Contact: Alan Inder, ext 6759

1. Summary

1.1 In autumn 2002 Hampshire County Council, with the support of the Crown Estate, carried out a consultation on the draft outline River Hamble Moorings Plan (RHMP). The outcome of the consultation was reported to the River Hamble Harbour Advisory and Management Committees in November and December 2002, respectively. The report to those committees included, as an appendix, the Summary of Consultation Responses, which has since been put on the Harbour Authority's website.

1.2 It was agreed at the River Hamble Harbour Management Committee on 13 December 2002 that a full appraisal of the consultation responses be undertaken and the results reported to the next cycle of Harbour Advisory and Management Committee meetings. The main purpose of this report is to fulfil this requirement.

1.3 The report deals with all the main issues covered in the Summary of Consultation Responses referred to above, and is structured according to the same topic headings.

2. Foreword

2.1 Before dealing with the specific issues, an explanation of the roles of the County Council and Crown Estate. The future of the river depends on cooperation between many bodies, including users, marina operators, boatyards, conservation agencies, etc. The aim of the County Council and Crown Estate in forming their partnership has been to provide a focus within which very different views can be brought together. The parties also have their own discrete roles - as well as the Local Authority, the County Council is the statutory Harbour Authority, the primary function of which is the provision of safety of navigation on the river. The Crown Estate is the majority owner of the foreshore and bed of the river and the mid-stream mooring facilities.

2.2 The structure of any plans for the integrated management of the river must ultimately be that decided by the County Council and comply with the aims and policies of the recently published River Hamble Estuary Management Plan 2003-2008. Moorings is just one issue addressed in the Plan and the aim of the Crown Estate and the County Council working with the Harbour Master's office is, through a coordinated moorings action plan, to support the continued use of the river as a centre for sustainable recreational boating.

3. Safety

3.1 The Harbour Authority is responsible for ensuring that all those who use the River Hamble can do so safely. The river is patrolled by the Harbour staff on a daily basis and report logs are kept. These logs include details of all incidents attended or reported to patrols during the course of the shift. Records of these reports are kept and regular summaries produced.

3.2 These logs echo the comment made by the consultation response that the main safety risk is vessels speeding, as the most significant number of reports centre on this factor. It is the Harbour Authority's view that widening the main channel would improve safety by creating more space and reducing congestion and the risk of conflict. However, the comment made that widening fairways would cause an increase in vessel speeding is one that will be considered very carefully when developing any further plans for the moorings on the River Hamble, as the Harbour Authority would not wish to increase any risk to navigational safety. Speed is an issue that needs to be addressed with or without any changes to the moorings.

3.3 The Harbour Master's office has recently commenced a programme of vessel traffic surveys on the river, in order to provide firm data on vessel numbers and movements at different times of the day and in particular at peak times. The intention is for this information to be made publicly available and it will help form part of the planning process for the improvement of facilities along the river, as well as assessing navigational safety.

3.4 It is evident that the availability of secondary channels is highly valued because they enable dinghies and tenders to navigate safely along the river, and this factor will be taken into account when preparing any future proposals.

3.5 Although existing lines of pile moorings help to define the existing fairway, any scheme to alter the moorings layout of the river must be appropriately marked in respect of navigation. In particular, the main channel will have to be clearly defined.

3.6 It is the Harbour Authority's view that the draft RHMP offered benefits to dinghy sailing by creating open areas for safe sailing. However, it is acknowledged that many people feel that such areas would be less safe than existing dinghy sailing areas on the river. Further consultation with sailing clubs on the river would need to be undertaken should such initiatives be taken forward.

3.7 The RHMP's claims about tenders being a safety risk is based on long experience of Harbour Authority patrols, and the independent safety assessment. However, the Harbour Authority incident logs are not conclusive on this issue because most incidents that give cause for concern are not serious enough to be reported. Efforts by the Harbour Authority to tackle the problem by education and encouraging safer use have not been successful. It is the Harbour Authority's view that making moorings more accessible would reduce the use of tenders and the associated risk to safety. This need not affect those who have used tenders safely for years and wish to continue.

3.8 As a general point it ought to be made clear that any major changes to the layout of the river would be subject to audit by the "Designated Person", as defined by the Port Marine Safety Code.

4. Range of Moorings

4.1 The Crown Estate is the main provider of mooring facilities outside of the marinas and boatyards. It is evident from the consultation that the availability of a range of mooring types, locations and charges is highly valued by river users and any proposals to change the moorings layout and infrastructure will take this as a primary consideration. The Crown Estate has publicly committed itself to maintaining the provision of affordable moorings of all levels and types so as to maintain the attraction and diversity of the river. Its policy in this regard accords fully with the views put forward by many respondents and with the policy on moorings in the Estuary Management Plan.

5. Security

5.1 The suggestion that mid-river moorings are more secure due to their isolated nature is understandable; however, this isolation can work in reverse and possibly make them more of a target to thieves. Similar comments could also be made for other mooring types. It is unlikely that a determined thief will be stopped, regardless of where the mooring is located.

5.2 Some insurance companies offer lower premiums for boats moored in a marina-style environment, although this is largely dependant on the level of security offered (eg security gates, closed circuit television, 24 hour staff presence).

5.3 Whatever form future development of mooring areas might take, the security of vessels will be taken into consideration.

