When will the boats come in?

But the district's only marina, pictured, has been a sad white elephant, attracting only a handful of narrowboats since it was built five years ago.

Now British Waterways believes the tide has turned for its liquid asset and is offering to lease it out on the open market.

Two would-be operators have already come forward to view the marina -- but British Waterways was unable to comment on the identity of the organisations.

And the marina has been given another small boost as two new private moorings were booked yesterday to add to the half dozen or so taken up over the years among the 40 available.

The estate at Tenterfields, Apperley Bridge, Bradford, was marketed as a "marina development" where people bought homes at prices of around £100,000, believing they would look out over an attractive canal basin busy with boats.

Instead it lay unfinished, empty and filled with litter, after the main developers, Maltsword, went into administration.

After a three-year battle to get something done, residents were jubilant two years ago when British Waterways agreed to step in to finish and improve the marina, with a view to leasing it to a private operator.

Today, a British Waterways spokesman said it had planned to start a big national marketing operation but already two potential lease-holders had come forward to view it.

She said: "We are very hopeful an operator will take it over and it will lead to a chain of events that will make it a huge attraction. It is one of few of its type and we believe it has huge potential."

Resident Chris Waites, 35, a school bursar, of The Quayside, said they had bought their house beside the marina because they had expected it to be bustling with boats.

"It has big potential", he said.

Charles Garner, 60, of Apperley Road, said: "I think it has been a white elephant.

"Everybody wants to see something down about it. It could be very nice indeed."

The 1.5-acre basin is offered at a rent of £12,000 a year, plus VAT, rates and other outgoings.