Contact: David Evans, tel 01489 576387 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report highlights three current issues of which Members of the Harbour Board would wish to be aware.

2. Corporate Strategy

2.1 This report supports Aim 2, 3 and 5 of the Corporate Strategy (Stewardship of the Environment, Achieving Economic Prosperity and Improving Services) by ensuring that the River Hamble Harbour Board is advised of important issues concerning the River and its users.

3. Budget Monitoring

3.1 After four months of the financial year, some spending and income trends are becoming apparent. For the Harbour Undertaking there is currently a £1,000 overspend on training, mainly as a result of unanticipated training needs for oil spill response, and an overspend on navigation aids due to the damage to the east Cardinal beacon which will cost about £2,500 to repair. An insurance claim has been made on the latter which, if successful, will bring expenditure back within budget. However, current indications are that total expenditure will be less than budget overall, although it is too early in the year to count on the extent of this. Income for the Harbour Undertaking is currently forecast to be just under £10,000 under budget. A number of factors account for this, principally because the estimate was based on full occupancy of commercial and residential mid-stream moorings which has not been the case because:

(i) demand for small boat moorings (particularly those which dry) has been significantly less than supply;

(ii) there were delays in completing and letting berths on the new J-Pile pontoon; and

(iii) extensive works at Universal Marina have not yet been carried out.

3.2 For the Visitor Partnership there are variations compared to the original budget, mainly because parts of the former Solent School of Yachting have now been sub-let and fees payable by the Crown Estate are lower than budgeted. Expenditure is predicted to be about £1,100 over budget, entirely due to anticipated letting agent's charges. Income is anticipated to be £2,400 short of budget, mainly because visitor income is substantially down compared with budget. Every effort will be made to ensure that expenditure is carefully controlled for the remainder of the year, with the intention of balancing any underspend against the anticipated shortfall in income.

3.3 The revised budget process which will be reported to the Board at the end of the year will take into account the mentioned variations and any other that occur with a view to ensuring both the main account and the partnership remain within their cash limit.

4. Countryside Department

4.1 A meeting has taken place with representatives from the Countryside Department of the County Council to discuss the issues of financial and safety responsibilities for the footpath alongside Bunny Meadows. A further meeting with the Head of the Countryside Department to discuss this and the Upper Hamble Country Park Jetty is planned for 7 September and will be reported on verbally to the Harbour Board.

5. Hamble-Warsash Ferry

5.1 The owner of the Hamble-Warsash Ferry has been asked to provide passenger figures for September 2005, broken down into the number of regular commuters (defined as making more than one return trip per week) and tourists (occasional use only). This will provide useful data for determining whether there is a case to be made for a subsidy from Hampshire County Council in the future.

6. Impact Assessments

6.1 The Upper Hamble Country Park Jetty is currently used to provide access to the River for disabled people. It is thus important that the issue of financial and safety responsibility for the Jetty should be resolved as soon as possible so that the facility can be maintained.

6.2 The Hamble-Warsash Ferry provides a valuable service to both regular commuters and visitors to the River. It is thus important that physical access to it should be available to all and that the service should be affordable.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

533/DE