Contact: Tony Clatworthy, tel 01489 576387

email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report seeks direction from the Harbour Board for the Harbour Master to:

(i) continue planning the maintenance dredge programme of the Harbour Master's Jetty (Public Jetty) area;

(ii) continue planning the replacement of the Harbour Master's Jetty (Public Jetty) at Warsash; and

(iii) employ a consultant to prepare plans and manage the project.

2. Corporate Strategy

2.1 This report supports Aims 1 to 5 of the Corporate Strategy (Maximising Life Opportunities, Stewardship of the Environment, Achieving Economic Prosperity, Building Strong and Safe Communities, and Improving Services) by contributing to the statutory duties entailed in the management of the River Hamble.

3. Harbour Master's Jetty, Warsash

3.1 The River Hamble Harbour Authority owns and operates a fixed jetty some 36 metres long at Warsash, which provides access to a floating landing stage which has five finger piers. The fixed jetty is essentially a timber structure supported on steel tube piles driven into the river bed. The pontoon landing stage is an assembly of typical marina pontoons from at least two different manufacturers. These pontoons are typical with a steel frame deck finished with hardwood boards and supported on floats of either polystyrene in PVC casings or polystyrene encased with fibre concrete.

3.2 The Harbour Master's Jetty at Warsash is classified as a public jetty, giving direct access to Warsash for many types of river users, including commercial leisure, mooring holders and visitors. It is used as the main rendezvous point for emergency services, including fire, police, ambulance and the Maritime Coastguard Agency. The jetty is established within the Port Waste Management Plan as the location of the Sewage Pump Out System and landing point for ships' waste, obsolete batteries and used oil. The Harbour Master's patrol and maintenance boats are moored alongside giving quick access to the harbour office. The jetty allows a quick response time in loading the oil spill equipment during a tier one oil spill response and is also used during the tier two response plan. Revenue is received from vessels using the jetty, both commercial and leisure craft.

4. Former Solent School of Yachting Pontoon

4.1 The former Solent School of Yachting has ownership of the upstream inner pontoon and one green hart pile. It has also been given the use of approximately one third of the bridge landing pontoon. These all form part of the Harbour Master's Jetty at Warsash. The former Solent School of Yachting pontoon is part of the lease currently sub-leased to Warsash Marine by Hampshire County Council. The former Solent School of Yachting has indicated that it will participate in the refurbishment and also pay its percentage of the dredging costs. Consultations will take place with The former Solent School of Yachting to determine the fair contribution required for any dredging and improvement works to its structure, which is connected to and forms part of the Harbour Master's Jetty at Warsash.

5. Revenue Received on an Annual Basis

5.1 All vessels are allowed to moor on the Harbour Master's Jetty for a short period without a charge being levied, if a member of the crew remains onboard the vessel during that period.

5.2 Tenders belonging to visitors and mooring holders are moored free of charge on the downstream inner pontoon. Commercial vessels use the jetty to pick up and drop off passengers; these vessels are levied a single river entry charge for each trip or pay an agreed annual charge. Other vessels pay as per the visitors' mooring fees set out on the visitors' mooring fees table of charges.

5.3 The Sewage Pump Out is a free service as is the waste disposal area provided at the jetty land approach. This also includes disposal of waste oil, oily rags and oil filters and used batteries. These items can be deposited at no charge but are disposed through the official environmental disposal system with a charge paid for by the Harbour Authority.

5.4 The total revenue received for the Harbour Master's Jetty during the last financial period was £7,464 (this income is shared with the Crown Estate).

6. Jetty Repair and Maintenance

6.1 The jetty is maintained from the overall budget of all harbour authority landings and jetties without a specific amount set aside for the Harbour Master's Jetty. The jetty is inspected every 18 months by a marine engineer under the requirements of the Port Marine Safety Code.

6.2 The last inspection report detailed a number of urgent replacements owing to corrosion. These required immediate attention to ensure the stability and safety of the structure. The replacements were completed during the winter of 2004. New replacement items were designed to enable any new parts to be utilised within the new build and therefore reduce future costs.

