Tower Bridge Barges

Am I the only landlubber who would like to send a message of support to those threatened with homelessness after being told that they have to move their barges from the moorings at Tower Bridge? It seems incredible that this mooring has been in existence for 100 years and that people can just be turfed out because someone in posh new flats objects to the noise of boat repairs and the sight of washing hanging out! The river is only just beginning to come back to life and I would have thought that the more houseboats, barges and people using it the better! It is wonderful to see the whole SE1 area beginning to regenerate but is the plan to turn out anyone who cannot afford a luxury flat or who is not into a sanitised and gentrified Bankside? Has anyone seen the price of flats/houses in the area recently? Had I kids I would certainly prefer them brought up surrounded by a bit of fresh air and water and with alternative values other than just being into money-grubbing and property values which seems increasingly to be the motivating factor for many people. If the issue is really one of planning permission then can that not be sorted out? If someone built an illegal extension to a property without seeking planning permission they would get a lot longer than 10 days before the property was torn down or whatever. Is this not simply a case of Nimbyism - but instead of 'not in my backyard' it is 'not in my river view'. I bet if it were council tenants who had complained the bargees would not have been asked to move on! Can someone cure my cynicism about this?

I would also like to send a message of support. If I had the money to buy a riverview apartment, it would be the barges which would make the view for me. I think they are great and visited them on London Garden squares day. Let's have some diversity in the area.

Quite agree. How can someone who lives in one of the more boring buildings in this area complain about the view! I would personally like to see blocks like Springalls Wharf that blot our riverside and stop access to the river for walkers and cyclists DEMOLISHED! The least the residents can do is keep a decently low profile!
Up the barges, I say.

Completely support you Beverly - for me it's not just the river but the traffic that creates the character and those barges were there long before the flats.

So didn't the buyers see the barges when they viewed the flats?

The Barges are one of the few genuine landmarks from an increasingly Conran'd area, and it is them that retain a sense of history and authenticity to the area, otherwise it will go the way of Rotherhithe- full of Barret clones with no hint of the fantastic ship industry that once flourished there.

The moorings will probably be taken over by a sea themed ye olde pirates pub anyway if the Barges go- would the flat tenants prefer that?

I can't believe that such old-established moorings can be just extinguished by a bunch of newcomers on the bank.

Surely the local planning department have some kind of restrictions against this?

What I find silly about this whole thing is that the person who complained said that the barges blocked his view of Tower Bridge at high tide - so it's not constant, is it? In fact, it must only happen twice a day. And as people on here have already said, the barges were there before his flat was. Plus, in law there is no right to a view, so what is going on here?

I might appeal to Southwark Council myself - I'd have a lovely view of Tower Bridge if it wasn't for all the other buildings in the way. I think they should demolish them all.



Post edited (23 Jul 03 10:00)

T.L.M.J.Jo

make you right there gel! the river is increasingly off limits to us peasants....as a child I used to lay in bed listening to the sounds of the river..foghorns etc., my childhood playground was Bankside and jumping on and off the barges as they bobbed up and down in the tide did not scare my witless then! God smiled on all us kids I think, especially when you hear the noise when the barges collide....

At New Cross near the Marquis of Granby you could look down and see all the docks...

A river without barges, boats, ships, sailing vessels is like a pub without beer.....or rather darling a Conran property without a little woman 'who does'

As well as voting in the SE1 poll James Hatts has set-up on this site's front page, and adding posts here, anyone who wants to can email us at the South London Press as we are covering this story.

write to letters@slp.co.uk or newsdesk@slp.co.uk or mpflanz2003@hotmail.com.

Mike



Post edited (23 Jul 03 14:08)

And didn't you used to swim in the river by Tower bridge as well, Jan?