Annual report 2015_1

Transcription

Annual report 2015_1
South Hams
District Council
Salcombe
Harbour Board
A n n u a l
R e p o r t
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
2 0 1 5
1
South Hams
District Council
Contents
Chairman’s review
4
1.
Harbour Master’s Report
7
2.
Port Marine Safety
12
3.
Progress against the Strategic Business Plan
15
4.
Financial Position
18
5.
The Harbour Board
21
6.
The Harbour Community Fora
24
7.
The Harbour Staff
25
This publication is available to view on our website or in alternative
formats such as large print. Please contact us on 01803 861234 or
e-mail customer.services@southhams.gov.uk
Photographs © Nick Philbedge / Mermaid Gallery
Design and print by South Hams District Council, Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5NE
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
3
Chairman’s review
Welcome to this year’s Harbour Board Annual
Report. As you will see, we have continued to
make pleasing progress against the ambitious
Strategic Business Plan objectives that we set
ourselves back in 2012 – but there is always more
to be done to ensure that we can continue to
meet the evolving needs of both residents and
visitors alike.
This is Adam Parnell’s first year as
Harbour Master following Ian Gibson’s
retirement in May. Adam came to
Salcombe after a successful 26-year
career as an officer in the Royal Navy.
He joined the Navy as an engineer but
slightly unconventionally transferred to
the warfare branch in which he eventually
commanded several warships on active
duty. In addition he spent several years
attached to army units, including in
conflict zones like Sudan and Iraq.
Adam also worked in the Ministry of
Defence where he oversaw the largest IT
replacement programme in Europe.
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Adam’s attachment to the sea is not solely
professional: he grew up around the sea
and in his youth was variously a member
of the canoe lifeguards in Weymouth, a
keen dinghy and yacht sailor and a subaqua diving instructor.
After leaving the Royal Navy, Adam
worked briefly for Babcock International
and immediately set about studying for
the Lloyd’s Maritime Academy’s Harbour
Master Diploma in which he gained a
Distinction. Adam therefore brings to
Kingsbridge and Salcombe a wealth of
experience as he not only understands
the needs of harbour users but also has
the programme and project management
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
skills, and business acumen, to carry on
the excellent work of his predecessor.
The Harbour Board’s vision is to retain
and enhance the character of Salcombe
and Kingsbridge Estuary whilst updating
harbour facilities to meet the requirements
and expectations of harbour users in
the 21st century and I believe that this
continues to be achieved.
Safety remains our highest priority and,
as you can see on page 14, I am pleased
to report that in almost every category we
recorded fewer incidents than in previous
years. The Board continues to emphasise
the importance to all Harbour users of
wearing lifejackets and using kill-cords.
In terms of environmental stewardship
the Harbour has been recognised as
an eco-port by the European Sea Ports
Organisation because of our ongoing
efforts to minimise adverse environmental
impacts while continuing to promote both
access to, and enjoyment of, the estuary
by all who wish to do so. In particular we:
zz attach high priority to ensuring
excellent water quality in the Harbour
as demonstrated by South Sands
beach qualifying for the much-coveted
EU Blue Flag for the 6th year running.
zz work to safeguard the status of the
Harbour as a Nature Reserve in an
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB) as well as a Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI)
zz continue to promote a ‘phosphate
free Salcombe’ by urging residents
and visitors not to use detergents
and cleaning products which contain
phosphate
zz support the RYA’s GreenBlue
campaign by discouraging visiting
vessels from operating their toilets
within the Harbour and by offering a
free ‘pump out’ service.
Piling works
underway at
the fish quay
during the
summer of 2013
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
5
Our programme of infrastructure
improvements has also continued. The
aging pontoon in Shadycombe creek has
been replaced, bringing it up to the same
high standard as the other pontoons;
and the northern end of Batson pontoon
has had ‘fingers’ added to increase
slightly the number of ‘walk ashore’
berths available for which there is a
large waiting list. Both Normandy and
Whitestrand bridge pontoons were lifted
out of the water and fully refurbished to
extend their service lives by at least 10
years, and in addition, the Harbour Office
has been modified to improve customer
access and introduce a number of small
but important improvements to the IT
system to improve staff efficiency. We
also supported SHDC’s repair to the
Kingsbridge Quay wall over the winter
after it so catastrophically collapsed in
the autumn.