6.3 The fixed jetty support piles (the bridge) are showing heavy scaling in the splash zone above high water neap tides, and if this jetty is to have a further useful life of 20 to 30 years these piles must be protected against further corrosion. Simple descaling and application of coal tar paint has been recommended. Any work on the bridge will be part of the whole contract.

6.4 An inspection of the jetty in 2004 revealed that the jetty was in its final three years of life and should be replaced before 2007 to ensure a structural failure does not occurred. The formation of the new governance has delayed these plans until now.

6.5 There are a number of structural problems that, should the jetty not be replaced, would have to be addressed as soon as possible. An estimated cost to complete the work detailed below would be in the region of £5,000 to £6,000. This would not be retrievable or used within any new works and therefore lost. The immediate work required includes:

(i) replace edge fender boards that are decayed and split;

(ii) replace handrail;

(iii) replace decking boards;

(iv) re-protect galvanised deck frame as steel structure now open to corrosion;

(v) replace float on deck which is listing;

(vi) replace missing (100% corroded) fender/skirt steel brackets;

(vii) repair jutting out spars that endanger vessels coming alongside due to removal of the fender skirt owing to corrosion;

(viii) replace sewage pump out platform; and

(ix) replace water and electrical cabling and hosing replacing and reroute under the jetty.

6.6 It is thought that a replacement programme for the complete jetty would be prudent, and should be planned for the winter of 2005/06. Replacement 18 months before the three year point is advisable and helps overcome the possible risk of a dramatic failure owing to storm damage. Should the Harbour Master's Jetty not be replaced and allowed to fall into disrepair it would have to be closed off to the public and eventually dismantled. The Harbour Authority vessels would not have a mooring and the facility now given for the public and commercial landings would not exist at Warsash.

7. Dredging

Capital and Maintenance

7.1 Capital dredging is material arising from the excavation of the seabed, generally for construction or navigational purposes, in an area or down to a level (relative to ordnance Datum) not previously dredged during the preceding 10 years. Maintenance Dredging Material (generally of an unconsolidated nature) arising from an area where the level of the seabed to be achieved by the dredging proposed is not lower (relative to Ordnance Datum), than it has been at any time during the preceding 10 years, or from an area for which there is evidence that dredging has previously been undertaken to that level (or lower) during that period.

Statutory Powers

7.2 To maintain adequate water depth in the various boatyards, marinas and jetties maintenance dredging must be undertaken for the most part on an intermittent basis. In accordance with Section 20 of the Statutory Instrument 1970 No. 249, The Harbours, Docks, Piers and Ferries, The River Hamble Harbour Revision Order 1969, Hampshire County Council has statutory powers to dredge and maintain the River Hamble for navigational safety.

7.3 Further legislative requirements are necessary when capital works are of a sufficient nature or scale or are within a `sensitive' area for nature conservation. In such cases, a formal Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) may be required to support applications to dredge.

7.4 Maintenance dredging may receive consent if the dredge proceeds within the established ten year dredging cycle. The possibility of maintenance dredging in and around the Harbour Master's Jetty at Warsash expires during March 2006. The last maintenance dredge was completed in 1996, removing 3,800 cubic metres. The Authority has a total of ten years to complete a maintenance dredge from that date or apply for a full capital dredging licence. Quantities must remain within the last capital or maintenance dredge, whichever is applicable, or the project reverts back to a capital dredge. The full consent process is required for both capital and maintenance dredging. The requirements for maintenance dredging consents varies enough from the capital dredging consents requirements to make it prudent business practice to establish a maintenance dredging cycle, rather than exceed the limit and be in the situation of applying for capital dredging consent, especially if there is going to be an ongoing need. It is considered that there is a requirement to maintenance dredge at least every 6 or 7 years.

Reason to Dredge

7.5 The seabed/riverbed around the Harbour Master's Jetty, Lobster Quay and Warsash Sailing Club has been silting up as part of a natural process and reducing the depth at one location to 0.9 of a metre available at low tide. Therefore to ensure the jetty remains available for use at all states of the tide by the average sailing yacht a dredge would be required. Warsash Sailing Club and the former Solent School of Yachting, which were part of the initial capital dredge for this area, have indicated that they would be willing to take part in the dredge and therefore share the costs. These costs would have to be assed once the projection and quantities of the complete dredge have been fully planned and agreed with all parties taking part in the project.

