FOWEY HARBOUR - PORT USER GROUP. Tuesday 10th April 2018

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1 FOWEY HARBOUR - PORT USER GROUP Tuesday 10th April 2018 Minutes of a meeting of the Fowey Harbour Port User Group held on this day at the Harbour Office, Fowey at Present: James Staughton - Chairman Chris Ogg - RFYC/POFROC/RNLI (Vice Chair) David Johns - Golant Quay Users Alistair Barr Castle Dore Rowing Club Mike Carter - Lanteglos Parish Council Chris Davis - RYA Karen Toms - RYA John Berryman Fowey Town Council David Hill Polruan Town Trust Jeremy Crapp River Fowey Gig Club John Pollard Mixtow Residents Peter Robinson Fowey Tourist Information John Barker Licensed Boatmen Claire Hoddinott - Fowey Estuary Partnership Capt. Paul Thomas - Harbour Master & Chief Exec. Apologies: Capt. Will Mitchell - Chairman FHC Lloyd Pinckston Imerys Minerals Andy Virr - Cornwall Council Mike Elliott Pilot Boatmen Graham Slack FGSC/POFROC Trevor Quail - Penmarlam Quay Users Jon Evans Fowey River Association (retired from group new rep. to be appointed) Absent: Andy Simmons National Trust TBC Lostwithiel Town Council Sinead Hanks/Victoria Clark - Fowey Chamber of Commerce MINUTES The minutes of the last meeting were agreed as a true and accurate record. MATTERS ARISING - Polruan Pontoon Captain Thomas reported that, as requested, a possible specification and costs for a second, less weather limited pontoon on the inside of Polruan Quay had been provided to Lanteglos Parish Council and Polruan Town Trust following the action from the last meeting. David Hill said the information and quote had been studied closely and in principle the Polruan Town Trust would be pleased to move forward with this project and offered a contribution of 10K towards the cost of the pontoon (total 25,000). Captain Thomas explained to the meeting that the current pontoon would be in position from May to September as usual and this additional proposal, a modular pontoon, would be attached to the main quay inside the ferry steps for tenders only. It would supplement the space available for small boats which would hopefully reduce congestion on the main pontoon. Captain Thomas explained that FHC make no financial gain from the provision of the Polruan Pontoon and there is the ongoing cost of maintenance of the proposed new pontoon to consider as well as supplementing the initial cost. The original discussion has not involved FHC funding and maintaining the additional pontoon and he would need to look at the financial implications and

2 take guidance from his Board. Captain Thomas to take the offer from the Polruan Town Trust to the Board for their consideration. - Pacific Oysters Claire Hoddinott updated that Natural England (NE) have now been awarded funding for a part-time officer to focus on this issue. They, along with Cornwall Wildlife Trust, will assist in the training of volunteers for population control and monitoring. They will also look into potential markets for the material collected. Population control, which involves smashing the shell, can only be carried out between October and April. Claire hopes to get a preliminary volunteer session organised to happen before the end of April and then draw up a strategy with NE for further control in the autumn. David Johns commented that the population at Grid Irons may have been affected by the winter weather as many are open and dead. Alistair Barr also noted that he has seen many on the eastern end of Par beach. When we worked in the china clay industry, they used to grind up mussel shells in the process to make a chemical called Chitin. John Berryman also commented that in New Zealand they use the ground up shells as a fertiliser. Claire said that the NE officer would be interested in these ideas for potential markets. - Planning in relation to an action from the last meeting for continued dialogue with Lanteglos Parish Council, Mike Carter asked FHC if they have a process or protocol to determine when a public consultation is made. Captain Thomas replied that the Port User Group (PUG) is just one of the ways FHC consults with its stakeholders, it also hosts an annual open day which continues to be popular. Captain Thomas also reiterated that FHC have an open door policy so any harbour user can discuss their views. FHC adhere to the Ports Good Governance Guidance produced by the Department for Transport (new edition March 18) which is available online. Mike Carter said that the PUG is a useful forum but only formally meets twice a year. The Chairman and Captain Thomas said they were happy to be contacted by stakeholders outside of the meetings and extra meetings could be called if required. - Caffa Mill Captain Thomas updated that the devolution of Cornwall Council owned areas of waterfront to FHC had been approved in principle by Cornwall Council but is now held with their legal team. FHC were assured that the devolution would take place in the 2017/18 financial year, but this hasn t happened and fears that it will take an issue or accident to occur to bring the site to the top of the pile. Captain Thomas asked stakeholders who use the site to keep reporting concerns to Cornwall Council and FHC will continue to keep the pressure on Cornwall Council. The Chairman thought Andy Virr might also be able to reinforce the concerns of the group. Andy Virr to be contacted about this matter and asked to support the case. - John Berryman fed back about the enquiry made by Lloyd Pinckston from Imerys at the last meeting about the ownership of the private parking by the ferry approach. He advised that it is owned by Fowey Town Council. Captain Thomas to pass this information on to Lloyd. REPORT FROM FHC - Captain Thomas Financial Situation Report The annual accounts for 2017 show a turnover of 2.5M but costs have risen. It was known it was going to be an expensive year with both tugs requiring their 5 year Special Survey by Lloyds Register which involved dry docking at Falmouth. Both tugs got through the survey and received certification for a further 5 years but at 100K each, it is a significant cost that unfortunately falls in the same financial year. For 2017, FHC reported a financial loss of 3K. Captain Thomas explained that FHC are hindered financially by a large pension deficit and failing infrastructure and the Board have adopted a policy to aim to generate a larger surplus each year to reinvest in the Port. In order to achieve this, there needs to be better efficiency of current resources and also generation of income, this has been achieved by price increases across the commercial and