In terms of visitor numbers, the Harbour
hosted nearly 5,900 visiting yachts for a
total of 9,450 days in the 2014-15 season.
These figures are in line with the longterm averages and show that Salcombe
is regaining its position as a popular
destination. Economically the Harbour’s
finances remain sound, generating a
trading surplus of over £76,000 by cutting
unnecessary costs and selecting the best
value (but not necessarily the cheapest)
long-term solutions.
For all this, the Board owes a great debt
of gratitude to the Harbour Master and
his staff: they have worked hard to get
the Harbour into the excellent state that
it is and keep it as a wonderful facility for
residents and visitors alike.
Cllr J Brazil
Chairman, Salcombe Harbour Board
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Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
1 The Harbour Master’s Report
“I have been truly impressed by the
feeling of ‘ownership’ amongst the
harbour staff, who have continued
to work hard to retain and improve
Salcombe’s reputation as a welcoming,
friendly and ecologically sustainable
harbour.”
It is hard to believe that over a year has
already passed since I took over the
role of Harbour Master from Ian Gibson
following his 8-year tenure. I immediately
recognised that I was extremely fortunate
in taking over a popular, solvent and fullyfunctioning harbour with committed and
friendly staff, although I also knew that
maintaining those standards wouldn’t be
easy! However, having the support of an
interested, engaged and experienced
Harbour Board has definitely helped, and
I have found the role hugely rewarding,
both personally and professionally.
Status and governance
This year Salcombe was among the 14
harbours that made up the first tranche
of applicants to the Department for
Transport for the powers of Harbour
Directions which were introduced by the
Marine Navigation Act 2013. These are
similar to byelaws but their introduction,
amendment or deletion is much swifter
and simpler (byelaws can take years
to amend) and this simplifies the
governance of the harbour.
Directions. We were fortunate in that we
already had a number of stakeholder
forums, and representatives from
each, together with representatives
from Salcombe Yacht Club, were
invited to form the Port User Group as
an ‘umbrella’ body. Importantly, this
arrangement should also enhance their
mutual co-operation and co-ordination.
Safety management
Safety is our primary concern, and is
at the heart of everything we do. The
Harbour Board, as the nominated
‘Duty Holder’, are collectively and
individually accountable for marine safety.
Independent assurance that the Harbour’s
safety management system is working
effectively is provided by the Designated
Person, which has been undertaken for
the last few years by Nicholson’s Safety
Management. They have conducted an
annual safety audit every November and
at the last audit they were satisfied that
our safety management system complies
with the requirements of the Port Marine
Safety Code.
Every harbour with such powers has to
establish a Port User Group to ensure
that the harbour’s stakeholders are
involved in the development of Harbour
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
7
Sea Smoke
Additionally, there are a number of other
audits which focus upon safety:
zz The annual inspection by Trinity
House in June to ensure that we are
correctly fulfilling our obligations as
a Local Lighthouse Authority. This
includes a check of our buoys, marks,
beacons, lights and other aids to
navigation to ensure that the Harbour
can be safely navigated by both day
and night.
zz In October the Maritime and
Coastguard Agency (MCA) conduct
their annual audit of our plan and
preparedness to react to an oil spill
or other pollution event. This year
this included a comprehensive
examination of our policies,
procedures, oil response equipment
and training, and highlighted that
Salcombe will be due a major
exercise within the next year.
zz Much of the Harbour’s ‘core
business’ directly contributes to the
management of safety, including:
8
zz Patrols of the estuary every day of
the year (including Christmas Day!)
to ensure no hazards to navigation
exist. This includes a visual check of
all harbour owned and maintained
facilities, landings, pontoons,
moorings, berths, navigational marks
and beacons.
zz Displaying an up-to-date weather
forecast outside of the Harbour Office
every day of the year.
zz Weekly inspections of all SHDCowned slipways and steps, with
an associated monthly (or more
frequently if required) cleaning
programme.
zz Undertaking a comprehensive
inspection and preventative
maintenance regime of all Harbourowned deep water and foreshore
moorings every autumn, including a
visual inspection of every link of every
chain, as well as recording the state
of the mooring blocks, buoys and
other mooring apparatus.