7.6 It would be prudent to complete the dredge during the period the jetty and piles are removed, prior to the new build taking place. The dredge would take three to four days and a full week would be planned between the removal of the jetty and the new structure being driven and built, therefore allowing the dredge to be completed without any structure in place.

8. Services

8.1 The current jetty design does not include ducting for services and therefore these facilities have been bolted onto the structure which has lead to loose cables and piping which is poorly laid and no longer fit for service.

8.2 Any replacement installation should be specified with service ducts and easy means of access to services and the sewage pump out system. Following further investigations the requirements to supply electrical and water services will be established and included in the plans. These plans will be included in the Cost Benefit Analysis which will come before the Harbour Board at a later stage.

9. Possible Designs for New Structure

9.1 The new structure for the Harbour Master's Jetty will cover approximately the existing footprint but with a modern design to ensure the average modern boat size (36 foot) is able to use the facility. The supplying of services will be subject to a cost benefit analysis which will be reported to the River Hamble Harbour Board at a later date. It is recommended that a suitable consultant company is employed to ensure the Harbour Authority receives the full benefits of a modern design for the replacement jetty. The associated works and dredging should also be project managed by a same consultant. Consultant fees can range from 7.5% to 10% of the total cost of the project. The total cost of the project has been assessed as affordable from the Crown Estate receipts. Full details of estimates and costs will not be available until the dredging charts and proposed new Harbour Master's jetty plans have been drawn. The total cost of the project will not be established until completion of the full tender process.

9.2 A report on designs will go to the River Hamble Harbour Board once a full investigation of possible designs has been completed following advice and assistance from a consultant. It would therefore be advisable to employ a consultant to help achieve a sound technical engineering solution and the production of engineering drawings and dredging plans. Drawings and plans will be required for the tender document and the consultant would be required to help inspect the tender applications. Drawings and plans are required for the consents process. A consultant may only be employed once funding has been confirmed for the project.

9.3 A consultant would also be responsible for the various sub-contractors during the build and, once completed, sign-off the project before the general public is allowed to use the jetty.

9.4 Other important considerations that will be taken into account during the design of the jetty will be:

(i) to keep passage available for dinghies moving downstream from Lobster Quay and therefore out of the main channel;

(ii) proposed improved buoyage system for the main channel which will be the subject of a future report by the Harbour Master to the Harbour Board;

(iii) ensuring compatibility with Lobster Quay and the Fishermen's Jetty;

(iv) disabled access to the jetty and access to boats;

(v) mooring of tenders;

(vi) services required;

(vii) lighting; and

(viii) security.

10. Project Plan

10.1 A draft project plan is attached to this report as an appendix.

11. Impact Assessment - Disabled Access

11.1 The Harbour Master's Jetty was not designed to enable it to be used by disabled persons. The jetty does not currently have the facility of a hoist to enable disabled sailors to land or board vessels. It is hoped that this will be included in the new plan with the aim of obtaining funding for the work. Advice will also be taken to ensure disabled access is available to the whole jetty.

Recommendation

That the River Hamble Harbour Board direct the Harbour Master to:

(i) continue to plan the project, as set out in the report and attached appendix, which involves:

(a) production of a cost benefit analysis and proposed funding stream for maintenance works, jetty replacement and consultancy;

(b) providing treatment to the Harbour Master's bridge and piles;

(c) removing and disposing of current Harbour Master's jetty and piles;

(d) completing the dredging required; and

(e) manufacturing and installing a new structure;

(ii) employ a consultant within the Hampshire County Council rules to manage the project; and

(iii) produce a second report to the Management Committee and the Harbour Board prior to the tender process with the proposed new design drawings, which will enable the Harbour Board to consider a report from the Management Committee before considering consent.

537/TC

APPENDIX

River Hamble Harbour Board

Meeting dated 8 September 2005

Project Plan for the Rebuild of Warsash Public Jetty