Developers try to force boat family to move

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Electricity and water have been cut off

Property developers are trying to force a young family on a barge moored on the river in Hammersmith to move.

The barge, the MV Arctic, is too big for any other residential mooring on the river and the occupants have now had their electricity and water cut off as well as the front of the gangway welded closed.

Eamon Corless and his partner Kate have lived with their two children on the boat which is moored east of Hammersmith Bridge for the last eight years. The boat itself has been on the site for 16 years. The boat was moored under a rolling licence which has now been discontinued.

In January they were given notice to quit because of plans for a development on the adjacent embankment. The site is now owned by a company called Akeler, believed to be connected with developer O&H Properties, which is planning to build a business park on a 13-acre site which they have purchased for more than £100 million.

O&H Properties reportedly say that they are within their contractual rights to ask for the boat to be removed and have been in touch with Mr. Corless since November over the issue

The developer is taking Eamon Corless who lives on the boat to court in an attempt to force him to move. Accusations of intimidation against the security company employed to get clear access to the site have been made.

There's a petition of signatures being collected (about 1000 locals already have signed it) or people can write to local MP's to intervene. All the details are on the family's web site: www.mvarctic.co.uk

March 2, 2005