6. Facilities

6.1 The response to the possible provision of ancillary mooring facilities (car parking, toilets, fresh water supply, waste collection, etc) was evenly balanced between those for and against. Nevertheless, such provision is considered to be an important factor in the enhancement of the infrastructure for recreational boat users on the river. Clearly however, the County Council, as the primary provider of any such facilities, would need to assess market demand, financial viability and feasibility before embarking on any development.

7. Relationship with Marinas

7.1 It makes sense for a moorings plan to involve all relevant stakeholders, to enable the regulatory authorities to consider the area in a comprehensive and holistic way. Such a comprehensive approach would, of course, involve the marinas and boatyards which line the river's banks, as well as other commercial and non-commercial operators, eg mooring contractors, sailing clubs and youth groups. It is not, and never has been, the intention to create a complex of marinas on the river, nor to handover total control of moorings to the marina operators or boatyards. However, in order to fulfil the aim of providing a wide range of mooring types, the contribution of commercial operators must not be disregarded.

8. Access, Traffic, Parking and the River Bus

8.1 The County Council is aware that the issues of traffic, access and parking are already significant and the impact on such issues by any major developments on the river is of concern. It is recognised that further information is needed to understand fully the traffic, access and parking implications associated with the current moorings layout, and that these issues must be addressed effectively when assessing any proposed changes. The capacity of existing and the potential for new parking will be examined.

8.2 The County Council is still considering the proposal of using a river bus or taxi service to link landing points with mid-stream and visitor moorings. Similar services elsewhere, such as at Yarmouth, suggest that a river bus on the Hamble could improve access to moorings and help to attract visiting vessels. Nevertheless, it is important that a study be undertaken to fully assess feasibility and viability, possibly including running a trial service. (The integrated access project is proposing to run a river bus service during the summer of 2003; however, this is not aimed at servicing mid-river moorings but will instead link in with other public transport schemes.)

9. Implementation Costs and Mooring Charges

9.1 The Crown Estate, as a proactive landowner, needs to put in place a programme for the phased replacement of the mooring piles over the next 15 years or so as part of a planned maintenance programme. It cannot be assumed that the existing mooring configuration can continue and the Crown Estate will examine, in consultation with key stakeholders, the most cost-effective and environmentally acceptable means of providing for future mooring demand. This is a long-term programme that requires careful costing and planning to ensure that the optimum mooring facilities - in keeping with the aims of providing a wide range of affordable mooring types - are provided. As plans are developed information on proposed costings will be included as part of the consultation process.

10. Visual Appearance

10.1 It is evident that very different views are held about the visual appearance of scattered pile and swinging moorings; some feel they contribute positively to the character of the river while others feel that continuous lines of moorings along the river detract from its natural beauty. However, even those who would welcome the relocation of mid-river moorings in order to re-create open, natural sections of river would not want this to be achieved by turning the river completely into a series of marinas. Clearly, any future plan must avoid adding to the visual dominance of marinas. The aim will be to adopt an evolutionary approach, with monitoring and review being an important part of assessing the next steps.

11. Nature Conservation

11.1 The river supports a wide range of species and habitats of local, national and international significance. Due to its high nature conservation value the river is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is within the Solent Special Area of Conservation. Any development will require an Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Directive and possibly an Environmental Impact Assessment. To date studies on the effects of swinging moorings on sensitive habitats are inconclusive and data particular to the Hamble is incomplete. Close cooperation with English Nature, the Environment Agency and other conservation bodies is needed to help inform the debate and, as work is undertaken, the issues will need to be assessed and acted upon accordingly. In line with the Estuary Management Plan any management decisions must be compatible with the Solent European Marine Site management scheme.

12. Hydrology and Dredging

12.1 In recent years all dredging in the river has been within the confines of the marinas and yards and there has been no dredging of the main fairway or secondary channels. However, if the trend towards larger, more deeply draughted vessels continues it is possible that some dredging of the main fairway might be needed. Consent would be dependent on the outcome of an Appropriate Assessment, given the status of the river as a European site for nature conservation. In respect of the marinas and yards that do operate a maintenance dredging regime, the increase in more deeply draughted vessels could lead them to undertake maintenance dredging on a more frequent basis.

12.2 In redeveloping any mooring areas, the issue of dredging (both capital and maintenance) would clearly need to be examined closely as part of the feasibility and planning process. It is not the intention to develop any mooring areas which would give rise to a significant change in the sediment dynamics of the river and a consequential increase in the requirement for dredging.

13. Conclusion

13.1 The draft moorings plan consultation has been invaluable in identifying the wide range of critical issues which need to be addressed in the ongoing and future management of the River Hamble moorings.

13.2 The County Council and Crown Estate now propose to set up a working party comprising the lead stakeholders in the area where most concerns arise, with a view to preparing a detailed development brief for a range of mooring options, to include layout plans, financial appraisals, indicative mooring costs, etc, as well as consideration of the environmental implications. This project will be set within the context of the Crown Estate's pile maintenance programme, the Estuary Management Plan and the statutory function of the Harbour Authority.

13.3 Following careful consideration of the responses to the consultation, the County Council and Crown Estate have identified such an area of the river on the Warsash side extending from the river entrance to just north of Stone Pier Yard for this study and will be convening the working party without delay.

Recommendation

That the Committee supports the contents of this report as the response to the consultation exercise and supports the suggested way forward, in particular the approach to the development of coordinated proposals for improvements in the Warsash area.

8053/AI