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
zz Employing a night security patrol
to deter crime and enforce byelaws
outside of working hours eg detect
speeding or other irresponsible or
illegal behaviours.
zz Ensuring that all Harbour Staff are
correctly trained to undertake their
roles. This includes:
zz MCA 2P oil spill response training
for all moorings officers;
zz MCA 4P oil spill response incident
management training for the
Harbour Master and Assistant
Harbour Masters;
zz First aid training, which this year
for the first time included how to
use defibrillators now that one is
situated by the Harbour Office;
and
zz Instruction on how to safeguard
children and vulnerable adults.
zz Encouraging the correct use of
kill cords and life jackets amongst
harbour users.
Environmental considerations
Achieving EcoPort status with the
European Sea Ports Organisation was a
real success for Salcombe as it is only the
11th harbour within the UK (and the only
one in the south west) to be granted this
status. One of the outcomes of this work
was the development of the harbour’s
Environmental Management System,
which was designed to be practical and
embedded into our daily operations.
Our services include:
zz Providing recycling facilities both
afloat and ashore.
zz Offering an on-demand sewerage
pump-out service free of charge
zz Providing a ‘scrubbing grid’ at Batson
boat park to collect the vast majority
of boat hull scrubbing waste
(e.g. anti-fouling).
Our campaigns include:
zz Promoting the ‘phosphate free
estuary’ campaign, encouraging
the local community to use
phosphate-free detergents
(particularly for dishwashers)
where possible.
zz Supporting the awareness and
protection of underwater and
inter-tidal seagrass meadows
within the estuary.
zz Championing ‘downstream
thinking’ with the local community.
zz Sponsoring an experimental ‘ecomooring’.
New initiatives include:
zz Adoption of an updated and
improved Environmental
Management Strategy.
zz Supporting the ‘catchment
based approach’ initiative
thereby contributing towards the
management and maintenance of
water quality within the estuary.
The Harbour remains a proactive
promoter of environmental awareness
amongst its staff and customers, by
offering environmentally friendly services,
progressing existing environmental
campaigns and introducing new initiatives:
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
9
Hydrographic and
other surveys
Ensuring that the harbour remains
accessible (also known as conservancy)
is another important aspect of safety
management and last summer the whole
estuary was re-surveyed and as a result
Admiralty Chart 28 was re-issued to
highlight the changes. In particular, the
height of the Bar at the harbour mouth
had reduced, most probably as a result
of the February 2014 storms, which
made the port more accessible to larger
vessels, as proved by the Cari Ali’s visit
in September.
Since then, a number of other periodic
surveys have been commissioned to
monitor the available depth of navigable
water in the harbour as well as to monitor
the health and extent of the seagrass
beds. In addition, the Harbour supports
the training programme of the UK
Hydrographic Office by sponsoring field
trips for their students.
Infrastructure improvements
During the winter the bridge landing
pontoons for both Whitestrand and
Normandy pontoons were brought ashore
and given a thorough overhaul. Each was
in turn towed up the Harbour to Batson,
craned ashore and then dismantled,
shot-blasted, patch-welded and
repainted before being reassembled and
relaunched. Importantly both were also
fitted with cathodic protection to minimize
future galvanic corrosion and it is hoped
that these pontoons should last at least
10 years before requiring another service.
Another improvement was the
replacement of the pontoon in
Shadycombe creek. Although this was not
scheduled for replacement for another
10
18 months it was decided to bring the
replacement forward because it was felt
that it had reached the end of its useful
life. The pontoon was almost 30-years old
which in any case exceeded its ‘design
life’ of 25 years and parts of the concrete
coating were starting to break up. The
new pontoon is similar to Batson pontoon
and is of a predominantly wooden
construction which will make maintenance
easier and it has an estimated in-service
life of 30 years. Batson pontoon also
benefitted from the fitting of four ‘fingers’
at its northern end, which now provides 8
‘alongside’ berths.
During late autumn about 15m of the
quay wall at Kingsbridge unexpectedly
collapsed close to the new pontoons.
