Agenda and minutes

SH.10/21          

Apologies had been received from Cllr J Brazil, Cllr R Foss, Ms A Jones, and Mr I Shipperley. 

to approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 28 June 2021;

SH.11/21          

The minutes of the meeting of the Salcombe Harbour Board held on 28 June 2021 were confirmed as a correct record, save for the misspelling of ‘Fowey’ page 4.

brought forward at the discretion of the Chairman

SH.12/21          

No urgent business.

Members are invited to declare any personal or disclosable pecuniary interests, including the nature and extent of such interests, they may have in any items to be considered at this meeting

SH.13/21          

Members were invited to declare any interests in the items of business to be considered during the course of the meeting, and the following were made:

Mr Marriage, Mr Owens, Mr Plant, and Mr Stewart each declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in all related agenda items by virtue of paying harbour duties. 

a period of up to 15 minutes is available to deal with questions from the public

SH.14/21          

In accordance with the Public Question Time Procedure Rules, there were no issues raised at this meeting.

to receive verbal reports from Board Members who attend the Harbour Community Forums on behalf of the Board

SH.15/21          

The Board received verbal update reports from those Members who attended the Harbour Community Forums.  The updates were given as follows:

Salcombe Kingsbridge Estuary Conservation Forum (SKECF)

The Forum had not met since the March 2021 meeting, with the next meeting due on 2 November. 

The Estuaries Officer gave an update on various projects, including the State of the Rivers report which is due 28 September 2021.  It was confirmed that Government will be strengthening enforcement of recreational water craft.  Electric craft use was increasing and it was noted that this would bring with it new management and responsibility needs.  Students from Plymouth had helped survey the dwarf sea grass beds, and concluded that while biodiversity was much lower than that found in sea grass beds, the contribution to Carbon lock was exceptional and helped protect the mud flats underneath.  A new project was beginning to look at the stream alongside the Recreation Ground in Kingsbridge, in terms of silt management.  Kingsbridge Town Council had again reported contamination with a paint-like substance appearing in the Estuary. The Officer requested for any information to be provided to the Environment Agency’s incident hotline on 0800 807060.

South Devon & Channel Shellfishermen

The Board was updated that the Shellfishermen were content and had good support from the Salcombe Harbour staff.  Although there had been no official meetings for a couple of years, it was hoped that a meeting would be held in October.

Kingsbridge and Salcombe Marine Business Forum

The Member for this Forum was not at the meeting and therefore no update was given.

Kingsbridge Estuary Boat Club (KEBC)

The Harbour Master confirmed that he has regularly updates with the Boat Club and had informed them of the harbour fees review.

East Portlemouth Parish Council

The Member for this Parish Council was not at the meeting and therefore no update was given.

SH.16/21          

The Officer updated the Board on the report.  It was the first time the Budget report had been combined with the Fees & Charges report, with early sight given to the Board.  It was agreed that these changes had been very useful.

During the debate it was clarified why the Kingsbridge Pontoon had a greater increase than the other pontoons as it will bring pricing for this particular pontoon in line with the others.

It was then:

RESOLVED

That the Board RECOMMENDED to Council:

1.      that the proposed 2022/23 budget set out within the report be approved.

2.    that the proposed 2022/23 fees and charges as set out in Appendix D of the attendant report be approved for implementation from 1 April 2022.

SH.17/21          

The Harbour Master then presented his report to the Board, during which he highlighted the following:

·           Kingsbridge basin, with the increase in paddle board users, was  at increased risk from e.coli or red bloom.  The Acting Chair offered to take the lead in getting water quality figures from the Environmental Agency.

·           Water monitoring stopped last year only in the UK, decision made by Environmental Agency.  A requirement for achieving Blue Flag status is the need for four years of excellence.  The impact of the gap in recording last has not yet been clarified.  The Harbour Master will investigate and contact Blackpool Sands who still have a Blue Flag.

·           Pacific Oysters update.  Board will need to help the Estuaries Officer with this project.

·           The Estuaries Officer updated on the impact of increasing nutrients into the estuary and the information project he is running.  He updated that the green algal mats were as extensive as previously noted but that they appeared slightly thinner.  If this is an ongoing trend this would be identified in due course. 

·           A Member asked if plastics, both visible and invisible, could also be recorded.  It was confirmed that there are many similar projects looking at plastics but this would also be considered.

It was then:

RESOLVED

That the Board ADOPT the proposed water environment action plan as at Appendix 1 of the attendant report.

SH.18/21          

The Harbour Master then presented his report to the Board, during which he highlighted the following:

·         With reference to Appendix 2 of the attendant report – waiting list: a future project will be needed to look at demand and capacity.

·         With reference to Appendix 3 of the attendant report – log of safety reviews:  There had been a substantial decrease in antisocial behaviour compared to last year.  The increase in knocks and bangs reported were due, in part, to a greater understanding by estuaries users of the importance of reporting, including near misses and those knocks resulting in little, or no, damage.

·         The Procurement Workshop would be held on the morning of 15^th November 2021, with the Salcombe Harbour Board meeting being held in the afternoon.  Both events to be held in Cliff House, Salcombe.

·         British Ports Association ‘Duty Holder Awareness Training’ arranged for 27 September 2021.

·         The designated person’s role was outlined, with the first official audit due early October 2021, with a report to the Salcombe Harbour Board meeting on 15 November 2021.

It was then

RESOLVED

1.      That the content of the Harbour Master’s report be noted and endorsed;