Items
No. |
Item |
24. |
Apologies for Absence
Minutes:
Apologies of absence were
received from Councillor Campbell.
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25. |
To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 13th August 2019 PDF 213 KB
Minutes:
RESOLVED that the minutes of
the meeting held on 13th August 2019 (circulated
previously) be approved as a correct record and signed by the
Chair.
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26. |
Declarations of Interest
(Please complete the form
provided at the meeting or telephone Corporate and Community
Services to prepare a form for your signature before the meeting)
Items must be re-declared when the item is called, and Councillors
must leave the room if necessary)
|
Minutes:
The following declarations of
interest were announced:
Councillor Fowler
|
All items – personal
interest as a boat owner and a Trustee of Ilfracombe Yacht
Club.
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Mr Knill
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All items – personal
interest as a Trustee of Ilfracombe Yacht Club, Secretary of
Ysail and a boat owner.
|
|
27. |
Quarterly Designated Person Audit Report - Ilfracombe and Lynmouth Harbours PDF 136 KB
Report by Health and Safety
Manager (attached).
Minutes:
The Board Members received an
update from the Head of Resources/Designated Person following the
quarterly designated person audits, which were carried out at
Ilfracombe on 10th October 2019 and at Lynmouth on 16th October 2019,
(circulated previously).
The Designated Person confirmed
that the Marine Safety Management System was working effectively
and was, therefore, ensuring compliance with the Port Marine Safety
Code for both Harbours.
The following updates were
given:
Ilfracombe
·
A report outlining the improvements for the CCTV
infrastructure had been approved in principle at Strategy and
Resources Committee in September 2019
·
The outer steps at Old Quay Head had been repaired
and painted
·
An agreement had been reached with the Conservation
Officer over what was acceptable to use in the replacement of the
dock ladders
·
The new leases for the Old Quay Head store huts were
being finalised with the Council agreeing to carry out the repairs
to the sliding doors over the winter months
·
All the laser scan reports had been received except
for the East Face
·
Speed ramps had been installed as well as yellow
paint markings highlighting the pedestrian walkway on the working
side of the Quay
·
Due to adverse weather conditions the boats out was
delayed by one day. Not all owners
could attend, therefore, a second lift out was arranged for
30th November
·
Two Yokohama fenders had been lifted and stored
awaiting resale
·
Recent storm weather had caused a ground sinker to
fail causing damage to two boats, the sinker was made good and
plans to inspect all Harbour ground chains and GPS mark them over
the winter months would enable the Harbour to optimise
moorings
·
Further to the survey of the main slipway, works
were to be carried out during the second week of December
2019
·
Replacement of railings which were starting to rust
alongside the seating on the Harbour wall and Quay Road would be
replaced in the near future
|
Lynmouth
·
There was a need for representation from
Lynmouth Harbour to be present at
future Board meetings
·
Ladders were ready to be fitted to the Harbour wall
in coming months
·
Discussion was still ongoing with the Environment
Agency over the works to be rectified around the flood wall stone
work, which due to the sub-standard nature of the works had
suffered further destruction during recent storms
·
Railings on the pedestrian bridge required
replacement and talks were ongoing with Devon County Council who
had confirmed they owned them
|
|
28. |
Ilfracombe Harbour Business and Marine Safety Plan 2020/23 - Incorporating Annual Report 2019 PDF 713 KB
Report by Harbour Master,
(attached).