Although there was no damage to either
the pontoon or to the boats, it generated
a mud ‘bank’ which made it difficult for
boats to pass between the wall and the
pontoon: this was eventually removed
once the wall had been rebuilt. Although
the Harbour Board is not responsible for
the walls (they are owned by the Council)
the Harbour did assist by making the
barge and pontoons available for use.
Improvements ashore included upgrades
to the eHarbour computer system and
also a minor re-design of the front desk in
the Harbour Office so that customers can
be served more quickly.
Performance during
the 2014 season
The Harbour hosted 5,900 visiting
vessels during the season, almost
exactly the average number of visitors
for the last 5 years, although their total
length of stay (9,450 nights) is slightly
higher than average, proving that
Salcombe is as popular a destination as
ever. The fantastic weather in September
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
helped to extend the ‘busy’ season,
assisted no doubt by the decision
some years back to introduce ‘shoulder
season’ price reductions.
It is also pleasing to report that
customer feedback remains very
positive; although comments about the
paucity of ablution facilities continue
which indicates that more will need to
be done in the medium term to ensure
that our ‘offering’ remains aligned with
changing customer expectations.
Summary
This has been a very successful year, both
for the Harbour and also personally: it was
touching to be so readily accepted into
the community by residents and visitors
alike, and it has been a pleasure to work
alongside such a committed and capable
team who have succeeded in delivering a
safe, welcoming and efficient harbour.
Adam Parnell,
Harbour Master
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
11
2 Port Marine Safety
Aerial view of the Salcombe esturary
Insert - The South Sands Ferry
approaching South Sands beach
Harbour Authorities have significant legal duties relating to the
safety of people who use harbours, and to the well-being of
the port environment and community, and these are laid down
by the Department of Transport within the Port Marine Safety
Code. This both sets out a national standard for every aspect
of port marine safety and also provides a measure by which
harbour authorities can be accountable for the legal powers
and duties which they have to run their harbours safely. It also
provides advice to harbours in relation to the creation and
implementation of their own Safety Management System.
The Port Marine Safety Code identifies
the key roles accountable for marine
safety, and it is worth very briefly
describing them here:
zz The duty holder. Each Harbour
Authority must have a ‘duty holder’
who is accountable for ensuring
compliance with the Port Marine
Safety Code and for the harbour’s
performance in ensuring safe marine
operations. For Salcombe Harbour,
this role is held (both collectively and
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individually) by the Harbour Board,
which is a committee of South Hams
District Council, which is the Harbour
Authority.
zz The designated person. Each
Harbour Authority must appoint an
individual as the designated person
to provide independent assurance
directly to the duty holder that
the marine safety management
system, for which the duty holder is
responsible, is working effectively.
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
For the last few years the designated
person for Salcombe Harbour has
been Peter Nicholson of Nicholson
Risk Management.
zz The Harbour Master. The Harbour
Master has day-to-day responsibility
for the safe operation of navigation
and other marine activities in the
Harbour.
Salcombe Harbour reported compliance
to the Port Marine Safety Code to the
Maritime and Coastguard Agency in
February 2015, and this declaration is
valid for 3 years. There are a number
of documents which contribute to the
Harbour’s Safety Management System,
including:
zz The Pier and Harbour (Salcombe)
Confirmation Order 1954
zz The Harbours Act 1964
zz The Health and Safety at Work Act
1974
zz The Marine and Coastal Access Act
2009
zz The Waste Management Plan
zz Moorings Policy 2013
Audit by the designated person
The designated person (Peter Nicolson of
Nicholson Risk Management) reported in
November 2014 that, in his opinion, there
is in place a safety management system
which – if maintained actively – complies
with the requirements of the Port Marine
Safety Code. The Harbour has been
compliant for the past ten years.
