‘Trapped’ boat dwellers take severe action to escape for vital supplies during flooding

Members of a community living on a marina say they were forced to cut through a metal fence which left them ‘trapped’ during flooding along the River Avon in Keynsham.

Jo Taylor, who is among the group of 45 people living at the Phoenix Marine, said the 6ft-high fence blocked the one safe exit for a canoe to reach dry land after water levels rose due to heavy rain.

It got to yesterday (January 14), with the community running low on food and concern growing for one resident on chemotherapy treatment, when the residents took matters into their own hands and cut down part of the fence using angle grinders.

Jo, a 45-year-old plumber, and two others were then able to get through the hole in the fence in a canoe and to dry land for a visit to the nearby Waitrose supermarket, where they picked up much-needed supplies.

The fence was installed as a barrier to the adjourning marina called Keynsham Water Front a few years ago. The owner, Simon Bendall, did not wish to comment when contacted by Bristol World.

Jo, who has lived at Pheonix Marine for 12 years, said: “We choose to live here. It has always flooded like this every 10 years here and we could always get out for supplies. But the fence has made it impossible for us to do that safely.

“It used to be that when things got bad down here, we could canoe or wade out along the higher end of the field but the fortified fence has effectively trapped us in. We had no choice but to cut the fence to get out.

“We decided to take action and used angle grinders to cut the fence. This meant we could get out to the shops for supplies for everyone, we can get our neighbour to hospital and we can all get back to work on Monday.”

Jo says that other ways to exit - like canoeing across the river or joining Broadmead Lane which provides access in dry weather - were not safe.

She added: “It’s simply too dangerous to have a community left trapped like this during flooding of the river.”

Jo has called on the help of Bath and North East Somerset councillor Andy Wait, who has already acted on her behalf on the issue. She also claims to have written to the owner of Keynsham Water Front, but has not had a reply.

Bristol World has contacted the owner of Pheonix Marine for comment.

A flooding alert remains on the River Avon between Bath and Bristol - latest water levels at nearby Rivermead in Keynsham are still above 7 metres. The top of the normal range is about 5.9 metres.

People living on a boat next to The Lock Keeper pub in Keynsham had to abandon their home after it became loose from its mooring.

The Environment Agency advices people along the river to move vheicles to higher ground, and family and pets to safety.