3 leisure sectors. There have been 8-12% increases in the commercial sector and 0-5% increases in the leisure sector, the visiting yacht charges have remained the same. Commercial Imerys have forecast the same volumes of clay to be handled in 2018 as 2017, no alternative cargoes have been realised yet. The Marine Services sector of the business which involves the operation of tugs in neighbouring ports and the charter of vessels to other ports, continues to increase and brings welcome revenue. In the past some organisations have received discretionary reduced charges for operations such as slip cleaning but these have been increased to at least cover FHC costs. The Chairman asked for any questions: - Jeremy Crapp asked why there had not been an increase to visiting yacht charges. Captain Thomas explained that FHC benchmark against nearby harbours and we need to be competitive. Overall revenue from visiting yachts is about 140K per year which is a relatively small sector of the business. Chris Davis commented that the right price is important to encourage visiting yachts, there are also additional costs to consider like getting ashore by water taxi. Captain Thomas said that FHC were aware of some dis-satisfaction over the price of the water taxi and would continue to monitor this in case visiting yachts were deterred from visiting Fowey as a result. Leisure FHC want to continue to provide tangible improvements to leisure facilities each year. This season shore power will be provided at Berrills Yard pontoon and Penmarlam pontoon for use by visiting boats staying overnight and some residential use at Penmarlam. These will take the form of pedestals which integrate electricity, water and have a low-level light on top which should improve safety. Much of the investment needed for this project has been in the heavy duty cabling which the user can t see but this will also allow improved electricity supply in the Penmarlam Boat Park and innovative solutions are being investigated including being able to top up credit remotely using an App. A further 20K was spent re-surfacing a section of the access road at Penmarlam which was in a poor condition, made worse by the recent renovations at the cottage. In response to customer demand, petrol sales will be available from Penmarlam this season, petrol will be dispensed from a 330litre bowser. Chris Ogg enquired about pricing as may be interested for safety boats. Captain Thomas said that there will be a small mark-up to include the cost of travelling to Polperro to fill the bowser but wants the price to be competitive. The toilets and showers at Penmarlam have also been refurbished over the winter. FHC s plans for a toilet and shower facility at Berrills Yard were discussed at the last meeting. A planning application for a proposed 2 storey building was submitted to show FHC s intent to build on the site in the future, especially as a developer is building 4 town houses behind which are being sold with river views. The application has been withdrawn before the closing date as FHC have no intent to build at this time and the application was only to record their intent. John Berryman reiterated Fowey Town Council s support for the application. Car parking continues to be an issue at Penmarlam, with locals generally being the worst offenders for not parking in the designated areas! AS Parking have been instructed to enforce parking at the site if required, they can also enforce access and tailgating. Mike Carter asked if the ANPR system was in operation. Captain Thomas confirmed that it was in operation and working well, it offers the site improved management of access and security. David Hill was assured that access for emergency vehicles is available. The Chairman asked for any questions: - John Pollard said there had been some concerns from residents about the pontoon lighting but this should be low-level and not too intrusive. The security lighting outside the Mixtow Marine workshop and on the pontoon gangway was seen to be intrusive by some residents and asked if the angle of the lights be adjusted. Captain Thomas to investigate the lighting. John also