The following items were suggested
during the annual audit as part of ongoing
‘continuous improvement’ to ensure
that risks are minimised to As Low As
Reasonably Practicable (ALARP):
zz Renewing pressure on SHDC to
provide edge protection to minimise
the risk of the public falling into the
Harbour on Whitestrand quay
zz Banning lone working with machinery
in the workshop
zz Salcombe Harbour Byelaws 2009
zz Reviewing the Policy Statement in the
Safety Management System
zz Salcombe Harbour Authority Strategic
Business Plan 2012-2017
zz Providing first aid refresher training,
including the use of defibrillators.
zz Salcombe Harbour Board Annual
Report 2015 (this report)
All of these have been actioned.
zz Maritime and Coastguard Agency
M-notices
zz Admiralty and Local Notices to
Mariners
zz Admiralty Chart 28
Also, local publications such as:
zz The Salcombe Harbour Guide
zz The Harbour Emergency Plan
zz The Oil Spill Response Plan
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
13
Accidents and Incidents 2014/15
Nature of accident/Incident
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
Accidents involving members of the public
7
2
9
4
Accidents involving members of staff
6
1
3
0
Minor collisions
43
25
55
26
Speeding incidents
71
45
28
27
Harbour mooring failure
3
4
2
2
Private mooring failure
3
15
8
1
Fire
1
0
0
0
Pollution incident
16
14
8
3
Reported lost boats
11
18
13
8
Marine crimes reported to Harbour Office
32
26
12
26
Damage/vandalism reported
to Harbour Office
15
16
11
13
Correct as at 23 March 2015
It is pleasing to report a reduction in
almost every category compared to
last year. In particular, the continuing
downward trend of private mooring
failures and reported lost boats (most of
which are a result of coming adrift from
the berth or mooring to which they are
attached) is most welcome, as is the
reduction in pollution incidents.
14
Less welcome is the persistent presence
of speeding within the Harbour, and marine
crime and damage/vandalism. These
will be addressed through greater staff
and security patrol presence to reactively
enforce byelaws, complemented by very
visible campaigns throughout the season
to inform and educate boat owners on how
best to protect their marine equipment.
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
3 Progress against the
Strategic Business Plan
This report covers the third year of the
Strategic Business Plan 2012-17, against
which the Harbour has continued to make
tangible progress. The following nonexhaustive list highlights progress against
the main objectives:
zz The Harbour has a number of social
media channels (Facebook, Twitter,
Google +) with which the public can
interact and provide feedback as well
as through the SHDC website ‘online
feedback’ facility;
1. To operate a safe harbour following
zz The Harbour’s website has been
re-vamped and made more ‘user
friendly’;
zz Passed its Port Marine Safety Code
audit in November 2014;
zz There are a number of regular
publications:
the guidance in the Port Marine
Safety Code
zz Salcombe was amongst the first
tranche to be awarded the powers of
Harbour Direction;
zz A full survey of the Harbour was
conducted in June 2014 and Admiralty
Chart 28 subsequently re-issued;
zz All navigation lights, marks and
beacons were successfully inspected;
zz The Oil Spill Contingency Plan was
audited and endorsed;
zz All staff who go afloat received oil spill
response refresher training;
zz All staff received a first aid refresher
and guidance on identifying
vulnerable and ‘at risk’ persons;
zz Staff pay was reviewed in February
2015 and a review of the structure
undertaken in the summer.
2. The provision of a high level of
customer service and satisfaction
zz The Harbour Board holds public
meetings 6 times per year and all
agenda items and minutes are
available on the internet;
zz There are a number of stakeholder
forums and each has a nominated
Board member;
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
zz The Harbour Board’s annual
report (this report)
zz Occasional Harbour Newsletters
zz The Salcombe Harbour Guide
zz Press releases
zz Local Notices to Mariners
zz There is an annual customer
satisfaction survey accessible online
and in the Harbour Office;
zz Fees and charges are reviewed
annually in September and were
once again held below the rate of
inflation for residents and frozen for
occasional visitors.
3. To maintain Harbour infrastructure to
meet the needs of Harbour users and
the environment
zz Normandy and Whitestrand bridge
landing pontoons were comprehensively
serviced over the winter;
zz Shadycombe pontoon was replaced
and Dentridge pontoon refurbished;
zz The Harbour Office and Workshops
were refurbished to increase
customer accessibility and improve
staff efficiency;
15
Whitestrand
zz Fresh water was provided to the
Visitors’ Pontoon for an additional
hour in the morning;
zz The sullage/sewerage pump-out
facility remained free;
zz Online invoicing and payments
through eHarbours was introduced to
increase customer convenience;
zz Assistance was provided to SHDC
during repairs to Kingsbridge quay
wall;
zz The Environmental Management
Strategy was developed and
introduced;
zz The Harbour was awarded Eco Port
status;
zz A proposal to introduce waterskiing
was comprehensively investigated
and discussed.
