Archived decisions

Contact: David Evans, tel 01489 576 387 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report highlights a number of current issues of which Members of the River Hamble Harbour Management Committee would wish to be aware.

2. Corporate Strategy

2.1 This report supports Aims 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 Management Committee is advised of important issues concerning the River and its users.

3. Budget Monitoring

3.1 After five months of the financial year, some trends have started to develop. Projected income to the Harbour Undertaking is slightly down on budget. In particular, income from Harbour Dues is likely to be some £12,000 under budget overall. This is the result of basing the budget on metreage for commercial works which were erroneously expected to be completed during the year. Most of the deficit has been offset by higher than anticipated income from miscellaneous sources such as administering the issue of commercial vessel and boatman's licences. Projected expenditure for the Undertaking is currently well below budget, but it is still too early in the year to quantify this accurately.

3.2 Income to the Visitor Partnership is above budget, entirely due to re-assigning the lease for the former Solent School of Yachting. Expenditure is on budget.

4. Negotiations with The Crown Estate

4.1 At a meeting with the Crown Estate and Humberts on 6 September, the process for determining the fee for the Management Agreement (due for renewal 1 January 2006) was discussed. It was agreed that the Harbour Authority would prepare a tender for consideration by the Crown Estate, based on the man-hours and other resources used, prior to a further meeting in October.

5. Freedom of Information

5.1 The River Hamble Mooring Holders' Association has requested a copy of the Crown Estate lease of the River Bed under the Freedom of Information Act. This will be provided, subject to payment of photocopying and postage costs. The Association has also requested access to the recently completed Dredging Report. Access has been denied on the grounds that the report was commissioned and paid for by a group of commercial operators and the Harbour Authority in order to provide the historical data required to support any dredging application. If access to the Report is granted to members of the general public, it could easily fall into the hands of an operator who has not contributed, thereby potentially saving him a considerable sum of money. The contributing parties have therefore agreed that the Report must not be released without the agreement of all.

6. Countryside Department

6.1 The Marine Director and Assistant Harbour Master (Environment) met with the Head of the Countryside Department on 7 September to discuss the Upper Hamble Country Park Jetty and the Bunny Meadows footpath (including the Chinese Bridge). The discussions focussed on ownership of these assets and responsibility for their upkeep, which is far from clear since much of the history is not recorded. No decisions were made but it was agreed to carry out more detailed research prior to preparing a Report for the Management Committee and Harbour Board. In the short term, the Harbour Authority will not be responsible for any major repair or replacement works but may be required to make a contribution in the long term, particularly in the case of the dyke which supports the Bunny Meadows footpath.

7. Strategic Principles

7.1 At the last meeting of the Harbour Board it was agreed that the Marine Director should prepare a draft set of amendments for the `Strategic Principles to Guide Development on the River Hamble', in order to update the document. It was further agreed that these amendments should include a comprehensive glossary of terms and that the Management Committee should be invited to prepare the glossary. It is proposed that the Management Committee should set up a small Working Group to this end.

8. Impact Assessments

8.1 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.

Recommendations

1. That the River Hamble Harbour Management Committee set up a small Working Group to produce an agreed set of definitions for the glossary of terms to be included in `Strategic Principles to Guide Development on the River Hamble'.

2. That the remaining items in this report be noted.

626/DE