Agenda and draft minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 04 March.

The minutes of the last meeting held on 04 March 2026 were confirmed and signed.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registerable or non-registrable interest as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

Mark Roberts declared that he held a mooring in West Bay.

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit either 1 question or 1 statement for each meeting.  You are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via MS Teams to read out your question and to receive the response.   If you submit a statement for the committee this will be circulated to all members of the committee in advance of the meeting as a supplement to the agenda and appended to the minutes for the formal record but will not be read out at the meeting. The first 8 questions and the first 8 statements received from members of the public or organisations for each meeting will be accepted on a first come first served basis in accordance with the deadline set out below.  Further information read Public Participation - Dorset Council 

All submissions must be e-mailed in full to [email protected]

by 8.30am on Friday 05 June 2026.

When submitting your question(s) and/or statement(s) please note that:

• You can submit 1 question or 1 statement.
• a question may include a short pre-amble to set the context.
• It must be a single question and any sub-divided questions will not be permitted.
• Each question will consist of no more than 450 words, and you will be given up to 3 minutes to present your question.
• when submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g., the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder) 
• Include your name, address, and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting. 
• questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda. 
• all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.   

There were no public questions.

To consider a verbal report by the Chair.

The Chair delivered a verbal report to the committee. He welcomed the two new members of the Harbours Advisory Committee, Cllr Suttle and Cllr Northam and thanked the outgoing members, Cllr Baker and Cllr Bryan for their time on the committee.

To note the minutes of the Weymouth, Bridport and Lyme Regis Harbour Consultative Groups.

The Bridport Harbour Consultative Group minutes from the meeting held on 11 May 2026, were presented by the Group Chair, Emma Bourne.

The Lyme Regis Harbour Consultative Group minutes from the meeting held on 14 May 2026, were presented by the Group Chair, Sally Holman.

The Weymouth Harbour Consultative Group minutes from the meeting held on 13 May 2026, were presented by the Group Chair, Tim Day.

The Chair acknowledged a concern from a member about there not being a Harbours Advisory Committee member present at the most recent Consultative Group meetings. It was explained that the Chair could not be present at these meetings due to a recent operation but looked forward to attending future meetings.

The committee noted the minutes of the Harbour Consultative Groups.

To receive updates from the Harbours Manager and Bridport & Lyme Regis Harbour Masters.

The Harbour Master provided the update for Bridport and Lyme Regis harbours. A summary of the statistics for both harbours was provided. The Committee was informed that two new members of staff had joined the harbour team in Bridport. Following a review of harbour administration staffing, it was proposed that one member of staff be relocated to Bridport and that a full-time administrative post be recruited in Lyme Regis, in order to improve administrative resilience across both harbours.

An update was provided on the Port Marine Safety Code audit. Bridport Harbour had been audited against the Code in March and had been found to be compliant with all relevant requirements, with a number of areas identified as points of best practice. The full report from the Designated Person would be presented to the Committee at its September meeting.

An update was provided on harbour buildings. Temporary portacabins had been installed at West Bay to provide office accommodation to support of operational requirements. Longer-term plans for the site included the development of permanent offices and a toilet block, although this would require both funding and planning approval.

In relation to dredging, it was explained that 10,000 tonnes of sand had been removed from Bridport harbour, enabling daily operations to continue without disruption. Water injection trials in Bridport had proved highly successful, however similar trials undertaken in Lyme Regis had not achieved the same level of success and alternative dredging methods were therefore being explored.

Refurbishment works to the Cobb buildings were ongoing. Deterioration of timber piles at Victoria Pier had been identified and their removal was required.

Members were advised that a review of the visitor moorings had identified a material safety concern regarding their capability to safely accommodate the largest vessels reasonably expected to use them under foreseeable operating conditions. As visitor moorings are available for unrestricted use, the Harbour Authority must ensure they are suitable for all foreseeable users.