16
4. Long term security of tenure
zz Two Harbour Board workshops were
held to consider future Harbour and
boating trends;
zz Ongoing dialogue with the Duchy of
Cornwall’s offices regarding issues of
the fundus (the bed of the estuary).
5. Some of the major issues arising
this year
Mention has already been made of
waterskiing. Every so often waterskiing
enthusiasts raise the question as to
whether there is anywhere within the
Harbour where they could waterski.
This year the Board received a very
comprehensive report from a Harbour
user which examined a number of
options for waterskiing. A large number
of members of the public attended and
spoke at the Board meeting at which
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
this paper was considered. The Board
concluded that none of the options was
acceptable and endorsed Harbour byelaw
48 which prevents waterskiing within the
Harbour limits.
During the course of the year Salcombe
Harbour Hotel (formerly the Marine
Hotel) sought permission to install a
pontoon on the quay outside the hotel.
This proposal raised a number of issues,
including protection of the nearby
seagrass beds, the viability of a pontoon
in such a potentially exposed position
and the Board’s long-established policy
that pontoons should always be for
public access. Following modification
of the proposal and assurances about
how the pontoon was to be managed,
permission was given for the pontoon, on
condition that this does not turn out to be
detrimental to the seagrass beds.
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
During the year the Board heard of the
financial difficulties facing the Egremont
and the proposals for the ship’s future.
For many years the Egremont has
been home to a sailing school which
has introduced many generations of
sailors to sailing and Salcombe Harbour.
The current financial difficulties create
uncertainty about Egremont’s future
and, while the board remains keen for
the Egremont to remain in operation, the
board has concerns that funds remain
available to maintain the Egremont in
safe condition.
At the time of writing, the Egremont
Trustee’s are endeavouring to raise funds
for her maintanance and refurbishment.
17
4Financial Position
Income
Salcombe Harbour recorded total income of £1,064,425 between 1 Apr 14-31 Mar 15.
zz Income rose by 2.6% compared to last year although the annual price rises
accounted for the majority; the cap on moorings numbers and the long-term declining
trend in visitor numbers otherwise limiting the opportunities to raise additional
revenue.
zz The water taxi service remains popular and this year carried 24,650 passengers, a
7% increase on last year, which is reflected in overall takings.
zz The majority (66%) of income is generated by residents’ berths and moorings and
only 20% from visitors. This has the effect of limiting our exposure to poor weather or
other factors which could cause an unforeseen reduction in visitor numbers.
18
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
Expenditure
Salcombe Harbour expenditure was £987,717 between 1 Apr 14-31 Mar 15.
zz As with many organisations, wages account for 39% of total expenditure. However
this reflects both the geography of the Harbour and the endeavour required to
provide the high quality of services for which Salcombe is rightly known.
zz Premises expenditure includes the maintenance costs for all moorings, pontoons,
marks and beacons as well as office rent and utility costs. Importantly, it also
includes the rent of the fundus (the bed of the estuary) from the Duchy of Cornwall,
which is calculated as a percentage of income, hence the annual fluctuations.
zz Central support services are those provided by SHDC to the Harbour (eg legal,
payroll, IT etc) but are almost entirely offset by the recharge made to SHDC for the
Harbour staff’s time in administering the Fish Quay, Beach and Water Safety, yacht
lifting and boat overwintering etc.
zz A more modern van and a programme of procuring smaller outboard engines when
replacing obsolete equipment has ensured that overall transport costs have reduced
by 26% compared with last year despite the rise in fuel and other transport costs.
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
19
Reserves
Salcombe Harbour Authority held capital reserves of £339,249 at 1 April 2015,
made up of three reserves:
zz Renewals Reserve, which for example funds replacement launches, boats, plant,
barge;
zz Pontoon Reserve, which funds the periodic maintenance and replacement of the
pontoon infrastructure within the estuary; and,
zz General Reserve, which is used as a source of working capital.
