, supported only by cable ties which he believes someone could easily cut, compromising security. He also pays nearly £9,000 yearly for his boat spot. He stated that they put stuff back, but nothing changed.
Residents say the new fence is ugly, ruining the previously pleasant view. The community is friendly, but the situation is bittersweet. Tony pays Aquavista £6,000 and the Canal and River Trust over £1,200 for his license. He anticipates potentially higher costs soon, adding that he must pay higher council tax.
Tony, a sound engineer who lives on his boat with his husband, now faces challenges with shopping. He said he must walk far with his shopping because the car park is one kilometer away. The problems started, he said, when they started hand things over walls.
Apartment tenants are very unhappy, as the new barriers have caused inconvenience. One local described the situation, explaining that they cannot park near the apartments due to parking tickets. One accessible route is a mile long, while the other involves navigating a dangerous lock gate.
They mentioned hazards such as slipping, falling, or tripping on iron hinges. Carrying shopping for a mile is unreasonable, leading to the possibility of using a pole to move items, a situation they consider nonsensical. Locals were angry when they heard about the fence.
Jon Bodenham, 50, another Albion Mill resident, stated that the fence cost around £9,000 or £10,000 and was implemented without consulting residents. He is angry that a few complaints led to this action, without proper consultation or consideration of the friendly relationships and mutual assistance between residents and boat owners.
Dave Price, 56, who owns a cafe on a boat, described the situation as ridiculous, concerning only a few instances of passing shopping twice a week. He mentioned receiving groceries or food deliveries through this method. Out of 300 to 400 residents, he added that two or three people complained, one woman even shouting “water gypsies”.
Joe Prentice, 69, has lived on his boat since 2007. They issued has finally come to a head, he said. He added that the complex has tried to remove them since 2007 and attempted to claim ownership of the moorings, which are owned by British Waterways. Joe also says that the old manager let them use a gate and it felt like a community back then.
He hands things over said fence and that it’s a 20-minute walk, if using the marina car park. One anonymous tenant thinks it is too much. It is just about stopping some shopping from being passed over, they added.
The fences looked pretty before and everyone helped each other. Now the fence looks like a prison and it has been up for months. It is built poorly and it also creates security issues.
Another Albion Mill resident shares this concern, stating that the response seems disproportionate to the problem, leading to residents feeling less safe. They feel that all of this is due to trivial complaints. Two people did not like neighborliness, so the complex became a building site, the resident added.
Firstport, the property firm, remains unresponsive to requests for comment.