4 enquired about the lighting on the docks which can be a nuisance to some residents, Captain Thomas said that this was matter for Imerys. Lloyd Pinckston s contact to be given to John Pollard. - David Johns asked about the progress of the purchase of Lerryn Village Green. Captain Thomas said that the purchase of the Green and Boatshed was completed and explained that FHC have a policy to buy water-fronting land if appropriate and if the price is right. This land could be used to preserve the landing at Lerryn for the future if current arrangements are no longer viable. The boatshed is being sold and a price has been agreed. The Village Green will be leased to St. Veep Parish Council for them to manage for the benefit of the village as communal land. BRAZEN ISLAND The Board want to reinvest in Brazen Island in broadly its current configuration. They recognise the benefit of the site as it supports the maintenance of much of FHCs vessels, plant and equipment. They also recognise that the site needs to be used more efficiently to realise more income. There will be three phases to the project: - Refurbishment of the slipway and cradle which are at the end of their life, the concrete and rails will be replaced with a new cradle and winch. - Stabilise the ground at No.3 end (northern end) where there is some subsidence and reinstate the slope at the end. - Replace/refurbish the workshops to create a better working environment for the staff. This project is estimated to cost FHC 1M and the Board will borrow funds to enable this work to be completed. The space must become more versatile and will be used more efficiently, for example, Penmarlam remains over-subscribed and Brazen Island could act as an overflow for trailers, long term storers and some rack storage could be provided. FHC have invested significantly in recent years in boat launching plant at Penmarlam but currently this can only be used at this site, if the equipment could be moved around to be utilised elsewhere, this would be beneficial. The work package for the Brazen Island project is being negotiated and a potential contractor has been identified. The timescale is that Phase 1 of the project will start in September this year and be complete by Christmas but this would mean the closure of the slipway for that period and there will be knock on effects to maintenance of pontoons and vessels. CRUISE LINER VISITS / REGATTA WEEK Captain Thomas said that cruise liners are not usually booked in Regatta Week but as they are booked up to 3 years in advance and with the change in the Regatta Week, we will now have 2 cruise liners due on the Monday and Tuesday of Regatta Week this year. The ship on the Monday is small and visiting for only 4 hours so will not interrupt planned events too much. The ship on Tuesday Europa is a 200m ship, her planned stay is but an extension has been requested so as not to interrupt the swimming and raft race events. There will be an impact on visiting yachtsmen with some moorings being unavailable and a secure area being set up at Albert Quay. There will also be effects on events and the town will be extra busy. Chris Ogg asked if the cruise liner visits are weather sensitive, Captain Thomas confirmed that they are. Chris said there would have to careful consideration of the racing on these days as there could be conflict with the start line. Captain Thomas commented that he had attended a Regatta Committee meeting last night and with the recent announcement of the loss of the Red Arrows display for 2018, they were coming up with innovative suggestions for alternative events. They were also keen to have a commentary of the harbour racing, Chris said they would be pleased to help if a PA system was available.

5 The Chairman asked whether cruise liners are accommodated alongside the jetties. Captain Thomas said this happens occasionally but due to security arrangements, passengers have to be moved by tender to the nearby Pilots pontoon rather than being allowed to walk ashore. The alongside berth concept has been investigated in the past, there would be some challenges but it wouldn t be impossible. Imerys own the jetties so it would be their decision. Peter Robinson commented that many passengers go on planned excursions rather than exploring the town, Captain Thomas said that this is the way the cruise liner operators make their money and it is hard to change. STAKEHOLDER S FEEDBACK Chris Davis (RYA) said this would be his last meeting and Karen Toms is now our nearest RYA representative and she will attend future meetings. The Chairman thanked Chris for his input and support of the group. David Johns (Golant Quay Users) asked if there are any plans for extension of CCTV to cover Golant. Captain Thomas said there were currently no intentions to do so. David also asked if the stakeholders knew of any plans to reopen the passenger railway line from Lostwithiel to Fowey. Captain Thomas said that he was not aware of any active plans to do so. John Barker (Licensed Boatmen) asked that speed limit signs be renewed and given more emphasis at launching points. Captain Thomas wasn t aware that speeding was more of a problem than before but asked stakeholders to continue to report speeding incidents. Captain Thomas to raise this issue with his Deputy. John Berryman (Fowey Town Council) said that the Environment Agency (EA) had a Pre-Planning Application in for Town Quay and Albert Quay relating to flood defences. They are proposing to raise the height of the quay walls by 700mm, Fowey Town Council have requested a meeting with them as the EA are not the land owner (they are!) and to discuss their proposals. John Barker asked if there had been any further information on the works to the Town Quay sewage system. Captain Thomas said that there is concern for the pipework and the possibility of failure. South West Water are keen to effect repairs but they continue to explore repair options, pipe lining being the most recent suggestion. We are unsure of when the works will take place but FHC and Fowey Town Council should be contacted before any start of works. Captain Thomas added that the Environment Agency have asked to use a small hovercraft in the upper estuary to assist their sampling of the mud flats. This sampling is planned for the 15 th & 16 th May and a Notice to Mariners will be issued once this has been confirmed. There shouldn t be too much disruption to boat traffic though as it will take place around low tide. ANY OTHER BUSINESS There was no other business DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING The next meeting will be on Tuesday 6th November 2018 at 1400 There being no further business, the meeting closed at 1530