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NEWLYN fishermen are calling for a 'time out' on the multimillion pound plans to regenerate the fish market.
The
call follows a funding blow which saw the Marine and Fisheries Agency
(MFA) throwing out the Harbour Commission's £2 million grant
application to part fund the new state-of-the art centre.
It's the second time the application has been rejected the grants panel citing the commission's business case as 'weak'.
Rethink
Fishermen's
union Cornish Fish Producers Organisation (CFPO) believes the plans
were rejected due to lack of industry support and fishermen not
understanding the business case.
CEO Paul Trebilcock said
it's time to look at the plans objectively. "It sounds like the
economist can't see value for money. But the bigger problem is that the
plans don't enjoy full commercial industry support from the fishing
community or the Stevenson's who are the ones using the market.
"Also,
because the fishermen do not understand the business plan they think
it's going to cost them more money and these are the two reasons why it
probably failed.
"We
need a time out on this rather than tinkering with the same project
which has now failed twice so perhaps we should have a more fundamental
rethink of the proposal.
The
Marine and Fisheries Agency says the business case was weak most
notably because it centred only on one option for development and
didn't examine any options for refurbishment of the existing buildings.
Confident
Newlyn
Harbour Commission has since been offered help to produce an outline
option appraisal and has invited it to make a new bid for consideration
by the September MFA grants panel.
Harbour master Andrew Munson is confident the new application will meet the July deadline.
He said: "The government economist will be working with us helping us to come up with something acceptable.
"We are looking for other options as suggested such as refurbishing the existing market.
"The
fact that it has been turned down twice isn't the best of news but we
have to meet what Defra is asking for and I think we can meet the July
deadline."
Chairman
of the MFA panel, Ray Hedley, has ensured the work done in preparation
of the latest application will not be wasted. He added: "This is by no
means the end of the matter.
"The
MFA fully understands the need to support sustainable and competitive
fisheries and the wider community. We will continue to work with
interested parties to achieve this."
Nick
Howell of Newlyn Fishing Community Interest Company, who has been
provisionally appointed to manage the new fish market, is not worried.
New operator
He added: "This doesn't affect us. But the fishermen are all looking to see things getting sorted out."
Meanwhile
partner Elizabeth Stevenson of W Stevenson and Sons maintained their
letter issued to the NPHC in April still stands. The port's largest
fishing fleet declared it would not enter into business with any new
operator stating the plans are not financially viable.
article copyright THE CORNISHMAN
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