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131010 | 10 October 2013. Cornishman Asks "Who Should Run the Harbour?"

From http://hayleharbourtrust.org.uk/ 10 October 2013:
10 October 2013. Cornishman Asks "Who Should Run the Harbour?"
The Cornishman today ran side-by-side views, one from the Hayle Harbour Trust and one from the Hayle Harbour Trust. This is what we said:

John Bennett, chairman of Hayle Harbour Trust, says the running of the harbour should be transferred to a community group.


IN THE near future ING will consult on handing over the running of Hayle Harbour to a community body. The Hayle Harbour Trust is willing to take on this important and challenging task.

Back when Peter de Savary's plans failed, the harbour was almost purchased by a local group that included two of our current trustees, Robb Lello and Andrew George (now MP). Unfortunately, that group lost out at the last minute to Rosshill and Carruthers. The harbour continued to deteriorate, including years of selling off our 'three miles of golden sands'.


In 2004, after Rosshill defaulted, ING acquired the harbour and has since spent considerable time and money to gain planning consent to profitably develop it. Why did this take so long? Because ING's initial plans did not involve the community nor offer any benefits for the people of Hayle – and it continued selling the sand.

To get ING's attention, in early 2010 the Hayle Residents' Association called a well-attended public meeting. This led to the creation of the charitable Hayle Harbour Trust with a mandate to be ready to take over some or all of the harbour to benefit Hayle's residents.


Active engagement began after Cornwall Council's strategic planning committee voted in early 2011 to defer ING's supermarket planning application, allowing around six months for negotiation. By the time it returned to the planning committee, ING had agreed to transfer Hayle Harbour to a community body together with 100 acres of land – including East Quay, Lelant Quay and the Spit. Also in the package were the restoration of sluicing at Carnsew and the establishment of a World Heritage Site levy on all homes and businesses built in the harbour area, which would generate about £200,000 a year. Trust members played a major role in negotiating these benefits. We also signed an agreement with ING that allowed us to clean up the path to the railway station and uncover the historic sand drag. More recently, we applied for £1.6 million in grants to renovate East Quay and the Stable Block on North Quay.


Another option is for Cornwall Council to run the harbour, which it would do competently. However, Cornwall Council is unlikely to take on the land, which would again deteriorate.


While we would like to work co-operatively with Cornwall Council, we believe a Hayle organisation with links to the harbour would work best. Our team has years of combined harbour-related experience. Hayle Harbour Trust is established and ready to start running the harbour for the community's benefit. Additional trustees would be appointed for their skills, and democratic control would be exercised by a stakeholder body consisting of harbour users and elected members.


As a registered charity, our trustees receive no benefits and we have self-funded all costs. Two of us also serve on the Harvey's Foundry Trust, now almost ten years old and fully sustainable. We can make the harbour work.
Along with our 800-plus friends on Facebook, we hope the people of Hayle will support the Hayle Harbour Trust.
For information visit www.hayleharbourtrust.org.uk

The Hayle Harbour Support Group had this to say:

Jim Wright, a member of Hayle Harbour Support Group, explains why the group believes the harbour should be council-run.


READERS will know that a community trust is planned for Hayle Harbour and an options paper outlining possible models has been prepared by Cornwall Council.

After careful consideration of all options, which included considerable research and consultation, it is our considered view that the best option for the ownership and operation of Hayle harbour is for it to be taken over by Cornwall Council as a municipal port. Cornwall Council should take ownership of the harbour and set up a municipal harbour board to run the harbour.

The board would consist of up to 12 members, all with relevant qualifications and experience. Half the board, including the harbour master, would be appointed by the council, the other half by open advertisement and independent recruitment. Thus the council, as owner, would retain overall control of the port, adopt the recommendations of Modern Trust Ports concerning accountability, governance and finance, while allowing the port to be more independent as a non-executive function of the council.
Hayle harbour is in a unique position in that its regeneration is central to the future prospects of the whole town, and will open up further opportunities within the wider harbour landscape.


It is essential that close links are established between all elements of regeneration of the harbour, and council ownership of the port will provide the best opportunity for achieving this. Large amounts of public money have been invested in the harbour infrastructure, so it makes sense that Cornwall Council should safeguard its investment and be involved in any outcomes.


Under council ownership the port will benefit from the existing Cornwall Council Harbour Board which already governs other Cornish harbours. A single maritime service is being established by the council and its experience will bring a wealth of existing skills, knowledge and experience to the running of the harbour.


It is also the best bet for ensuring the harbour's future financial security. Very importantly, this is the most democratic way of ensuring wide accountability to the population. The linkage of a municipal port to a port board is an effective way of ensuring that Hayle people are closely involved in the future development of the harbour.


The setting-up of other ownership models seems unnecessary when a tried and tested solution is readily available. We should not be tempted to reinvent the wheel for the sake of it, especially in these difficult economic times.

 

Here are some comments on the Harbour Support Group's view:

  • Firstly, who is the Harbour Support Group and what are their qualifications to speak on this topic? The Hayle Harbour Trust laid out how it was formed through a public forum and is registered as a company limited by guarantee and as a charity. The HSG has no such credibility and has not reported to any public forum. When invited to address the Hayle Residents Association public meeting they declined.
  • What are Jim Wright's harbour qualifications? John Bennett is chairman of the Hayle Harbour Advisory Committee a group set up by the 1989 Hayle Harbour Act.
  • They are proposing the Trust Port model that was supported by the Department for Transport at one time. Subsequently, parliamentary reports have sought to supercede this model due to lack of accountability.
  • Cornwall Council could run the harbour but are most unlikely to take on the 100 acres of associated land - leaving this to become derelict. It would be better for a community body like the Hayle Habour Trust to take on the whole lot and have Cornwall Council's Harbour Board support us (which they have indicated they would be glad to do).
  • It would be more democratic and more representative of Hayle to have a local stakeholder body control the harbour. How easy do you find it to get Cornwall Council to do what you want?
  • This is not a new 'ownership model'. What Hayle Harbour Trust is proposing is almost identical to the successful Harvey's Foundry Trust.

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