Phase 1 Moorings

The Urban Moorings Mantra is Recycle/Repurpose/Reuse.  We intend to be an eco and zero waste site, putting an emphasis on reusing waste in imaginative and inventive ways.  We intend to prove it is possible to rejuvenate once polluted and derelict sites with little commercial potential and regenerate them as community sites which compliment the surrounding environs whilst reusing/repurposing as much of the detritus left on site as possible.

The Urban Moorings team landed in the beginning of November 2016. Ronni joined us at Christmas 2018. Our first days were interesting but being boaters who are generally self-reliant, we just got stuck in and before long the site was getting tidier, shed spaces and a garden area began to appear.

Achievements

  • Cleared the land of overgrowth
  • Laid paths using materials recycled from site
  • Established a community garden, including a Greenhouse made from recycled materials
  • Engaged in recycling and composting – moving towards goal of making site zero waste
  • Designed and constructed a wooden walkway/mooring using sustainable materials and using no heavy machinery.
  • Cleared derelict building and removed 60 Tonnes of rubbish from site
  • We have 7 moorings that are now let. There is now a waiting list for mooring vacancies.
  • Engaged in networking with local community projects
  • Fundraising by attending the Bentley Bridge Boat festival. We had a very positive response from the locals who attended, and we raised £250 which we put towards the wooden piling needed for the visitor mooring. 
  • We also ran a fundraising campaign following the passing away of our friend and Company Director Paul Howland. In total £850 was raised to pay for a memorial bench, a rose arch and roses. This money was raised from a combination of boaters and locals donating. The remainder has been allocated to coir matting seeded with native wildflowers which is being used to stabilise the canal bank.
  • Fundraised to insulate Community shed. Go Fund me
  • Electricity Supply to all mooring births.
  • Raised beds established for growing food.
  • Composting facility established
  • Diesel Sales approved.
  • Calor Gas supply established
  • Water and Esan facilities on site
  • Volunteer Events every Monday (excluding Bank Holidays)
  • Craft Club runs every Thursday.
2016 
Project Start

The Urban Moorings team landed in the beginning of November 2016. Site Clearance and Buddleia removal.

2017

Mooring births constructed and rented out providing an income to fund further work

Work begins on mooring births and Garden areas.

2018

Derelict building demolished and space cleared of 60 tonnes of rubbish removed from site. Electricity installed to mooring births


2019

Pandemic hits, but work still continues on site.

Office, Community shed, Potting shed, Wood working shed, and two business shed on site providing volunteering opportunities and income.

2023

Full Boating facilities established , Gas, Diesel, coal, water, elsan, Generating income for Phase 2