11th
Jericho boatyard site plans rejected
The ongoing saga of Jericho in Oxford continues to amaze. The efforts by British Waterways in closing down the yard and evicting the boaters has come to naught so far. Locals applauded as plans for flats on the site were rejected. One local commented “The proposal dumps two large blocks of flats on this site reminiscent of Soviet housing.” (see Oxford Mail) To me that is in essence what much canalside development is becoming. Its becoming repetitive. Utterly boring. Balconies after balconies, flats after flats, and more, more more.
BW’s desire for a portfolio of unhindered canal-side development seems to be finally backfiring. Too many developments are popping up along the canal everywhere. There are many ugly developments that should have never been given the go ahead. The canal is now one linear prime property development site and it has got to stop. There’s less and less space to actually enjoy or benefit from the waterways these days despite towpaths being espoused as the get away from it all thing.
Development is encroaching on the space available and creating an alleyway that will in time be seen as a imposition on personal space. Towpaths will be seen as the route to insanity as one begins to tire and despair of the relentless facades that line the canal in a pretentious mode of embracing the waterspace when all they do is choke it. Take a look at one development in London and what do the property developers say? The canal is a ‘lilly pond’ that enhances property.
Not surprisingly, British Waterways’ own findings a few years back actually went against the very kind of thing that is happening now. British Waterways seems unable to enforce common sense upon new developments, but perhaps that is not surprising in view of its attitude towards Jericho. That is why more and more people need to stand up to it. Perhaps Jericho is the first innings in what could be a series of battles to prevent the waterways becoming a gulag?
