Save Castle Mill Stream

Castle Mill Stream is a poorly managed backwater of the Thames in Oxford, a stretch of which is owned by Network Rail, who have no use for the land. However, it currently provides a much-needed home for those who live and work in a city in the midst of a housing crisis. These individuals are currently under threat of eviction, and no promises have been made by any organisation to properly manage the area as residential moorings. Please show your support by signing this petition. To find out more, read our story below.

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Our Story:

We are five resident boaters at Castle Mill Stream that runs alongside the Oxford Canal in Jericho. One of us has lived here 19 years and three of us for 4-6 years. We have been informed that the stretch of bank we are moored on (from the south end of William Lucy Way to opposite Combe Road) belongs to Network Rail. For years they have ignored it, but under pressure from Oxford City Council they put up signs on February 12 and attached letters to our boats on February 21 warning of eviction. In a statement the City Council have welcomed their action, linking boats on Castle Mill Stream to a long list of anti-social behaviours which they say the area has seen "in recent years". They are presumably including a much wider area than where we are moored. Only one incident has occurred on this stretch in the last two years - the presumed arson of an uninhabited plastic boat this winter. The fire service put it out but no-one cleared up the mess until we took half a ton of debris from the burnt hull and from a sunken boat to the dump.
We agree that Castle Mill Stream requires proper management to prevent a cycle of abandoned boats appearing. However, we believe that the area and surrounding community is better off for the presence of permanent residential moorings. Stationary live-aboard boats provide the area with individuals who have a vested interest in the safety and upkeep of this otherwise dark corner of central Oxford. Charging mooring fees will prevent boat abandonment and make any anti-social behaviour less likely.
The City Council have talked about possible future moorings on this site, perhaps financed by Canal & River Trust, but we are sceptical about how long this could take. We therefore believe that these moorings are best managed by the boaters themselves. This would ensure the area does not fall into further disrepair and attract more abandoned boats while waiting for C&RT to take action. It would also keep moorings affordable, preventing any further strain on the housing situation in Oxford. Official sites such as the Hythe Bridge Arm and the Agenda 21 moorings in North Oxford began as unofficial moorings.
We have formed ourselves into a non-profit company, have applied to Network Rail to buy the land, and are preparing a planning application for residential moorings, including floating pontoons, a water tap and a sewage disposal point, all to be financed by our mooring fees.