Harbour could be sold

By Emily Pearce

Friday, February 8, 2013

 

PLANS to sell off the loss-making Ryde Harbour, which haemorrhages £34,000 a year and needs £1m worth of maintenance and dredging work, have been announced by the Isle of Wight Council.

The authority is set to market the man-made harbour following a private sector approach for the 160-berth facility, with the recommendation it is market tested with a covenant that it remains in use as a harbour or marina.

However, the covenant is not set in stone and would be reviewed by the council in light of any bids it receives. It could be dropped as a condition of sale if a private company submits a development proposal that would otherwise benefit the economy.

A report has warned that if not sold, the harbour could be closed.

There are more than 21,000 marine visitors to the harbour each year, but the shoreside hospitality facilities fall well below the standards recommended by the Royal Yachting Association and are a constant source of complaints from harbour users.

The decision to market the harbour is due to be made under delegated powers.

According to a delegated decision report, published today (Friday), the council has no budgeted funds to cover the annual losses incurred by the harbour. These losses would be avoided if the harbour was taken over by the private sector.

"Given the financial pressures facing the council and the need to prioritise its limited resources towards its statutory obligations, the ability of the council to support the harbour, a discretionary service, in the short to medium term may be limited," it states.

"If the council is not able to agree to consider the sale of Ryde Harbour as a harbour/marina to take advantage of this current opportunity there is a risk that similar opportunities may not present themselves again in the medium term.

"If this were the case the council may face a choice of closing the harbour or investing some of its limited resources in it so it can continue to operate."

It is hoped the sale would help regenerate Ryde seafront, as well as secure the immediate future of the harbour.

Reporter: emilyp@iwcpmail.co.uk

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by Joan Wheelton

19th April 2013, at 11:16:28

Vectis Boating and Fishing Club is fighting for protection of the harbour slipway. Without this the club will not be able to launch its small dinghies and after its 150 years history may have to close. Its whole ethos is based on hiring club boats to members for a very small charge and teaching them and especially young people boating and sea angling skills. VBFC needs to the revenue from renting out boat storage space to keep the building going. The slip behind the Pavilion is not safe for launching into water because members have experienced difficulties handling boats when struck by the Hovercraft wash. Last week someone was knocked off his feet by the wash and ended up under the trailer. People tell me the harbour slip is an amended version of one which was donated to the people of Ryde by the Brigstocke family. If anyone can tell me how to find firm evidence of this please email vbfc.ryde@gmail.com. Stephen Langford please get in touch.

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by Colin Russell

11th February 2013, at 09:26:22

Could this council say if Newport and Ventnor Harbours are in profit, or are they losing money

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by geoffrey clynch

9th February 2013, at 13:13:19

More selling off of land to make a profit for this SCAM of a council and its six figure salaried leaches....MORE Houses...etc. read the following link to see what our government are allowing councils to get up to... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2275882/they-squeal-cuts-truth-town-halls-spending-fleecing-youhtm1#axzz2KOmszLYp

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by Richard Taylor

9th February 2013, at 10:46:24

I think we need a moratorium on these 'Delegated Powers' sell offs until after the May election. I'm not suggesting that this council would cut and run of course.

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by Russell Palin

9th February 2013, at 09:41:05

Please could somebody say who was the person who signed for this harbour to be built in the first place?
The reason I ask is that as soon as we know we can hold them responsible. If they still hold a position of power I suggest that that position is put in to question.

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by Alan Hunter

9th February 2013, at 09:02:33

Was a proper tidal survey carried out before it was built? If so, then they should have know of the silting problem and factored it into the running costs....or is that too easy? Or perhaps it shouldn't have been built in the first place

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by kevin froment

8th February 2013, at 23:12:31

you have to sell off the assets so you have to have money to throw around, it makes you look important, did you like the way i sounded like a chief executive then

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by stephen langford

8th February 2013, at 21:33:14

By the way, how is Ventnor harbour doing financially ? It had 6 small dinghies tied up there last summer. Should Ryde harbour be sold off to pay toward Ryde`s regeneration, will the financial gain, join the alleged £millions allocated to the Ryde facelift, "gateway to the Island", project of some years ago, or add to the financial mysteries of the Ventnor/Niton Undercliff underpinning project ??

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by stephen langford

8th February 2013, at 21:16:15

public access to the sea !!

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by stephen langford

8th February 2013, at 21:13:47

Or can it legally be shut ? Before the harbour was built,there were two PUBLIC slipways in that area. One is listed as Quay Road, now "occupied" by Hovertravel, the other was where the present wide harbour slipway is now, but facing westward, listed as Eastern Gardens,access via the Esplanade. Check, "Where to Launch Your Boat", a Barnacle Marine Ltd, publication. Also, I have an ancient print out from South Wight Borough Council, listing the Eastern Esplanade as a "public landing or slipway". Before Ryde harbour was built, St.Helens listed public slipway was very usable. Sadly this facility is covered in deep sand and unusable, due to the sand dam Ryde Harbour has effected by preventing natural shore shift. Perhaps the dredging would be less expensive, had it not been neglected in the past. Another public facility,poorly concieved & managed by the council ? Nothing new there. Interesting, should there be a legal battle over the right of public acces

Any views or opinions presented in the comments above are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the Isle of Wight County Press.

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