Boat owners get apology over lengthy repairs to lockgates

Engineers have been examining the extent of wear and tear on the rubber seals at the bottom of the heavy steel inner lockgates.

Head of customer services at Hull Council Andy Brown apologised but said advance warning had been given: “The Marina will be closed for four to six weeks for routine repair and maintenance while we fit a new seal to the lockgate.

“Advance notice of this work was given to boat owners on October 6, with a reminder in early December. I’m sorry if some of the boatowners have been inconvenienced, however we expect the Marina to be fully operational again in time for Easter.”

The lockgates were only refurbished three years ago.

Meanwhile plans to create 30 residential berths at Railway Dock, next to the Holiday Inn hotel, are due to go before planners next month.

Marina operators British Waterways hopes to sell annual contracts to people wanting to live on their boats all year round. Operations director Darren Bramhall said: “There’s a shortage of between 12,000 and 15,000 residential berths throughout the country, ours would be a small way of trying to address that.”