Agenda item

To submit the report of the Maritime and Country Parks Officer.

The Maritime and Country Parks Officer noted that the harbour staff had been busy in terms of work over the winter, with the severe weather being a factor.

 

The representative from the Pwllheli and District Boat Owners Association thanked the Pwllheli Harbour Manager and the staff for replacing ropes and a buoy on his boat therefore ensuring its safety.

 

The Pwllheli Marina Berth Holders' Association noted his appreciation of the work of the harbour staff on behalf of the Association.

 

The Maritime and Country Parks Officer guided the members through the report, drawing attention to the following main points:

·         The report of the Coastguard Agency's inspectors on their thorough inspection of the the current safety arrangements and systems of Gwynedd municipal harbours in order to ensure compliance with the Ports' Safety Code had been included in the agenda. The inspectors noted that the Council complied with the requirements in general but that some aspects relating to recording duties and noting the Duty Holder and Designated Person needed to be amended.

·         That the inspectors had noted that the lack of width in the harbour's navigation channel although it was not technically a part of the inspection.

·         An external company had been commissioned to carry out a full hydro-graphic survey of the navigation channel; the entrance of the inner harbour; and the marina basin including the basin of Plas Heli's pontoon moorings. An electronic copy of the report, along with paper copies, were available to members at the Hafan office.

·         The work of levelling the channel bed would be completed in May and the basin dredging work would be completed during the winter months of 2018/19.

·         Gwynedd Consultancy had been commissioned to undertake detailed design work on the Crib Groyne. Hopefully, the work of restoring the Crib Groyne would be completed before October 2018;

·         The work of dredging the harbour entrance would be undertaken in April. This would be the last campaign before moving the material from the bund to the Carreg y Defaid beach area.

·         High speed zone buoys in the South Beach area and Abererch beach area would be installed in their correct positions before Whitsun.

·         Attention was drawn to the fact that the maintenance work list for the Hafan and the Harbour was included in the agenda. Members were asked to note any further work that should be considered.

·         That the Hafan's mobile crane had deteriorated beyond the point where it was worth investing substantial money to maintain it. As a mobile crane service was available from local companies in Pwllheli, the Service would consider selling the crane and hiring a crane service by local companies as needed. This would be more cost effective.

·         That harbour staff had collaborated with the Sailing Club to clear and tidy the old Sailing Club site.

·         That work had been completed on the day of the meeting to fill the potholes in Glandon Beach car park. Discussions would be held with Plas Heli in relation to a plan to tarmac a section of the car park.

·         That changes had been introduced to the terms of some Hafan staff members who had decided to transfer from TUPE protection to the Council's employment contract. Three Hafan staff members remained under the protection of TUPE employment terms. Following the changes to the contracts, the service had reviewed the opening hours of the Hafan office to ensure that these changes did not affect the continuity of service for Pwllheli harbour customers. Attention was drawn to the fact that the office would not be open between 07:00 and 08:00 or between 18:00 and 19:00.

·         A copy of the Harbour and Hafan's budget summary for 2018-19, up to the end of February 2018, was shared at the meeting. Its content was elaborated upon and it was noted that the situation was challenging in terms of income targets and thanks was expressed for the staff's commitment.

·         Although inflation rates for the Harbour and Hafan had increased since the 2018/19 spreadsheet of fees had been submitted to the previous meeting, it was recommended to the Cabinet Member that the fees and payments should continue to increase by 2% on average for the 2018/19 financial year because the service had already corresponded with the Harbour and Hafan's customers. 

 

In response to a query regarding difficulties in entering the harbour with a boat, the Maritime and Country Parks Officer stated that he shared those concerns. He added that a form was available at the Hafan Office so that users could record incidents where boats had struck the seabed and that he encouraged everyone who struck the seabed to submit a form.

 

The Pwllheli Sailing Club and Plas Heli representative noted that it was timely to inform users that the work of levelling the channel bed was moving ahead, considering that individuals would be deciding in April whether or not to continue to keep a mooring.

 

In response to a question, the Maritime and Country Parks Officer noted that 25,000m³ of material would need to be dredged from the harbour entrance, it was also acknowledged that more material came in at all tides. He anticipated that approximately 15,000m³ would be dredged in the next attempt. He warned that it would not be possible to dredge more material as there was no adequate space available for storage. He noted that it was not currently possible for two boats to pass each other and that the work would improve the existing circumstances.  In response the Pwllheli Harbour Berth Holders' Association Representative noted that consideration should be given to dredging twice the amount of material intended to be dredged and that he was of the opinion that dredging the amount intended would not make a difference. 

 

During the subsequent discussion, the following main points were noted by members:

·         That a positive message needed to be sent out to people regarding the work done as part of the Dredging Strategy.

