Thank you for visiting this site, which is run by members of the Chelsea Reach Boatowners’ Association (“CRBA”) in support of our campaign to save our houseboat community.

The Chelsea Reach houseboat community has long been among the most diverse and distinctive in London, with well-known figures living alongside people from all walks of life, from entrepreneurs and artists to pensioners and parents. Our campaign represents 53 of the 60 houseboat owners at Chelsea Reach, and was set up in response to plans to remove the homes of many long-term residents in favour of luxury new boats.

The future of our houseboat homes is under threat because the Chelsea Yacht and Boat Company (“CYBC”), which owns our moorings between Battersea Bridge and Lots Road, has served termination notices on 15 of the 60 boats requiring them to leave by 10^th March 2018. For those it is not yet attempting to force out, CYBC has sought to increase the licence fee by more than 300%; an increase that’s unaffordable for all but a few boatowners. The company has even suggested that mooring licence premiums could increase by 1,160%; something that would mean the end of the historic Chelsea houseboat community as we know it.

Our community has lived here happily for decades, and we believe that it’s part of what makes Chelsea special. All of us are already paying the market rate for our moorings, and we believe that doing so should give us a right that’s already protected in law for homeowners on dry land: the right to remain in our homes. This is all we are campaigning for. We are acting to protect our homes and pursue our rights to them, by whatever means necessary (within the law).

We are a community, not a commodity, and we would love your support for our cause. Please sign our petition, or get in touch with us to find out more, or to get involved.