Archived decisions

Contact: Merrick Denton-Thompson, ext 6826

1. Summary

1.1 Subject to some fine tuning, the County Council and the Crown Estate have agreed the contents of the letter of intent which forms the basis of the relationship between the parties. This can be summarised in the following statement:

"The Crown Estate and Hampshire County Council aim to work together and with others to conserve and enhance the recreational value and environmental quality of the River Hamble."

2. Progress to Date

2.1 The Management Agreement between the Crown Estate and the County Council governing the Hamble Harbour Authority's management of the Crown Estate's moorings has been completed.

2.2 The Crown Estate 50-year leases to the County Council of the upper and mid/lower sections of the Hamble (non-mooring areas) have been completed.

2.3 New Crown Estate individual mooring licences and block mooring licences have been issued and the first payment of the £500,000 cost of acquiring the mooring piles from the County Council has been made. In light of experience, and following discussions with the River Hamble Mooring Holders' Association, some modifications to the individual mooring licences have been agreed and will be introduced before the start of the autumn season.

2.4 The waiting list has been reduced to around 460 applicants and there are now eight vacant moorings on the river, six of which have been offered to applicants on the waiting list. The waiting time is now down to under five years, a reflection of the success of the new procedures.

2.5 The Crown Estate is working up its proposals for the banding of moorings which will aim to fairly reflect the moorings' respective values. The new charges will be introduced in January 2003 following a further round of public consultation.

2.6 The Crown Estate and the County Council are contributing to the streamlined consents procedure forum developed by the Environmental Harbour Master (EHM) to assist regulatory consents efficiency.

2.7 Two years ago the Crown Estate set up its Marine Stewardship Fund, which aims to provide grant-aid to practical projects and programmes that contribute to the development of best practice and make a significant contribution to the environmental management and stewardship of the Marine Estates. Two projects relating to the River Hamble are currently benefiting from the fund:

(i) The EHM post is being jointly funded on a 50:50 basis with the County Council. The contract is for three years and will amount to around £36,000 each in total. The EHM has now produced a draft Hamble Estuarine Management Plan, which is currently out for consultation and which has the aim of maintaining the nature conservation interests of the Hamble Estuary in a sustainable manner.

(ii) The Crown Estate has also made a contribution of £2,000 to the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology, to undertake new studies and complete outstanding work with the aim of outlining the known archaeological resource in the Hamble.

3. The Future

3.1 Progress on the `Vision' for the Hamble is presented in a separate report on the agenda. The Crown Estate and the County Council are working together on the preparation of a plan for the river. This will include the integration of the newly acquired interest in the offices and hardstanding at Warsash, possibly with enhanced visitor facilities and an information centre explaining the varied leisure and commercial activities and interests on and around the river.

3.2 The Crown Estate and the County Council will be examining the viability of providing additional and improved visitor moorings based on the Warsash and Hamble jetties, and possibly at Swanwick and Bursledon in the future.

3.3 The Crown Estate and the County Council are consulting with commercial operators and clubs, which hold blocks of moorings, over a unified process of development or enhancement of facilities in line with a long-term strategy.

3.4 River users and statutory bodies are to be consulted on the issue of widening the fairways to improve safe navigation, providing more open views and better dinghy sailing areas, plus a range of safer low-cost pontoon moorings in accessible locations, with the intention of providing a range of moorings within the financial reach of as many members of the public as possible. These issues are also subject to a further report on this agenda.

3.5 In all these initiatives the Crown Estate and the County Council will be guided by the principles of value for money and open consultation with all users and interests. When investment is proposed, full financial appraisals will be carried out based on meeting identifiable needs and demands and, if necessary, pilot schemes coupled with monitoring and evaluation will be undertaken.

Recommendation

1. That the report be noted.

2. That progress with the partnership between the County Council and the Crown Estate be welcomed.

7208/MD-T