The long-running saga over the refusal by operators to open a key Norfolk bridge to river traffic has gone from frustration to farce... after the crossing finally opened but boats were still not allowed to pass.
Great Yarmouth’s Haven Bridge had been shut for three months – much to the fury of boaters unable to navigate under it – because Peel Ports is worried that locals will misbehave if it opens.
However, the bridge has now finally opened and will open again next week, but the company is still insisting that no vessels can pass while it is up.
The ongoing closure has imposed an effective ‘blockade’ on the Broads, cutting the waterways off from the North Sea.
This has left many boats marooned here and marine companies which rely on access to the sea say they are losing huge amounts of money and lost trade.
The stand-off has been rumbling since April, with Peel Ports saying it would not open the crossing because of the behaviour of members of the public during an incident in February when the bridge malfunctioned while opening.
In rowdy scenes, some people are said to have abused staff and clambered over barriers.
One drunk man is even said to have tried to direct the gridlocked traffic.
READ MORE: How drunks directing traffic triggered the Norfolk Broads bridge blockade
Peel Ports had said it would not re-open the crossing - which is in full working order - until Norfolk County Council, which owns the bridge, introduces new measures to avoid a repeat of the scenes.
The two organisations have been locked in a stalemate over the situation, but the council has now announced it will open the bridge every Tuesday between 1pm and 3pm, as part of its regular maintenance schedule. It completed the first opening last week.
But to the continued fury of boaters, they are still not being allowed to pass beneath it at these times.
Neither side has explained why this is the case, with both saying it was a matter for the other organisation.
'IT'S A FARCE'
The news has caused rising anger for one skipper of a 100ft cruiser, who is currently trapped in the Broads and has been told he still cannot leave.
Terry Everett - who wants to leave Great Yarmouth and move his 100ft vessel, which he lives on with his wife Teena, to Essex - is furious that he remains trapped by the blockade.
He said: "It is disgraceful. We are just stuck in the middle of it and there is nothing we can do.
"It is a complete farce, there is no reason at all now for it to still be closed."
READ MORE: Haven Bridge blockade costing firm thousands of pounds
Mr Everett has been attempting to leave his mooring on the River Bure opposite Great Yarmouth yacht station for two months, leaving him with extra costs as he is also paying for his new mooring in Essex.
Going through Haven Bridge is the only option as the boat is too big to fit through the alternative route of Mutford Lock, at Oulton Broad, near Lowestoft.
Mr Everett had threatened to try his luck and go under Have Bridge in its closed position. But he has decided it is too dangerous.
NAVIGATING TOWARDS THE COURTS?
An action group has been formed in recent weeks which has brought together local boating organisations to investigate taking legal action against Peel Ports.
It includes the Broom Boat Owners Club, Norfolk and Suffolk Boating Association and the Broads Authority, and is also receiving support from the Royal Yachting Association.
Last week chief executive Sarah Sutcliffe visited the Broads and heard from local boaters about the situation.
Peter Ward, of the Broom Owners Club, said: "Enough is enough. If we do not get this sorted we will be in for a legal fight.
"It is peak boating season and we still can't get out to sea. This is frustrating everyone."
BLOCKADE BACKSTORY
Haven Bridge carries one of the main roads into Yarmouth across the Yare.
Because it is relatively low, vessels can only safely pass when the bridge is open.
It had only started lifting again in November last year after it was shut for three years for improvement works.
Peel Ports, as the operator of Great Yarmouth's port, has a statutory duty to operate the bridge as per two acts of parliament from 1866 and 1925.
The company has declined to comment on the openings and why no boats can pass, saying it is a council matter and that there has been no development in the talks.
A council spokesman also declined to comment on why no boats could pass while the bridge is open, saying it was a matter for Peel Ports.
He reiterated that the bridge is in full working order and that the openings are part of a regular bridge maintenance schedule.
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