AMBITIOUS plans for a 60ft restaurant trip boat to be moored on the canal, in Skipton, is set to be sunk for a second time by Craven District Council planners.

The boat, being built by Rendezvous Hotel owner Malcolm Weaving, is for private and corporate dining, exhibitions, product launching and private parties.

Mr Weaving said the food would be prepared in the hotel and served on board while cruising along the canal.

The plans were initially refused by planners back in March and are to be determined for a second time at the August planning meeting on Tuesday.

The boat is costing an estimated £300,000 and is being built from scratch in Lancashire. It has been designed by Mr Weaving’s business partner Thomas Randell, who built the hotel.

Work to the 14-foot wide boat, named Graceful Swan, has been ongoing and Mr Weaving expects it to be completed before the second week of October.

He already has bookings for the boat.

The initial plans were rejected under delegated authority by officers who said the vessel would ‘result in an unacceptable impact on the health and quality of life of existing occupants by the way of noise nuisance’.

The application had attracted four letters of objection.

Mr Weaving said he feels all the concerns have been addressed.

In a letter supporting his application, Mr Weaving said all precautions had been taken to ensure soundproofing to Marine and Coastguard Agency standards.

He said: “The Graceful Swan will be far better soundproofed than any other passenger boat on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal with the reason being that the new health and safety regulations only came into force in 2018.

“Our boat is double glazed with no opening windows, air conditioned with an electric motor and a very small smoking deck. In addition, the boat skipper will be in full control of any sound equipment directly from the wheelhouse. The boat will not be playing live or recorded music when moored outside the hotel, only when cruising.”

He described the boat as the ‘holy grail’ to boost trade over winter which slumps in the hospitality industry.

The report before the planning committee next week states the boat would cover a distance of approximately four to five miles with the specified destination/turnaround being the canal basin, in Skipton, and Kildwick.

Mr Weaving added it was not in his interests for the boat to generate noise.

He said: “We have 96 bedrooms at this hotel, half of which face the canal. The last thing I would want is for my guests to be disturbed by noise.”

However, planning officers state the plans go against emerging policy ENV11 which states that development which would have an adverse impact on the amenity of the canal by virtue of noise, odour or visual impact would not be supported.

They state the reasons for refusal as: “The mooring and use of a licensed 60ft boat for functions associated with the Rendezvous Hotel within close proximity to existing residential dwellings would have an unacceptable impact on the health and quality of life of existing occupants by the way of noise nuisance.”