·         That the work of levelling the channel bed intended to be carried out would not be effective enough.

·         That the tide moved a considerable amount of material over the breakwater to the channel; the material had to be prevented from moving up the channel.  Last year had been a bad year in terms of access and it was estimated that if the situation worsened, then the owners of approximately 50 boats would consider leaving Hafan.

·         That users needed to be informed immediately without delay about the detail of the work currently being carried out, along with a timetable of the work involved with the Dredging Strategy, using simple terms.

·         Acknowledge that it was difficult to carry out work to dredge more than what was intended from the harbour entrance in April due to the tide, but would it be an option to continue with the dredging work in May?

·         That there was a need to include details on the website of the dredging work being carried out in order to confirm the actual situation. If users left, it would take years to get them to return.

·         That it was difficult to pass within the entrance and that something needed to be done urgently.

·         Would it be possible to carry out the dredging work in April in two shifts, in order to increase the total amount of material being dredged?

·         Would it be possible to pump sand over the breakwater?

·         Welcomed the fact that something was being done.

·         Would jetting be an option?

·         That there was a need to question the baseline noted that the level of particulates in the material dredged had to be less than 15% if it was to be returned to the sea.

·         Would the work of levelling the channel bed be monitored?

 

In response to the above observations, the officers noted:

·         That there was a need to work within the tide window and there would not be enough time to dredge more material.

·         The further necessary dredging work to be carried out in the 2018/19 Winter months, would be assessed in detail.  

·         That the Hafan was essential to the local economy and that ensuring that the harbour entrance and channel were functioning properly was vitally important.

·         Fully agreed regarding access and were aware of the difficulties. The recent high winds had had an impact. The members would be invited to view the situation once the work of levelling the channel would be completed.

·         Confirmation was received that finance was in place to dredge the harbour entrance in April, to level the channel bed in May, to dredge the basin during the Winter 2018/19 and to carry out repairs on the Crib Groyne.  Consideration would also be given to the possibilities of acting within the powers of the Harbour Act to pump material to Abererch without the need for a marine licence.  

·         The situation was not ideal but positive steps were being taken for the future.

·         That tenders for the dredging work in April/May had been sent out; however, consideration could be given to see whether there was any scope to extend the work.

·         Should there be an intention to carry out work outside the permitted hours, there would be a need to consult with nearby residents. There was also a need to consider lack of capacity in the bund to accommodate more material.

·         Natural Resources Wales could be consulted with to see whether it would be acceptable to pump sand over the breakwater.

·         Jetting would not be sustainable in the short-term or long-term. Agitate and jetting work had been carried out around the fuel pontoon but the material had not moved out enough and consideration had been given to environmental matters in terms of moving material to the sea.

·         Agree to verify the level of particulates in the material dredged allowed to be returned to the sea.

·         Confirmed that the Pwllheli Harbour Manager would monitor the work on the channel bed. In addition, a further hydro-graphic survey would be undertaken after the work was completed.

 

In terms of the opening hours of the Hafan office, the Pwllheli Berth Holders' Association Representative suggested that consideration should be given to starting and finishing the night security officer's working hours an hour earlier in order to bridge the gap in the Hafan office's opening hours. 

 

In response, the Pwllheli Harbour Manager noted that this would be considered.

 

The Maritime and Country Parks Officer noted that following the damage in Holyhead Harbour as a result of the inclement weather, he had corresponded with the Isle of Anglesey Council and Holyhead Harbour to note that there was capacity at Hafan. He asked for the views of the Consultative Committee in terms of offering a mooring in Hafan to the users of Holyhead Harbour for the same fee as Holyhead Harbour for one year only. He added that the offer was intended as a goodwill gesture; however he wished to receive the consent of members.

 

Members noted their support for the proposal for one year only and it was assumed that the majority of users would support the proposal in order to assist their fellow mariners.

 

The Pwllheli and District Boat Owners Association suggested that a letter should be sent on behalf of the Consultative Committee to Holyhead Harbour to sympathise with their situation following the inclement weather. 

 

The Pwllheli Sailing Club and Plas Heli representative noted that the Hafan's facilities were to be praised and that the sheltered location of the harbour had prevented damage from being caused by the inclement weather. He emphasised that such a case showed the importance of the work of inspecting chains. 

 

RESOLVED:

(i)     to note and accept the report

(ii)    to support the proposal to offer a mooring in Hafan to the users of Holyhead Harbour for the same fee as Holyhead Harbour for one year only;

(iii)  that the Maritime and Country Parks Officer send a letter on behalf of the Consultative Committee to Holyhead Harbour to sympathise with their situation following the inclement weather.