Overall, while reserve funds are healthy, these are deliberately being built up because
over the next 20 years the Harbour Authority has programmed over £2.5m capital
expenditure in order to maintain and improve the harbour infrastructure and facilities,
including replacement of heavy plant (crane etc), maintenance dredging and the fact
that all the pontoons will require replacement at more or less the same time.
There is a fourth reserve to which Salcombe Harbour contributes – the Marine
Infrastructure Reserve. This is a Council-owned reserve for the maintenance of marine
infrastructure such as quay walls and slipways, and to which the Harbour Authority
contributes funds in recognition of the beneficial use made by users of the Harbour of
that infrastructure. 20
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
5
The Harbour Board
The Salcombe Harbour Board is made up of four Councillors from South Hams District
Council and six independent co-opted members.
The Board meets publicly six times a year to fulfil its statutory obligations and to
oversee the operational and strategic progress of the harbour. In addition, it holds one
or two workshops per year, which are not open to the public, in order to consider longer
term issues .
Council Members of the Harbour Board (correct at time of printing)
Cllr Julian Brazil
Chairman of the Harbour Board
Julian is a County Councillor and the District Councillor for
the Saltstone area. He has worked as a science teacher and
environment researcher at Westminster. He was also finance
director of a printing company. Julian learnt to sail at the Island
Cruising Club - ‘but if the truth be known I was never that good
at it’. He has an honours degree in Zoology.
Cllr Judy Pearce
Councillor Pearce joined the Harbour Board in 2015 and brings
considerable experience from
the world of marketing to the Harbour Board. Judy has sailed
and boated most of here life in various locations in the Channel,
the North Sea and in the Med, but unfortunately too rarely as
skipper and too often as galley crew. She has had extensive
experience in the inclusive holiday and tour business and
hopes with this and other previous experience to make a useful
contribution to the Board.
Cllr Simon Wright
Simon has lived in the South Hams since 1985. He has a
farming background and has worked in the Marine Industry
for thirty six years, with twenty three based in Salcombe,
specialising in Marketing and Health and Safety. He currently
enjoys sailing the upper stretches of the harbour with his family.
He is also a Member of the Council’s Executive.
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
21
Cllr Keith Wingate
Keith was born and bred in Kingsbridge and is passionate
about the area. He has lived, worked and played on
or around the estuary for his entire life. He is a SHDC
councillor, a director in a local construction company and
has a young family.
Co-opted Members of the Harbour Board
Mr Kit Harling CBE
Deputy Chairman of the Harbour Board
Kit has been sailing for 40 years, most of which include
sailing the South coast of Devon and Salcombe estuary. He
spent 10 years in the Royal Naval Reserve and is a member
of the Medical and Survival sub committee of the RNLI.
Mr Hugh Marriage OBE
As a former senior civil servant and Home Office
Regional Director, Hugh has many years’ experience of
central and local government. He is often seen rowing
to the beaches in the Harbour in his double scull.
Mr Andrew Thomson
A keen sailor since childhood, Andy and his wife moved
to the South Hams in 2007 after sailing in the area for
many years. They base their boat in Salcombe Harbour.
Andy is an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, has run his own
RYA Training Centre since 1996 and is Station Manager
at the Prawle Point National Coastwatch station.
22
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
Co-opted Members of the Harbour Board - continued
Professor Malcolm Mackley
Malcolm Mackley now lives in Salcombe and before
that spent thirty years in Cambridge as a Professor of
Chemical Engineering and Fellow of Robinson College.
Malcolm has been a member of Salcombe Yacht Club
for many years. He currently races a Solo dinghy on the
estuary and explores the backwaters in a gentler manner
using a tan sailed, gaff rigged Cornish Shrimper.
Mr Geoff Burrell
Geoff has been sailing for more than fifty years, the
majority around the coast of Devon and Cornwall,
with the occasional trip further afield. He keeps his
boat, Calypso, at Kingsbridge and is a keen supporter
of both the RNLI and RYA. He has worked in the
broadcast industry for most of his life and is currently
a freelance cameraman for BBC South West.
