LETTERSFrom Tim Bristow, Seaview:
NOW that I have had time to digest everything said at the 'Saving Bembridge Harbour’ meeting last Friday, I seriously wonder whether we are actually 'saving’ it or just acting as custodian to some other property developer who will realise the harbour’s moneymaking potential.
For instance they could do a bit of dredging, stick some lock gates on the entrance and convert the whole harbour into a massive 1,000-boat marina…who’s going to stop them — they will own it!
I thought I was going to a meeting to discuss how we, as a community, would buy the harbour.
Apart for some vagueness about some 'property syndicate’ buying up some of the properties and aspirations to dredging and repairing pontoons and sea walls, there didn’t seem much about the actual buying of the harbour — no business plan and no figures yet.
Also maybe the harbour purchase, if that is what is intended, should be done in a private limited company (not a charity) dedicated to making a profit and all monies put back into the harbour and community.
The Bembridge Harbour Charitable Trust is comprised of well-meaning, hard-working members of the community who passionately want to keep the harbour as it is.
We should all support what they are doing and thank them for their efforts but I, and many others, feel they need to redirect their efforts to raising serious money to buy it lock, stock and barrel.