New fees could sink barge-cum-animal rescue centre

An animal lover who fears having to close her floating wildlife rescue service as mooring fees more than double says she will "go down with my boat if I have to".

Yvette Hart runs Wags on Water from her 65-ft barge which is docked at Ipswich Beacon Marina, run by the Associated British Ports (ABP) on the town's waterfront.

The 61-year-old has spent the past 10 years rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals of all kinds.

But, in January, the fees she will have to pay are due to increase from about £4,000 a year to more than £10,500, which she said she could not afford. ABP said there had always been an expectation that existing fees were temporary.

"I'll have to get a second job to be able to pay for the mooring fees. I'll be working non-stop and I just won't be able to fit it in or afford to do it," said Hart.

"I will have to shut down the wildlife side of things and probably also the fostering of the dogs as well, so this summer could be my swansong.

"I want to be winding down; I don't want to have to think about either paying my mooring fees or eating and keeping the boat warm – but ABP don't care."

Before moving to the Ipswich Beacon Marina, Hart had been based at the neighbouring Debbage Yachting Marina for 13 years with other live-aboard boats.

Last November, after 30 years ABP reportedly decided against renewing the lease with the Debbage operators.

Then, earlier this year, the boat owners were moved to the nearby Beacon Marina and told their mooring rates would be "honoured until the end of 2026 to support the transition".

"I was really hoping they would give us a little bit longer to enable people to either sell boats or find somewhere else to go, so this is a horrible situation to be in," said Hart.

"It's incredibly stressful and it seems the marinas are pushing out average little leisure boats and people that live on a boat because they want a certain clientele."

Hart, who grew up on Mersea Island in Essex, has since tried to find other places to moor her barge but to no avail, due to them either being full or too expensive.

She said she feared having to give up her love of living on a boat and "being a pirate", because, despite having told ABP she would "struggle" there had been "no budging".

"It suits my personality and I can't imagine living in a house now - I just don't think I'd be able to sleep," said Hart, who says the animal service is a job she already does on top of her council job.

"I will do everything I can to say here - I will go down with her if I have to because I don't want to give my boat up - it'll break my heart."

ABP said increasing the fees would ensure that all boat owners were "treated fairly and consistently".

"From 1 January 2027, former Debbage customers will move on to the same tariff structure as all other berth holders at Ipswich Beacon Marina, as communicated when the move took place," a spokesperson said.

"The pricing reflects the facilities, services and infrastructure available at Ipswich Beacon Marina.

"While we recognise some customers will be disappointed by the change, the transitional rates were always intended to be temporary and we do not offer individual discounts or exceptions."

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