Minutes:
The Harbour Master provided the
Board members with the following updates on the Ilfracombe Harbour
Business and Marine Safety Plan 2020/23 – incorporating
Annual Report 2019 (circulated previously):
·
There was a need for the Safety plan which was three
yearly updated to be separated from the annual report
·
The separation would make the monitoring of
objectives easier as three years was a better timeline for checking
progress
·
It was requested that Board Members attend a
workshop to be arranged over the winter months to work on the
separation of the documents
·
There were four documents that needed to be stand
alone:
(a)
Long term Strategy Plan
(b)
Master Plan
(c)
Business Plan
(d)
Annual report
·
Increased activities in the Harbour meant that the
Harbour Master was more likely be needed to deal with water-borne
incidents. To minimise reliance on
Commercial users and the RNLI the
Harbour Master suggested the purchase of a small vessel which could
be launched from the fuel berth. The
cost of a second hand, four metre vessel could be less than
£3,500.
|
In response to a question on
the Harbour Master’s area covered, the Harbour Master advised
just beyond the RNLI buoy was within
her jurisdiction.
|
29. |
Ilfracombe Harbour - Charges Review 2020-2021 PDF 327 KB
Report by Harbour Master,
(attached).
Minutes:
The Harbour Master gave the
Board members an update on the Ilfracombe Harbour -Charges Review
2020-21 (circulated previously) as follows:
·
It was hoped that the Yacht club would take over the
running of the shower facilities although the lease had yet to be
signed
·
As a result of the meeting that had taken place with
auditors the question of red diesel sales came up and the Harbour
Master hoped this issue could be brought to a future Board meeting
to be discussed fully
·
HMRC had confirmed that the Dive club did not fulfil the criteria
to be classed as commercial users of
diesel and as such would have to seek alternative methods to fuel,
using white diesel when the regulations changed
·
The response to the HMRC’s stage 2 consultation into the
implementation of the Court of Justice of the European Union
judgement on diesel fuel used in the private pleasure craft
industry had been the biggest response they had ever had in their
history of consultations
|
The Head of
Resources/Designated Person confirmed that the 2% increase in
charges was in line with other increases in Council
services.
RECOMMENDED that subject to
public consultation:
(a)
the charges for
Ilfracombe Harbour be increased by 2% and;
(b)
the dues to the Ilfracombe Yacht Club remain the
same as they were taking on a
lease to run the shower facilities and would be charging for the
use.
|
|
30. |
Designated Person Role PDF 167 KB
Report by Harbour Master,
(attached).
Minutes:
The Harbour Master provided the
Board members with the following update regarding the Designated
Person role report (circulated previously):
·
Full council were the Duty Holder for the Harbour
and the Designated Person provided independent assessments and
reported back to the Duty Holder
·
The last revision of the Guide to good Practice, in
2018, gave the criterion that the Designated Person had to hold
appropriate qualifications to be the Designated Person
·
The Harbour Master of Watchet and Minehead
was a master Mariner and their harbours matched the size of
Ilfracombe and Lynmouth fairly
evenly
·
It was hoped that bi-annual visits to reciprocal
Harbours would be carried out with Watchet and Minehead
Harbour Master visiting Ilfracombe and Lynmouth in 2020
|
RECOMMENDED that the role of
Designated Person be re-evaluated to allow for the appointment of a
Designated Person for Ilfracombe and Lynmouth Harbours who would be appropriately
qualified for the role.
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|
31. |
Aids to Navigation Update
Harbour Master to
report.
Minutes:
The Harbour Master updated the
Board members on Aids to Navigation as follows:
·
It had been decided to go ahead with the maintenance
contract with Navmooor Limited at a
cost of £1,500 per annum covering both Ilfracombe and
Lynmouth Harbours.
·
This costing was broken down as £1,000 for
Ilfracombe and £500 for Lynmouth
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|
32. |
Harbour Security Update
Harbour Master to
report.
Minutes:
The Harbour Master gave the
Board members the following update:
·
The Police Drone Team had expressed an interest in
drone flying exercises over Ilfracombe Harbour, this activity would
complement our contingency planning.
Details would be put forward to a future Council meeting before
talks with the Police and Crime Commissioners Office would
begin
·
A quote had been received from M&E Alarms for the installation of the new CCTV
cameras
·
19 cameras in total would be installed with various
organisations paying for a camera at locations relevant to their
organisation
·
The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund provided
help to cover the costs of CCTV installations as well as landing
stages, ladders and fenders. A new fund
has been opened to run until 2021
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|
33. |
Infrastructure Update
Harbour Master to
report.
