Newlyn Pier & Harbour Commissioners
Friday, 13th August 2010
Press release
The Newlyn Pier & Harbour Commissioners met today and reaffirmed
their commitment to drive forward the regeneration of Newlyn harbour as a
matter of urgency. The Commission voted against “accepting the offers
of grants from EFF and ERDF, and the offers in principle from Cornwall
Council, to build the proposed new fish market”.
This bold decision means we can now move forward, at a pace, without
being tied to plans for a specific building, making creative use of our
assets. This decision is based on nine weeks’ work, since the new
Commission came into being, using external specialists to appraise our
financial health, as well as the current and potential value of our
assets. We have determined that at this point we are not in a
sufficiently strong position to commit to loan repayments over a period
of 15 years that would tie our assets into that loan, leaving us little
room to run the harbour as successfully as possible, or to address our
other responsibilities. We are clear that we need to achieve our
purposes differently and will continue to consult regularly with users
of the harbour. We acknowledge the valuable work on regeneration
proposals carried out by many people over previous years.
Gilbert McCabe, Chairman of the Commissioners, said ‘we are very aware
of the wishes of the wider community to see a new market built as the
first stepping stone of regeneration; there is far less support from the
fishing industry for the current proposal, but it also is looking for
progress. We are resolved immediately to prepare a long-term business
plan for the harbour that will have benefits for all stakeholders. That
business plan will make clear how the Commissioners will deliver a
fit-for-purpose market, and other community and stakeholder benefits,
from a position of strength. It will also encompass plans to secure a
viable future for the fishing industry and all its dependants, by
seeking to run a successful harbour and market, and to develop the
fishing industry in Newlyn’.
The priorities for the new Commissioners are to be transparent in how we
conduct our business, to listen, to be visible and approachable: and to
build a new future for Newlyn from a position of strength owned and
understood by all. Our intention is to publish our business plan by
Christmas, which will highlight to all members of the community our
intention of achieving our goals in a more coherent and financially
sustainable manner.
For further information, contact Andrew Munson, Harbour Master and Commissioner
01736 362523
andrewmunson@btconnect.com
Ends
