The mega-boats, as residents and local groups describe them, are at the heart of the dispute. Formerly used to transport rubbish down the Thames, the three boats —The Pacifica, The Zephyr and Iris— are owned by the Moffats and have each been converted into two luxury rental apartments. Community groups like The Chelsea Society feel that they are “incompatible with the character of Chelsea Reach”, while local councillors said that the material difference of the boats has “a terrible impact on London’s iconic riverside”, as councillor Gerard Hargreaves put it. Residents, crucially, feel that they are being evicted to make space for the boats. “The atmosphere is being stripped out, and we’re all disappearing,” says Alexandra.
‘Devastating’: decision to remove Chelsea mega-boats overturned in blow to houseboat residents
