Sir, Jeff Whyatt of British Waterways has claimed that there is a threat of Castlemill boatyard being reoccupied. This claim is completely unfounded and, when asked, British Waterways failed to produce any supporting evidence. British Waterways' accusation that the fence has been torched has also been found to be complete fiction.
Mr Whyatt says that Judge Corrie agreed no firm date for eviction. BW erroneously state that this was due to a call for mass resistance' from the campaign website. They also omit to say that, in the same verdict, the judge stated, "that the weight of public opinion was firmly against BW". The Castle Mill Campaign website asked only for people to show their support for a much-loved community space. This did not warrant over 100 police, security and bailiffs with ongoing 24-hour security and a 10ft-high razor wire fence.
BW's costs are estimated at over £500,000 and looking to increase. Following the judge's verdict, three weeks prior to the eviction, the campaign message clearly stated "rather than building barricades we have craned eight narrowboats (our homes) out of the water on to the wharf. These are people's homes, one has a young family aboard". Additionally a crane had been ordered by the boaters for June 5 (the day before BW's last day of eviction). BW had also been told about this yet they decided on a heavy-handed eviction on May 30; evicting the very same boaters that BW were then in discussion with over a new boatyard. Their misjudgement, consequential massive overspend and their desperate efforts to pin blame on others would be laughable, if it weren't for the fact that we have to live with this hideous fence and the horrifying fact they are doing it with our money.
Adrian Arbib, Oxford
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