LETTERSFrom Robin Powell, Bembridge Harbour Users’ Group, Bembridge:
I was fascinated to read the article about the sale of Bembridge Harbour (CP, 10-09-10) and noted with interest that Mr Turvey, harbourmaster and director of the harbour company, appears to be blaming lack of investment in the harbour on harbour users.
Bembridge Harbour Users Group (BHUG) appealed to the Department for Transport after notice of the imposition of harbour dues was first mooted in 2004, because our members were of the opinion that the level of these dues represented a substantial and unreasonable increase.
Appeals have been made against the level of these dues every year since they were finally imposed for 2006/7; this resulted in the public inquiry held in January this year, the outcome of which is still awaited.
In the meantime, as required by the Harbours Act, many boat owners have paid dues pending the outcome of the inquiry. It is not true to say the now-necessary dredging cannot be done because users have not paid their dues.
Indeed, information provided by the company at the inquiry showed that in 2008/9 they received some £13,000 in harbour dues; this was for boats on moorings administered by organisations other than the harbour company.
Further, as we highlighted at the inquiry, this sum does not include the substantial additional income from the boats on harbour company moorings and marina berths or from visitors’ boats.
At the inquiry, Mr Turvey agreed only dredging of the main channel should be paid for from harbour dues.
That said, one might ask why funds to cover the cost of dredging were not set aside following the sale of the houseboat site leases by the company in 2007 for around £500,000.
One might also ask, in view of the company losses for 2008 and 2009 of £104,000 and £138,000 respectively, why valuation of the harbour by the company, supported by its bankers, Handelsbank, is so much higher than the professional valuation obtained by the harbour trust, on which its bids were based.
It is clear that if urgent maintenance work is not carried out soon the value of the harbour will decrease as its usefulness continues to decline, a situation that must not be allowed to happen.