Agenda item

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 the financial statistics for the current year. Activity in the harbour at the start of the season had been light, however activity was beginning to increase heading into the summer. An update was provided on recruitment, two members of staff had left the berthing team in addition to one being promoted and the three vacancies had been filled through the appointment of seasonal staff.

 

Weymouth Harbour had received national recognition from Navily in the 2026 UK Marina Rankings. Weymouth Harbour was highlighted among the UK’s leading marina destinations, with users praising its attractive setting, high-quality facilities, and excellent access to the town centre, beach, and local amenities.

 

A summary of incidents was presented. Since the previous meeting, 56 incidents had been recorded, including a number of thefts and incidents of anti-social behaviour. Personal accidents, near misses, injuries and incidents involving collapsed individuals had also been reported. The majority of incidents were of low severity and were generally related to behaviour rather than harbour infrastructure.

 

The harbour team had responded to an issue relating to a storm drain, while the Environment Agency was undertaking its own investigations. A number of light fuel sheens had been identified and quickly rectified. Incidents involving oil being deposited into a bin were under investigation. There had also been a number of minor collisions and near misses.

 

The Committee received a detailed analysis of incidents recorded throughout 2025, representing the first year for which usable incident data was available. A seasonal trend was emerging, with incident numbers peaking during the summer months and remaining high through July and September. Vessel-related incidents represented the largest category and were generally small-scale incidents associated with routine harbour operations. Twenty of the twenty-one anti-social behaviour incidents related to nuisance behaviour and trespassing, with very little evidence of marine crime. Vessel collisions accounted for the largest proportion of vessel-related incidents. It was noted that a collision was recorded when harbour staff were required to attend an incident, even if no injury or damage occured. Analysis did not identify any particular hotspot within the harbour, indicating that there was no single major area of concern. A number of incidents initially categorised as breaches of General Directions had not met the required threshold and had therefore been reclassified. These predominantly related to people entering the water and unsafe navigation.

 

An update on harbour operations and maintenance was provided. None of the recorded spills required activation of the Oil Spill Management Plan, although a major exercise was planned later in the year. Old pilings had been removed as part of harbour maintenance works and quotations were being sought for replacement structures. New CCTV equipment had been installed at the gatehouse. Work to replace the Stone Pier railings had commenced in May and access to Stone Pier had remained unrestricted throughout the works. A dive survey of the sand jetty had been undertaken in June and the results would be reported to a future meeting of the Committee.

 

The fuel pontoon had returned to service at the end of April following a redesign of the delivery system and the installation of an energy chain. Work was continuing on the provision of a waste pump-out facility to be located on the fuel pontoon. The facility was intended to improve the customer experience and support improvements to water quality. It was noted that waste collection arrangements would be required and that the facility would not become operational during the current season. The total cost of the project was estimated at £40,000, which was higher than originally anticipated, although funding had already been allocated through the Operational Management Plan.

 

The Seafood Festival would take place over the coming weekend. The first artisanal market had been reported as a successful, busy and well-attended event. Members also noted that the IQFoil Championships were scheduled to take place in September.

 

In response to questions the Harbour Manager explained that

·       The Harbour Manager had met with the fire service and discussed the danger of lithium batteries that could be present on vessels in the event of a fire and options were being explored on how to communicate the risks to customers.

·       The cost of removing the linkspan ramp and replacing it with a slipway were being considered and it could be included as part of a wider project to replace/repair Wall E (commercial berth one), to reduce the cost.

·       The fuel pontoon only supplied red diesel.

·       The fees from traders at the artisan markets goes to the harbour.

·       In order to bring the seafood festival to the harbourside and have it as a free event a contribution from the harbour was required.

 

The committee noted the updates.