A CANAL boat went up in flames following a suspected arson attack at the New Islington Marina in Ancoats just after midnight on Friday 29 August.
“I have already had conversations with the Police and Urban Splash about these issues but the very serious incident which took place yesterday is a clear escalation of those concerns.”
Marina resident Philip McGaw sent us this footage:
Luckily no one was hurt, but some residents have expressed serious concerns to Confidential that next time they may not be so lucky.
It is reported that residents in the Chips development overlooking the marina saw a number of youths running away from the site.
Police Constable Darren Davenport said: "I do not believe this incident was a random attack or act of mindless vandalism. It was clearly a targeted attack on this particular boat which appears to be well planned.
"The fire could have resulted in serious injuries or worse but thankfully the boat was unoccupied at the time. Regardless of this it put other nearby occupants at risk as well as the attending emergency services.
"Understandably other residents at the marina are concerned however I would reassure them that this matter is being thoroughly investigated."
After the alarm was sounded, a number of other boaters came out to try and save the boat and stop the fire spreading.
McGaw told Confidential that upon arrival, the fire service had problems accessing the fire.
"They had to run the hose from Old Mill Street," he said.
Worringly, Old Mill Street sits at the far south-easterly end of the marina, around 200m from the blaze.
One concerned resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told Confidential there seems to be some confusion as to whether the fire service found access to the marina blocked, whether they were made aware of the access points, or, more seriously, whether there's adequate access to the marina in the first place.
New Islington Marina - Chips development in the distance
A more tranquil marina
Twelve months ago Confidential ran a piece titled 'New Islington Marina Failing'.
Residents of the £20m marina development had approached Confidential to highlight a number of issues they'd faced since developer Urban Splash and partners opened the site in 2011.
The problems included anti-social behaviour involving drink, drugs, verbal abuse, theft and vandalism.
In recent months residents have approached Confidential again, claiming that far from getting better after the first article, things have taken a turn for the worse.
"Get your finger out and give your residents the security they need and are entitled to."
Boaters have told us there has been repeated 'drunken and lurid' behaviour around the marina and Cotton Fields park, swans killed, property stolen and numerous break-ins. One boater reported a beer bottle thrown through their canal boat window, showering the inside with glass.
Earlier this month a gang of up to ten youths went on a crime spree in the Ancoats area, robbing one security guard at gunpoint, attacking a couple and smashing in windows, including some around the marina.
Now it's suspected that residents may be able to add arson to the list. In a bizzare case of premonition, we asked one resident earlier this month what was being done to combat anti-social behaviour.
They said: "The police mostly respond when called, however, the party line seems to be that this is a deprived area, and that being a deprived area we should be thankful there's not much trouble."
Boat vandalism and break-in (August 2014)
A meeting was called on 5 August 2014, attended by residents, Greater Manchester Police, the council and representatives from marina developers and managers Urban Splash.
Again, very little seems to have come from it.
We asked residents what should be done to make the marina a safer and better place to live. McGaw said:
"Better physical security, and not leaving the park open till dusk in the summer.
"Families bringing their children down during the day are not an issue, in fact we would like to see more encouragement of responsible recreation, however, the late night opening times gives some an excuse to start drinking mid-afternoon and continue until 10pm when they object to being asked to leave - please also remember there are no public toilets on site.
"This is despite the area being designated no drinking. The police, the park manager and security will not enforce this, so it leads to the abuse of illicit substances."
Marina warning signs are regularly ignored
Following the canal boat fire on Friday 29 August, one resident we've been in touch with for a number of weeks copied Confidential into an email they'd sent to the police, Urban Splash and Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central.
It read: 'Here we are two weeks after our meeting when we told you it was only a matter of time before a boat would be fire bombed and also that fire access was not adequate. In fact, it proved tonight bloody impossible.
'Maybe now you will start to take notice of what is being said instead of sticking your head in the sand and hoping tomorrow will be better. Well it won't.
'Get your finger out and give your residents the security they need and are entitled to.'
Following this we contacted the office of Lucy Powell MP, she promptly replied: “I have been contacted by a number of residents at the marina who have been concerned about crime and anti-social behaviour in the area for some time. This is a real shame given that the area is a great and peaceful area to live in.”
“I have already had conversations with the Police and Urban Splash about these issues but the very serious incident which took place yesterday is a clear escalation of those concerns.”
“The local councillors and I are calling for an urgent meeting to take place to address these problems with all of the agencies involved to get round the table and talk about what needs to be done to allow residents to feel safe.”
“I have invited representatives from the Police, Fire Service and Urban Splash to meet with myself, local Councillors and the residents and I hope that this meeting will take place as soon as possible.”
The boat was utterly destroyed
A step in the right direction perhaps. Although, these meetings have proved to be unfruitful for marina residents in the past. Perhaps, as concerning as the fire has been for boaters, this incident will shock the authorities and relevant parties into action.
Something clearly needs to be done to make boaters feel safe in their homes, restricted access to the site after-hours is far too easy to side-step, and Urban Splash need to work with residents, the police and the council in beefing up security measures.
As attentions turn to the east Manchester neighbourhoods of Ancoats and New Islington following the joint-venture announcement between Manchester City Council and the Home and Communities Agency to build over 800 new homes in the area (as part of the Manchester Life initiative), the council cannot afford to have a crime hotspot slap-bang in the middle of developments.
Confidential have contacted Urban Splash about the incident and the on-going issues at the marina. They've stated that an official response will follow shortly.
Confidential Editor Jonathan Schofield recently sat down with Urban Splash chairman Tom Bloxham to discuss a range of topics, one of which being New Islington Marina, we'll soon be publishing the entire interview on the site.
Follow @David8Blake on twitter.
(photo credits to Philip McGaw)
