This has been posted on behalf of the Canal Boat owners at the Good’s Way Moorings.
The tiny community of narrow boats at Goodsway Moorings, whose youngest member is just 6 weeks old, has been a part of Kings Cross for over 20 years. We have played an active role in the area for many years, making the towpath safer and working with other community groups to improve the area.
The Kings Cross Central Developers – including Argent and London Continental Railways – have decided they don’t want us in the area any more and we have been given just three months notice to leave our home here. This will make at least some of us homeless, with others facing a move to alternative moorings that are unsafe, insecure and only temporary.
The developers talk about community engagement and open communication, yet:
• before they got planning permission, the developers told us and the local community that there would be moorings in the final development. They failed to tell us the truth – that we would be kicked out before the moorings were even developed
• now they refuse to take any responsibility for what is happening – we have proposed a positive way forward, but they will not even sit down with us to find a fair solution
London Continental Railways recently put on a play celebrating Sir John Betjamin’s crusade to save St. Pancras station. Sadly, LCR and the other Kings Cross Central development partners do not seem to think it is important to save an established local community.
Can you help us by writing to LCR and Argent asking that they engage directly with the boaters at Goodsway to work out a fair solution:
Roger Madelin, Argent Group Plc.
PA’s email address: janee@argentgroup.plc.uk (indicate for the attention of Roger Madelin)Stephen Jordan, London & Continental Stations and Property Ltd
PA’s email address: cstanley@lcrhq.co.uk (indicate for the attention of Stephen Jordan)Please copy us in – and email us to find out more – at: goodswaymoorings@yahoo.co.uk
Thanks for your help,
Jake Elster-Jones
For more detailed info please download their information pack: Download extra_info_for_kx_central.pdf
Kings Cross Environment 
It may be a little late but I’ve just recieved an email reply to a note I sent to the mayor about the canal moorings. I’m just a concerned local resident and thought I’d send this to see if I could help. Response and original e-mail below.
C. XX
From: Mayor of London [mayor@london.gov.uk]
Dear Miss Barker
Thank you for your email to the Mayor regarding the residents of canal barges at Kings Cross. This has been passed to me to respond to.
The Mayor has been made aware of the current position with regard to the houseboats and the Chair of his London Waterways Commission, Murad Qureshi has written to London and Continental in relation to the matter.
It is understandable if regrettable that there will be some disruption during the long awaited and much needed redevelopment of this area. I understand the British Waterways have sought to assist in finding alternative mooring locations but this has not, thus far, proved successful.
It is the Mayor’s view that a limited number of well designed and well managed moorings within the Kings Cross area would be both appropriate to the areas and would assist with natural surveillance within the canal corridor. Unfortunately the Mayor does not have any direct powers to act on this.
Yours
Kevin Reid
Senior Strategist
cc
Murad Qureshi AM Chair of LWC
Ian Runeckles British Waterways
Here is my original note to the mayor:
Dear Mr Livingstone,
As you may be aware, the little narrow boat community on the canal in
Kings Cross are being moved on by the Eurostar developers. Not only is
this an unnecessary action but will change the face of Kings Cross
forever and will turn it into a Canary Wharf style soulless community.
I wanted to write to you to bring this to your attention and to see what
(if anything) you could do to help. I have been a Kings Cross resident
for the past 4 years and have been recently touched by their plight. As
part of your remit is culture / the environment / inclusivity, I
wondered whether you would look into this and assist the people affected
as well as the wider Kings Cross community. Whilst everyone accepts that
the development is good for the regeneration of the area, I feel that
the loss of the mooring signifies the start of Kings Cross becoming a
clinical area. One of the best things about our city is the fact that we
embrace the old alongside the new, which helps to make our city one of
the most diverse and interesting in the world. I know that the 9 boats
in Kings Cross may not seem like much but they are part of our community
and make the canal a better and safer place.
Please look at the following link and help if you can.
http://www.yorkcentral.co.uk/htm%27s/goods_way_page.htm
Caroline Barker (Miss)
Rufford Street
Kings Cross
London