Locals in a pretty UK town have been triumphant in evicting three ‘megaboats’ from its harbour after claims they blocked their view. Kensington and Chelsea councillors voted unanimously to evict the one, two and three bedroom homes in Chelsea Harbour, going against their own officers who said there were no reasons for eviction.
At a planning committee meeting on Tuesday night (February 27), chair James Husband said the boats blocked views of the River Thames along Cheyne Walk and should be removed. He also said the towering ‘apartment boats’, as they’ve been called in council reports, made neighbouring houseboats feel enclosed.
While locals hailed the victory, anger erupted from some when a council officer said the houseboats might have up to nine months to leave, MyLondon reports.
The crowd interrupted and tutted when the Savills planning director said his client had tried to address residents’ worries. He also said his client would appeal the decision, adding: “Serving enforcement notices on these three houseboats on grounds that are still unclear even after officers have conducted a thorough investigation since at least June last year, would constitute a great waste of time and resources.
“It would be an odd state of affairs if enforcement officers could serve notice against the three boats against their own recommendations.
But the committee wasn’t convinced, saying the moorings had “intensified” material changes to the area.
One councillor argued that not taking action against the ‘megaboat’ owners would harm the council’s reputation and shake people’s trust in them. Another warned: “If there is no enforcement action, it would become a habit. You would see more and more boats.”
The decision may end a long fight by locals who wanted the council to act against the boats. In a report, they complained that the “apartment boats” blocked their view of the Thames and could ruin the community of other boats there.
They worried that doing nothing would invite more “megaboats” to Chelsea Reach. Asupporter told councillors: “A decision not to enforce will lead to a planning free-for-all on the River in Chelsea with developers secure in the knowledge they need not engage in the planning process because even if they do break the law, the council will do nothing about it.”
He said the boats were much bigger than the current ones and didn’t fit in with the historical look of the houseboats in Cheyne Walk. In December, Kensington and Chelsea council’s planning committee decided that the moorings had changed the use of the land too much.
Council officers started looking into the moorings as early as March 2023 but found they didn’t break any rules. They said the houseboats, called the Pacifica, the Zephyr and the Iris, didn’t harm the area enough to take action, a council report showed.
