The Blake Family, namely Ed, Geoff and Cheryl, who run Ventnor Haven Fishery have been selected as the preferred bidder for the contract to manage Ventnor Harbour.
There were two bids for the contract, and Cllr Phil Jordan has today (Thursday) signed the delegated decision to select Ventnor Haven Management Limited as the preferred bidder.
The £392,500 five-year contract would start from 1st April 2023, taking over from Cheetah Marine, who have been paid many hundreds of thousands of pounds over the last decade to manage the harbour and clear the rotting seaweed from the harbour bed.
The contract will save the council a substantial amount of money each year (almost £25,000) as last year the removal of the seaweed cost them £103,000.
Jordan: New contract will help safeguard the future of this important Ventnor asset
Cllr Phil Jordan, Cabinet member for infrastructure, highways and transport, said,
“Ventnor Haven Management Limited’s directors have been involved with the harbour throughout its history and have an in-depth knowledge of the area.
“The new contract will help safeguard the future of this important Ventnor asset and bring about improvements, while providing a significant annual saving for the council taxpayer.”
The council say that one of the key changes proposed is a move away from diesel to electricity to remove seaweed from the harbour.
Article edit
3.50pm 12th Jan 2023 – Comment from PJ added and extra detail about contract
5.30pm 17th Jan 2023 – Contract figure of £485,775 amended to £392,500 (First figure was taken from September 2022 LDR report)
