The historic Jericho Community Boatyard on the Oxford Canal became the centre of a fierce planning battle when developer Spring Residential bought the site in 2005 and planned to turn it in to 50 luxury apartments. The boatyard was once home to a community of 150 boating families who were evicted shortly after the sale went ahead, despite barricading themselves to the boatyard in an attempt to stop bailiffs clearing the site.
The campaign to save the boatyard received backing from author Philip Pullman as well as actors Kevin Whately and David Suchet.
In August 2008, a planning inquiry began after the developer’s previous planning application was denied. Many felt that the developers would never be able to develop the site because of the impact on the surrounding area and urged them to give up their case and allow the site to be used for the benefit of the community.
We supported the campaign to save the boatyard during 2007 and 2008 and received a message from Adrian Arbib to tell us how how it was going. He said:-
Your funds were a life saver. They were used in the planning appeal to save our community boatyard from rapacious developers.
We were notified of our winning the appeal on the 8th October 2008, since then the developers have gone bust and we are now in negotiations with the administrators to buy the yard back as a community land trust.
I can honestly say that your funds were vital in our winning the appeal, my frantic phone call to Lush to beg for funds to pay our pro bono lawyer during the appeal was white knuckle stuff. Thankfully your very generous donation saved us.
A brilliant success thanks to Lush customers! Thank you!