Minutes:
The Harbour Master provided the
Board members with the following updates:
·
Two old Yokohama fenders had been removed and were
to be sold for around £2,000 each
·
The cost of replacing these with sling fenders came
to £7,950 each. The pilings would
need to be faced with a non-abrasive material but the life span of
this would be 20 to 25 years
·
Six pile fenders were to be removed from the South
Pier and used at the Cove
·
New facing was being looked at for the fuel
berth
·
Currently the Harbour ladders were replaced every
three years and a more cost effective option was being looked
at
·
Captain Hines from Chivenor Marine Base was going to visit and take a
sample of sand to test for suitability for use in filling their
sandbags. If the quality of the sand
was correct they would dig down one to two metres, this had the
added bonus of helping to keep the culverts clear
·
Vacant possession of all kiosks had been
regained. It was no longer planned to
fully demolish the kiosks. Architects
drawings of the proposed plans for the pier entrance had been
received
·
The finials were of historic significance and would
be relocated to the Victoria Pleasure Grounds nearby
·
The clock was to be relocated to an arch which would
mark the entrance to the pier which would give the additional bonus
of retaining the history but also enhancing the pier
|
The Board requested that
Councillor Wilkinson communicate with the Project Team and the
Architects to allow him input into the design feature of the
entrance to the pier.
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34. |
Ilfracombe Harbour Community Forum PDF 208 KB
Minutes of the meeting held on
10th October 2019, (attached).
Minutes:
The Ilfracombe Harbour Forum
addressed the Board in relation to the minutes of their last
meeting on 10th October 2019 (circulated
previously).
·
The Harbour Forum expressed its concerns over the
finances of the Water Sports Centre
·
Whether the introduction of a toilet charge could be
used toward the cost of keeping the toilets clean
|
In response to the concerns
expressed the Head of Resources/Designated Person advised the Board
members that £1.5 million had been secured through external
funding of which, just over, £100,000 had already been
spent. With the increase in costings
there was potentially a £1 million shortfall on the original
planned site. The Council was looking
at a secondary site for the placement of the Water Sports Centre
which could give the possibility for costs being
reduced. Scrutiny was being given to
the ongoing cost of running the centre and ensuring its viability
going forward. The Council still wanted
to provide a Water Sports Centre in Ilfracombe.
The Head of
Resources/Designated Person advised the Board that the Head of
Operations was going to be carrying out a programme of review on
the public toilet facilities across the whole of North Devon.
Councillor Pearson would be meeting
with the Head of Operations to discuss this review and his service
plan. Data was collected on usage of
the facilities and this would be looked at when considering toilet
facility provision.
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35. |
Future Projects
Harbour Master to
report.
Minutes:
The Harbour Master update the
Board members with the following:
·
Lynmouth
Harbour needed to be incorporated into the North
Devon Council constitution and it was proposed that a further
workshop was arranged to have this discussion
·
The cost of a Harbour Revision Order was currently
£4,500 but the Marine Management Organisation were planning
to increase this cost to £17,500.
In a move away from Bye-laws the cost of using General Directions
had been looked at
·
The cost to hire a lawyer and make the changes
privately would be £9,000 and take six to nine months to
complete
·
Two cruise ships were due to visit the Harbour in
2020, the MS Veendam on 12th
May and the MS Rotterdam on 8th September
·
The Birdman organisers had requested to extend their
event over a whole weekend, a two day closure of the Harbour would
require a public consultation to collate opinion. The weekend in question was the first weekend in
August at peak visitor time and it was suggested that an
alternative weekend be considered and the possibility of including
the whole town
·
The Harbour Master was now fully up-to-date on her
Instructor qualifications and hoped to be fully up and running mini
courses early summer 2020
·
Duty Holder training was to be arranged with the
British Port Association and held jointly with Exeter City
Council. A date in February would be
confirmed nearer the time.
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