It was noted that upgrading the moorings to an appropriate standard would require significant investment. However, the primary consideration was safety. The Harbour Authority concluded that retaining moorings whose safe capacity could not be demonstrated presented an unacceptable risk, particularly given the potential consequences of mooring failure. The decision not to deploy visitor moorings was therefore taken as an operational safety measure in accordance with the Harbour Authority's statutory responsibilities.

In response to a question from one member, the Harbour Master confirmed that the condition of the timber piles and ladder fixings on Victoria Pier would continue to be inspected and if they deteriorated further the ladder could be removed if necessary.

In response to a question, the Harbours Manager explained that there was less demand for small vessel moorings and this was a trend across many harbours in the country, while demand remains good for larger vessels. This was likely impacted by external factors, such as the economic climate.

The Harbour Manager presented the update on Weymouth Harbour. Mooring occupancy levels were provided, as well as a summary of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To provide an engineering update for Weymouth, Bridport and Lyme Regis harbours.

The Service Manager for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) provided an update on engineering matters across the harbours.

At Bridport Harbour, inspections had been undertaken in June and July. Harbour wall improvement works had been completed earlier in the month. Further construction works were scheduled to take place during the autumn.

At Lyme Regis Harbour, inspections and repair works had been scheduled for the previous week but had been postponed due to the hot weather. Repairs had been completed to a void identified at the base of the Cobb wall and the site would continue to be monitored. An update was also provided on the Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme Phase 5. Key stakeholders had been consulted on the proposals and the project had secured Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding to address the remaining funding gap, enabling the scheme to progress. Subject to the necessary approvals, construction was expected to commence in summer 2027.

At Weymouth Harbour, inspections and repair works were scheduled to take place later in July.

An application to address a funding shortfall had been successful. It was anticipated that the Outline Business Case would be ready for submission in 2027. Members were advised that works to Harbour Walls F and G remained on programme and were expected to be completed on time. In relation to Harbour Wall E, areas of localised deterioration had been identified and a condition survey was being undertaken. The results of the survey would inform the scope of any future commissioned works.

In response to questions from members the officers provided the following responses:

·       Funding for the pre-construction phase of the Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme Phase 5 had been secured and an overall funding matrix had been completed and it was anticipated that there was enough funding for the full scheme.

·       The business case had been delayed due to changes in funding rules.

·       Engineers would continue to inspect the walls annually so there was good knowledge of the condition of the walls.

Members noted the engineering updates.

To consider a report from the Harbour Business Manager.

The Harbour Business Manager presented the year end budget report. It was explained that service recharge calculations had been revised from the original budgets, resulting in increased costs for both Bridport and Lyme Regis. Staff costs had also increased as a result of the nationally agreed pay award being higher than had been budgeted for. At Bridport, a vacant mechanic post had contributed to staffing variances, while seasonal staffing costs at both Bridport and Lyme Regis had been reviewed. At Weymouth, additional staffing costs had been incurred due to a recruitment gap in the mooring team, although this had been partially offset by a small reduction in seasonal staff costs.

The year-end position for Bridport showed an increased surplus. It was noted that part of this increase related to the reorganisation of funding arrangements, with some expenditure previously funded from revenue budgets now being funded from reserves. Members were advised that there were plans to adopt this approach more widely in future years. Significant additional expenditure had been incurred as a result of storm damage works. However, routine dredging costs, including water injection dredging, had been below budget. There were also a number of minor variances relating to business rates and banking charges. Overall, harbour income had generally performed in line with budget expectations.

The financial position at Lyme Regis had been more challenging, with a budget shortfall of approximately £30,000. It was reported that the harbour had been on track to achieve its budget position before the impact of storm damage costs. Lyme Regis ultimately recorded a net cost of £34,000, with the resulting overspend being absorbed within the wider Place Directorate budget.

Members were informed that Weymouth had experienced a successful financial year, with most areas achieving or exceeding budgeted expectations. Two significant factors had contributed to the positive position. The delay to Harbour Walls F and G works had meant that income from the Pavilion Car Park had not been affected. In addition, income generated from the fish landing quay had performed strongly and had not been included within the original budget. Offsetting pressures included increased energy costs following the installation of a new electrical supply and the cost of repairing a water leak on the Peninsula. These costs had been partly mitigated by underspends on routine maintenance and management costs.