Mr Mark Taylor
Mark has been sailing since childhood and is
passionate about the sea. He has skippered
for both The Challenge Business and Clipper
Ventures, has raced his own open 50 to America
single handed and to Brazil two-handed, as well
as numerous crewed ocean crossings. Mark has
rounded the Fastnet Rock 17 times, competed in
the AZAB and the ARC. He has skippered yachts
in the Arctic Circle, the Southern Ocean and every
ocean in between. Mark has lived in the South
Hams for 18 years. He currently lives in Hope
Cove and has a licensed fishing Boat (SE6). Mark
is a Treasurer of Bantham Surf Life Saving Club
and crew for the Hope Cove Life Boat.
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
23
6 The Harbour Community Fora
Stakeholder involvement
To ensure that the Harbour Board has
strong and direct links with harbour users,
local communities and other external
organisations with an interest in the
Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary, a formal
consultation mechanism has been set up.
This enables the Recognised Stakeholder
Forums to formally make representations
to the Board.
There are currently five not-for-profit
community groups known as ‘Harbour
Community Fora’. In addition to these
formed groups, every effort has been
made to involve the riparian Town
and Parish Councils in the work of the
Harbour Board and, from time to time,
the Board meets in parishes around the
Harbour.
Stakeholders are currently represented by
the five Harbour Community Fora detailed
here:
The Kingsbridge Estuary Boat Club
maintains an extremely informative web
page www.kebc.co.uk and also operates
a very successful Boat Watch scheme
which has contributed greatly to the
reduction in the levels of marine crime
experienced throughout the estuary and
at Kingsbridge in particular. The Club is
very safety and anti-crime conscious and
has worked in partnership with the Devon
and Cornwall Police and the Harbour
Authority to combat Marine Crime.
The Salcombe and Kingsbridge Estuary
Association maintain a web-based
forum www.forum.skea.org.uk for the
promulgation of estuary and boating
information. This is a very useful forum
for debate on Harbour issues and
concerns relating to Salcombe generally.
Members of the public who would like to
access this e-forum should contact:
secretary@skea.org.uk
zz Salcombe and Kingsbridge
Estuary Association
zz Kingsbridge Estuary Boat Club
zz Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary
Conservation Forum
zz South Devon and Channel
Shell Fishermen
zz Kingsbridge and Salcombe
Marine Business Forum
The Board may choose to appoint other
Recognised Stakeholders Forums at its
discretion in the future if the need arises.
24
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
7 The Harbour Staff
The operational management of the Harbour is carried out by a team of thirteen
permanent staff augmented during the summer months by up to a further ten
seasonal staff.
All staff are appropriately qualified in port marine operations, seamanship, boat
handling, pollution control, first aid, manual handling, mechanical lifting fire fighting
and administrative skills.
During this year the Harbour staff have undertaken training in Oil Spill response,
management, health and safety and crane and fork lift truck operations.
Adam Parnell
Harbour Master
Vanessa Tabb
Assistant
Harbour Master
Administration
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
Chris Gill
Assistant
Harbour Master
Logistics &
Maintenance
Cameron
Sims-Stirling
Assistant
Harbour Master
Moorings
25
Harbour Staff
The 13 permanent members of the Harbour Team. The permanent staff are augmented
by ten seasonal staff each summer. The seasonal staff perform an invaluable service to
harbour users each summer operating the Yacht Taxi service, assisting the Boatmen,
meeting and greeting visiting vessels, and patrolling, particularly in the vicinity of
Whitestrand. Integrating this number of personnel into a small team is difficult and great
care is taken to ensure the seasonal personnel are trained to a high standard and that
they understand how the Harbour works and they can readily assist any harbour user.
Harbour Master
AONB Estuaries
Officer
Assistant Harbour Master
Logistics and Maintenance
Assistant Harbour Master
Moorings
3 x Harbour
Technicians
4 x Moorings
Officer
Assis tant Harbour Master
Administration
1.5 x Office
10 x Seasonal Harbour Staff
April to September
Logistics and maintenance Team
(LtoR) Sam Viles, Giles Foley,
Dan Cobbledick, Chris Gill.
26
Moorings Team
(LtoR) Rob Park, Marcus Mc Cheyne,
Matt Davies, Cameron Sims-Stirling,
Phil Goodhead.
Administration & Boatpark Team
(LtoR) Jean Carlyle-Lyon,
Vanessa Tabb, Amanda Sparkes
and Jem French
Salcombe Harbour Annual Report 2015
@ Nick Philbedge