Agenda item

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

To note and accept the report.

A Report was received which included updates to the Port Maritime Safety Code, the Long-term Strategy, Dredging, Financial Matters, Operational Matters and statistics on mooring numbers and customer satisfaction percentages.

Following his recent retirement, former harbourmaster, Wil Williams, was thanked for 34 years of service at Hafan Pwllheli. It was pointed out that he led on the construction of the marina, supervised extension work and always maintained the highest level of customer service. It was added that he was very passionate about harbour matters and was always prepared to share guidance and support. He was wished well on his retirement.

During the discussion, the following observations were made:

Dredging

The Commercial Manager for Hafan Pwllheli and Harbour confirmed that discussions with Natural Resources Wales to receive a dredging licence emphasised the need to reclaim land as well as introduce a suitable landscape for natural species seen on the coast.

Enquiries were made about disposal arrangements in Cardigan Bay, confirming that a marine licence would be required to dispose of any silt into the Bay. It was elaborated that a request was being made to profile where the silt leaving the harbour would settle, in collaboration with Gwynedd Consultancy.

In response to an enquiry about the use of a boat to transport silt into Cardigan Bay for disposal there, the Commercial Manager for Hafan Pwllheli and Harbour confirmed that this would prove expensive for the service, as it would cost £1 million to transport the boat to Pwllheli before the process began. It was confirmed that such a scheme was not being considered because it was not feasible within the Harbour's budgets. However, it was confirmed that the intention was to ensure that the silt was pumped into the Bay.

Concerns were raised about the annual costs of the dredging process and an alternative idea was proposed to address the challenge. The idea of constructing a groyne near Carreg yr Imbill was expanded upon, to prevent sand from reaching the harbour from the direction of Abererch, thus causing less silt to settle within the harbour. In response, the Commercial Manager of Hafan Pwllheli and Harbour confirmed that the costs of transferring the sand from the Harbour to Carreg y Defaid beach had been addressed by the government. It was expanded that the Harbour was free to sell the remainder of the sand for a profit, confirming that all profits made would be added to the Harbour Dredging Fund. It was also noted that a Flood Management Plan was in place in conjunction with Gwynedd Consultancy and Natural Resources Wales, with various options such as the construction of a groyne included in it. However, it was explained that there was a delay with this Plan as it had not been discussed as part of the Pwllheli area business plan by the board of Natural Resources Wales, which was leading on the project. It was emphasised that officers were constantly striving to get an update on this matter as soon as possible.

The Assistant Head of Economy and Community Department declared that the challenge of dealing with the silt had reached a crisis. It was accepted that external agencies had environmental concerns about the Harbour's application for a licence to pump it into Cardigan Bay. It was confirmed that the Harbour was completing an environmental, financial and social assessment of the process when submitting the licence application. It was hoped that local organisations and members of this Committee would contribute to that assessment in order to obtain a long-term solution to this challenge.

It was pointed out that afon Erch had changed its course and that this, in addition to recent stormy weather, had led to an increase in the levels of silt settling within the harbour. Concern was expressed that large boats would not be able to use the basin soon without a solution to this challenge and that only personal watercraft could benefit from the harbour. It was expanded that an additional 10,000 tonnes could not be extracted as happened in October 2024 because the lagoon had been filled at a cost of around £750,000 and needed time to dry out before silt was moved again.

The closure of the 'Bae Bach' area was considered to improve the flow of the river and reduce the silt that settles within the harbour. In response to the consideration, the Commercial Manager for Hafan Pwllheli and Harbour confirmed that this was a consideration in the Harbour plan within the application for a licence to pump the silt into Cardigan Bay. It was explained that the rocks already in the Bae Bach area were intended to be used to build a wall, removing the silt beyond it to be able to reclaim land. It was hoped that this scheme, in conjunction with the pumping of silt into Cardigan Bay, would be a long-term solution to the current challenges, as ecological reports confirmed that around 90% of the silt was being drawn in from the sea into the harbour.

It was confirmed that officers would be meeting with Gwynedd Consultancy shortly to ensure that the licence application was successful, ensuring that the concerns of this committee would be highlighted in order to find solutions. A meeting with the members was considered to receive input on the way forward after the licence application had been submitted, when timely.