New Blow for Watermans as Squatters Take Up Residence
Council says it is working to have them removed
The notice from the squatters is visible on the left. Picture: Facebook
June 14, 2024
The Watermans Arts Centre, which was badly damaged by a fire earlier this month, has now apparently been occupied by squatters.
A ‘Legal Warning’ has been posted on the outside of the building saying that it has been taken over.
The notice says that the group will have at least person on site at one time and any attempt to enter without permission would be a criminal offence.
It continues, “If you attempt to enter by violence or by threatening violence we will prosecute you. You may receive a sentence of up to six months’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £5,000.”
It is stated that to regain possession it would be necessary to go to the High Court.
Damage to the building after a fire caused by a discarded cigarette appears to have made the site difficult to secure.
The current tenant is Hounslow Arts Trust but it ceased to use the building from 11 April and, it is understood, that there has been nobody at the site.
The council still insists that a linked plan to developed the site into luxury riverside apartments and build a new arts centre on the lower levels of a residential block at the former police station site nearby on Half Acre remains viable.
Confirmation was recently sought that a minor demolition at the Half Acre site represented sufficient activity to ensure that the planning application did not lapse.
WCWorks, formerly Save Our Watermans a local group campaigning to bring the building back into use said, "This is yet another concerning development and only serves to highlight the urgent action that must be taken to protect the Watermans Arts Centre site.
"The future of Culture in Brentford was already uncertain, in part due to the lack of clarity from London Borough of Hounslow surrounding the meanwhile use application process. The subsequent fire and unauthorised occupation of the building only compound that uncertainty at a time when Brentford residents deserve clear and decisive action."
Fire fighters examine the damage to the Watermans Arts Centre. Picture: Guy Lambert
A Hounslow Council spokesperson, said, “The Council is working with the tenant Hounslow Arts Trust Limited to remove the squatters and regain control of the property. Our priorities are public safety and protecting the integrity of the building.”
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