Boat club to launch legal fight against eviction

Broadness Cruising Club has been based on the Swanscombe Peninsula for decades

A boating club is to launch a legal battle against a "bullying" landowner it claims wants to evict it.

Billed as a "unique community of boaters, families and waterway enthusiasts", Broadness Cruising Club (BCC) has for decades been based on the Swanscombe Peninsula, a Site of Special Scientific Interest alongside the Thames Estuary.

Members said its historic access agreement was unexpectedly revoked in July by Swanscombe Development LLP (SD LLP), and a six foot fence erected to block them entering the site over alleged misuse and safety concerns.

But SD LLP said the move had been made "for the club's own good" after the site was deemed to be "dangerous".

BCC committee member Dave Edwards joined the club back in 2021.

"It's just a lovely little community, a proper oasis away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life," he said.

"We've never had any complaints before, or been denied access, so this has been a real shock."

In a letter shown to the BBC, SD LLP accused the club of "wilfully abusing" their agreement by flytipping at the site, starting fires, "storing hazardous chemicals" and erecting "unsafe platforms and outbuildings".

It added that the group, who deny SD LLP's claims, have until the end of August to remove their 40 plus boats or else they will be considered "abandoned".

"But we have a long standing arrangement with the Port of London Authority (PLA) and pay a quarterly fee to be on these saltings," said Mr Edwards.

"We believe we are being bullied and pushed out."

He added that BCC had so far received donations of more than £2.5k by well-wishers to "take the matter as far as it can go, legally-speaking".

The six foot high fence which began being installed last month

Nicholas Katz, chief executive of SD LLP, said permission had been given to BCC in 1992 to "cross its land with a car and a trailer for the purposes of launching their boats into the creek".

He added that things had since "gone unchecked for years", until SD LLP's new owners (Land Logical, of which Katz is director) took over in July and had a number of independent health and safety surveys done.

"The risk of someone injuring themselves down there was off the scale - we had no choice but to act," said Mr Katz.

"So we locked them out for their own good until such time that we can formulate a plan as to how this is going to work."

A spokesperson for the PLA said it issued a River Works Licence to BCC, "which is for structures over the riverbed, up to the average height of high tides".

"It does not cover landside access, so any matters relating to that or land-based tenancy agreements are between the club and the relevant landowner."