Meeting Details

Consideration was given to the election of a Chairman for the Southwold Harbour Management Committee (HMC) and it was

RESOLVED

That Councillor Ritchie be elected Chairman of the HMC.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked the Committee to please introduce themselves.

It was noted that Mr Richard Musgrove had given his apologies for absence.

Consideration was given to the election of a Vice-Chairman of the Southwold Harbour Management Committee (HMC) and it was

RESOLVED

That Councillor Cook be elected Vice-Chairman of the HMC.

Messrs Gledhill, MacFarlane and Pickles declared a Pecuniary Interest in Agenda Item 5 - Co-Opted Members' Allowances.  They advised that they would leave the meeting and take no part in the discussion or voting thereon.

The HMC received its Terms of Reference.

The Chairman explained that the Terms of reference had been consulted on and agreed by Southwold Town Council and East Suffolk Cabinet.  He would take the document as read unless the HMC members had any points they wished to raise.  There being no questions, it was  

RESOLVED

That the Southwold Harbour Management Committee Terms of Reference be noted.

Note:  Having declared a Pecuniary Interest in Item 5, Messrs Gledhill, McFarlane and Pickles left the meeting room at this point in the meeting.

The HMC considered report ES/0832, the purpose of which was to consider Co-Opted Members' Allowances.

The HMC was reminded of the process that had taken place to appoint co-opted members to the HMC and that, in accordance with the Council's Constitution, those co-opted members would receive an allowance per meeting in order to be appropriately recompensed for the time given to the HMC.  The amount payable per meeting would be based on a Councillor's Basic Allowance, currently £7706.25, multiplied by between 1% and 4%, the equivalent of between £77.06 and £308.25 per meeting.  Under the Council's, Members Allowances' Scheme, the co-opted members would also be able to claim travel and subsistence, as well as the potential to claim transport costs and carers/childcare costs to enable their attendance at meetings.  The Council's Constitution also set out that the percentage was to be determined at the discretion of the Chairman of the Committee on which the co-opted Members sat.

The Chairman advised members of the research he had undertaken and that he had looked at comparable rates elsewhere.  He had come to the conclusion that 1.75% of a Councillor's annual allowance, that was £134.86 per meeting, would be an appropriate amount.

The Cabinet Members present supported the Chairman's proposal and questioned whether it should be reviewed in 12 months time because the amount of work involved in being a member of the HMC was an unknown quantity at this moment in time.

Having consulted his fellow Cabinet Members, the Chairman 

RESOLVED

1.  That, the co-opted members on the HMC be paid 1.75% of a Councillors basic allowance, being £134.86 per meeting, and 

2.  That, due to the amount of work that might be required in the future, that payment be reviewed after one year.

Note:  Messrs Gledhill, MacFarlane and Pickles re-joined the meeting at 4.13pm.

The HMC considered report ES/0833, the purpose of which was to review the public notice and letter for appointments to the Southwold Harbour Advisory Group.  The Chairman advised that the HMC must act in the best interests of the Port and could not function without the Advisory Group.

The Head of Operations reminded the HMC of the consultation that had been undertaken and the options that had been considered for such a group.  The model that was being proposed was following advice from Ashfords LLP and the approved Terms of Reference were appended to the report.  With the HMC now formed, it was necessary to establish an Advisory Group.  The role of the Advisory Group was to consider matters of interest to the HMC relating to conservation, protection, regulation, management, maintenance and improvements of the Southwold Harbour and its navigation.  The Advisory Group would also identify matters of interest to harbour users and other stakeholders and recommendations that they should be considered by the HMC, as well as providing advice and opinion to the HMC on matters under consideration.  

The Head of Operations confirmed that the Advisory Group would be formed of a maximum of 18 persons, appointed by the HMC, from a number of organisations and stakeholder groups, full details of which were contained in the report and Appendix A.  Due to a typographical error in the report,  he clarified that is was one person from the Southwold and River Blyth Users Association and two persons from the Southwold Caravan Owners Association. 

The HMC was being requested to approve the public notice and letter requesting nominations for the Advisory Group.  At its next meeting, the HMC would approve those persons selected to sit on the Advisory Group.

The HMC sought clarification as to when the Advisory Group would meet and if it could be formed with less than 18 members.  The Head of Operations confirmed the Group could meet as soon as the appointments had been confirmed and if there were less than 18 nominations, it would still be formed.  Further details relating to nominations were set out in paragraph 3.2 in the Terms of Reference.

The HMC supported the proposal and there being no further discussion, it was 

RESOLVED

That the public notice for appointments to the Southwold Harbour Advisory Group and letter requesting nominations from the agreed organisations and stakeholder groups be agreed.

The Asset Management Team gave a presentation outlining the following:

Overview

• Introduction to Asset Management
• Extend of Southwold Harbour Limits and Land Ownership
• Landing Stages and Fishing Huts
• Overview of Business Tenancies
• Condition of the Harbour Area
• Caravan and Camping Site
• Summary of Rural Solutions Report
• Rationale and Benefit for Recommendations

Conclusion

• Landlord and tenant discussion regarding agreements in place
• Business Case put forward for investment into caravan site
• Undertaking of repair and maintenance of assets to ensure compliance
• Support HMC with regard to asset strategy included in the Harbour Business Plan

It was confirmed that the full presentation would be uploaded onto the Council's website and be available with the Agenda papers.

HMC members commented on the revenue enhancing investment and financial return, safety inspection on the quay, and what income was achieved from the stages and land operated by the Council for visitors.

The Asset and Investment Manager confirmed a return of around 9% with a peak of capital receipts from caravan sales generated.  The Head of Operations confirmed that they were in the process of drawing up a specification for the safety inspection and condition survey.  The risk assessment would be drawn electronically for filling in on-line.  The specification would be circulated to the HMC members for comment and on receipt of applications, the HMC would have the opportunity to approve the appointment.  

The Head of Operations advised that it would be a separate exercise to calculate the income from visitors; that could be done by ascertaining the information from the Harbour Master. 

On behalf of the HMC, the Chairman expressed thanks for a very informative presentation.

The Chairman reminded the HMC members of their training and induction session which had been held the previous week and that today was the first meeting of the HMC.  The induction and proposed Work Programme had been produced following advice from Ashfords.

The Head of Operations advised that the HMC could establish its own Work Programme and the document circulated with the Agenda was a start.  It contained a number of significant pieces of work including the Review of the findings of the Royal Haskoning Harbour Survey and the Review of the Caravan Site which had been put down for September and November respectively.  The Harbour Revision Order was proposed for consideration in January which might prove to be beneficial further up the river.  Consideration would also need to be given to the enforcement of abandoned vessels.

The HMC discussed the detail and need to give each item full consideration and understood that, as a result, it might be necessary to have additional meetings.  It was important to consider health and safety and finances and the HMC agreed to have an overview of the agenda items listed for September, on the understanding that each subject would likely come back in fuller detail.

The Chairman referred to some interesting reading including the Scope of Works document, the history since 1329, and the Environment Agency's Blyth Strategy from 2008.  Comment was made that, at Southwold, it was significant to note that it was not an estuary but a river that had flooded in 1953.

It was noted that the next meeting would be held on Thursday, 23 September 2021 in the Stella Peskett Millennium Hall in Southwold.  

The Chairman proposed that future meetings of the HMC commence at 4.00pm and that was supported.

The Chairman proposed that two future meetings take place on Thursday, 11 November 2021 and Thursday, 27 January 2022, commencing at 4.00pm.

The HMC noted that, by fixing these dates, it did not preclude setting dates for any additional meetings that might become necessary.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the meeting.