Boat and yacht owners - obstructed in moving their vessels through a troubled county port, where a sea gate is broken - face thousands of pounds in police charges to escort vessels by road instead. Glasson Dock near Lancaster is a hub for shipping, boats and yachts. But it has suffered from broken infrastructure since last year.
It connects the Irish Sea, the River Lune estuary, Glasson Marina and Lancaster Canal. Sea gate problems have hit port and transport jobs , flood risks, sea and freshwater fish life, and tourism. And Lancaster Port Authority has been seeking extra power to expand its remit through a harbour revision order sent to the government, leading to objections from Lancaster city councillors.
Since the problems began Lancaster Port Commission, the Environment Agency, the Canal & River Trust and Aquavista have been involved in attempts to progress the issues. Now, a family boat owner and the boss of a road haulage firm based around Ramsbottom have highlighted their financial costs, in particular police charges to escort boats transported on lorries by road. Derek Abbot, from Holcombe, faces paying £2,000 or more to Lancashire Police to escort his family holiday homeboat Swallow from Fleetwood to Glasson Marina by road because it cannot currently access the marina by sea.
Derek’s boat has been based at Windermere in the Lake District and in Cheshire. Recently, it has been at Fleetwood but he wants to moor it at Glasson Marina for new uses. Mr Abbott said: “M.