Thanks to Cllr Tim Wakeley, Chair of Planning, Ryde Town Council and Berth holder, Ryde Town Harbour for sharing this Open Letter to Cllr George Brown. In his own words, Ed
Dear Cllr Brown,
Reference: Proposed sale of Ryde Town Harbour
Members of the Ryde Town Council were provided with just a few days to comment on the IW Council proposal to sell off the Harbour to the private sector. This small window of opportunity allowed for ‘immediate responses’ only and no doubt you will have read my earlier observations.
Lack of wider consultation
It is to be regretted that you have not sought wider public discussion or consultation, but your notice to berth holders at Ryde Harbour and willingness to receive later comments has allowed this more considered response to be forthcoming to help inform the final decision regarding this important facility and feature of Ryde Esplanade.
Further to my initial response I am pleased to submit the following for your further consideration:
Comments and observations
The facts, figures and options provided for your consideration are, in some respects, incorrect, inaccurate, sometimes misleading and incomplete. Because of this and the political sensitivities associated with any decision to sell the Harbour to a preferred bidder, I believe that the sale should not take place during ‘Purdah’, but should be delayed until such time as the new administration is able to make an informed and considered decision.
£34,000 pa loss quoted is inaccurate
Below are some of the points at issue that I have just referred to:
1. The figure of £34k as the annual operating deficit is inaccurate or at best misleading: The trading account of the Harbour (last year) shows around £10k as the operating profit before the trading account is loaded with its contribution to corporate (senior management and HR costs) which reflect the over weight central administration costs of the IW Council.
If the Harbour is sold there will no longer be this contribution to central costs and so we might expect to see a corresponding reduction in central staffing and the associated costs attributable to this loss of duties and revenue.
Less visitors than quoted in council report
2. The Delegated Decision Report mentions that there were 21,000 visitors to the Harbour during the year when, in fact, there were just over 4,400.
By employing the SEEDA formula for placing a monetary value on visiting craft it can be calculated that the contribution by visitors using the Harbour, to the local economy, is closer to £178,145 than the £146,000 that was reported to you.
In addition to this sum should be included the value to the local economy of around 100 small craft who are resident in the Harbour. The value of these craft, to the local economy may be calculated at around £1,000 per craft per annum when all expenses, apart from Harbour dues, are taken into account.
This adds a further £100,000 to the value of the Harbour to the local economy – £278k+ per annum at a cost to the IW Council of around £34k, in a poor year. Many would argue that this was a good return for a relatively small annual investment.
Why not a long lease?
3. The Delegated Decision Report only asks for the sale of the Harbour to be considered. The option of the Harbour to be put out for a long lease is not explored and this is a very serious omission which should have been made available for your consideration as the portfolio holder.
There are real benefits that can accrue from long leases, not least that this provides for a return of the facility to the IW Council should the leaseholder not be able to make the enterprise succeed, an important factor in the present financial circumstances.
Local boat owners and residents of Ryde do not wish to see the Harbour become a failed enterprise to be passed on to yet another developer or to become derelict. Safeguards have to be built into any arrangement with the private/commercial sector as it is the future of Ryde Esplanade that is at stake.
Monkton Mead outfall
4. The disposal of the Harbour should not be carried out until the re-direction of the Monkton Mead outfall has been determined.
It is noted that the issue of the public slipway has yet to be reported on and satisfactorily resolved. The placing of this important facility ‘at risk’ should require the IW Council to engage in a public consultation and I ask that time is provided for this to take place.
Key planning documents
5. The early disposal of the Harbour will have a significant impact upon both the Chamber of Commerce Master Plan, which is in process and due to be published this summer and the much delayed Ryde Area Action Plan now due to be completed sometime in 2014.
It is to be preferred that the Harbour disposal awaits the production of both of these key planning documents to ensure that any specifications that may accompany the disposal of the Harbour are consistent with an agreed longer term view for the development of Ryde and the Esplanade in particular. There is a real risk that a hasty decision to dispose of the Harbour could seriously compromise the implementation of an integrated coherent strategy for the longer term enhancement and development of Ryde.
Defer sale until after election
I am aware that other representations have also been made to the IW Council in regard of the disposal of the Ryde Harbour. Because of the political sensitivities associated with this proposal I again urge that the proposed sale be deferred until after the new administration is able to review matters and arrive at a considered judgement in their own time.
Given the range of unknowns, easements or restrictions that may pop up, there must be a significant risk of the IW Council failing to dispose of the Ryde Harbour at this time. In this context I wonder what the financial cost to us all may be of progressing this disposal with such unseemly haste.
Yours faithfully, Cllr AJ Wakeley
Ryde Town Councillor and Chair of the Ryde Town Council Planning Committee and berth holder at Ryde Harbour