Reserve balances for both Weymouth and Bridport remained well established. The year-end reserve balance for Bridport stood at £282,000. Storm damage costs had been partly offset by £200,000 of support approved from the Directorate's emergency fund. A programme of works had been scheduled for 2025/26. Owing to peak summer operational demands, a number of projects were not expected to commence until later in the season.

The committee noted the year end budget report.

To consider a report by the Harbour Business Manager.

The Harbours Business Manager presented the budget monitoring report. A summary of the budgets for all three harbours was provided and it was noted that there were no major variances from the forecasted budgets.

Officers provided the following responses to questions from members:

·       In Bridport there was some concern over additional expenditure and work was being done to secure funding for the emergency works.

·       There had been a slight reduction in seasonal hours to cover the additional administrative post.

·       The engineering position in Bridport was still vacant and a review of all posts would be conducted later in the year.

·       There was a budget for essential maintenance and if that money does not get used it is assigned to the reserves and the following years budget would be reassessed.

The committee noted the budget monitoring report.

To consider a report from the Harbours Manager.

The Harbour Manager summarised the report for a request to waiver berthing fees for two historic vessels in Weymouth. It was highlighted that it had been previously agreed that the fees would be reduced by an additional 20% as a result of the company registering as a community trust, and that the overall fee had been further reduced for the coming season as a result of a wider review of Operating Licences.

In response to questions, the Harbour Manager explained that the fees for both vessels, including the discount would be approximately £4000 and that last year one of the vessels was stationed in Portland.

Several members expressed concern about waiving fees for individual cases and it was suggested that a policy review would be more appropriate than making decisions on a case by case basis. In addition, it was felt that business costs should not necessarily be absorbed by the harbour. It was also suggested that the organisation could seek funding from more appropriate sources such as a grant from Weymouth Town Council or Dorset Council, or from the organisations that had submitted letters of support.

It was proposed by Mark Roberts and seconded by Cllr Northam that the request to waive the fees for Coastline Cruises be refused.

Decision: That the Harbours Advisory Committee recommend that the Cabinet Member for Place Services deny the request for a discretionary harbour fee waiver.

To consider a report from the Harbours Manager.

The Marine Compliance and Enforcement Policy report was presented by the Harbour Manager, he explained that it had returned to committee for consideration after being deferred so that members could suggest some changes to the original policy.

In response to a question from one member, it was explained that training was routinely carried out, in line with requirements.

It was proposed by Mark Roberts and seconded by Lee Hardy, that the policy be recommended to the Cabinet Member for Place Services for approval.

Decision: That the Harbours Advisory Committee recommend that the Cabinet Member for Place Services approve the Marine Compliance and Enforcement Policy for adoption.

To consider a report from the Harbours Manager.

The Committee received a report on the Marine Safety Management System (MSMS) documentation from the Harbour Manager. Members were advised that the latest formats had been reviewed and restructured to align with the Port and Marine Facilities Safety Code and now followed the current recommended format.

It was noted that the content of the management systems remained essentially unchanged, with the revisions relating primarily to the structure and presentation of the documents. The updated documents had been published on the respective harbour websites and were available for public access. Members were informed that a working group session involving members of the Committee may be arranged later in the year to provide a more detailed understanding of the Marine Safety Management System and its operation.

In response to a question the Harbour Manager confirmed that the documents undergo an annual review and typically out of date information is updated then.

The committee noted the re-structuring of the Marine Safety Management Systems.

To consider the Harbours Advisory Committee forward plan.

The Harbours Manager presented the committees forward plan and outlined what reports would be presented at the upcoming Harbours Advisory Committee meeting in September.

The committee noted the forward plan.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There were no urgent items.

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph x of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.

There is no scheduled exempt business for this meeting.

There was no exempt business.