Our commitment to save this wharf has been supported by over 200 people who have written to Dacorum Borough Council including many of the ‘movers and shakers’ of the waterways world.   As you can see by the DEFRA paper “Waterways for Tomorrow” and  “Planning Guidance” plus my notes on policy and legislation, the issue is to retain the wharf and slipway within the infrastructure of our historic system.   There has been a boatyard on this site since 1799, initially boats were launched sideways into the canal (which required sandbagging on the opposite bank).  From the late 1970’s boats for leisure and tourism were launched from the slipway under threat.  To loose this very valuable facility to residential development, which could go anywhere, would not only be an irreplaceable loss to the whole waterway system but wholly inappropriate in the centre of the conservation area of the canal town of the Port of Berkhamsted.   Particularly bearing in mind that the area immediately opposite backing on to the tow path has been designated an area covered by an Article Four Direction.   Every wharf and access to our waterway system once lost to residential development is lost for ever. 

WE APPLAUD BRITISH WATERWAYS COMMITMENT TO THE CONSERVATION OF OUR HERITAGE ARTEFACTS AND SINCERELY HOPE THAT OUR LOCAL AUTHORITY WILL EMULATE THEIR ADMIRABLE COMMITMENT BY RESPECTING THE HERITAGE OF BERKHAMSTED'S INDUSTRIAL ROUTES AND AMENITY FACILITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY.