A HISTORIC Worcester marina which was put up for auction with a £350,000 price tag has been pulled from sale at the last minute.

Northwick Marina, in Neweys Hill, Claines, which was attacked by arsonists two years ago, was being eyed up for possible development. But the landmark site, which sits in a conservation area, is now protected after the owners agreed to rent it to a third party for boat moorings and storage.

A sale of the land was being prepared for Tuesday, October 22, at a London auction house, but is now being scrapped. The 2.9 hectare site is owned by Portharb Narrowboat Holidays, which is moving to Kingfisher Marina in Pershore at the end of this year. Lee Porter, who runs the business, said: “We had been looking to sell it but we’ve now made a deal to rent it, so it will stay as it is, with boats and storage space.

“A sale won’t be happening, but we are moving to Pershore and I expect that will happen by the end of this season, towards the end of the year.” At the moment the site has planning approval for dredging, but speculation has been flying around about the potential it has for other uses after the auction was first revealed.

Councillor Liz Smith, who represents the area, said: “It’s got potential that is not yet realised, there’s no doubt about that. It could be a lovely site but there would have been some issues with developing it as it’s in a Conservation Area. I don’t think the access is that great, either.”

The site used to be owned by the Morris family, which was well known in the city for owning boats in the Pitchcroft area of Worcester, but changed hands to Mr Porter several years ago.

In September 2011, five boats and three cars on the site were torched by arsonists, causing thousands of pounds damage.