PENZANCE is in a "unique position" to attract the enormous growth in leisure craft but plans for a two-phase marina development in Penzance harbour "make no sense whatsoever".

Consultants AECOM have been hired by Cornwall Council to draw up a framework plan for the future of Penzance and Newlyn.

Among the proposals put forward is a scheme for the harbour which would see marinas developed in both the existing wet dock and in the outer, Albert Pier, harbour through the construction of a new lock gate.

But Terry Marks, from the Penzance Harbour Users' Association (PHUA), says the plan is flawed and, contrary to AECOM's stated aims, appears more likely to reduce economic activity and potential, not expand it.

"On the face of it, the proposals are quite attractive but when you examine them in detail they make no sense whatsoever," he said.

Leisure

The PHUA considers that, if Penzance harbour is to flourish in the future, then more and better facilities are needed to service and accommodate the ever-increasing number of small and recreational boat users as well as all the other marine-related leisure activities such as SCUBA diving, rowing, canoeing and wildlife watching.

Mr Marks, who gave a presentation to Penzance town councillors last week ahead of the council's consultation meeting with AECOM at the end of October, argued that Penzance was perfectly positioned to take advantage of this massive increase in marine leisure activity.

"Penzance is centrally placed to attract sailors from southern Ireland, south Wales, Brittany, the Channel Islands and many parts of England but a tremendous amount of leisure traffic is going straight past Mount's Bay," he said.

"We're in a unique situation but we are not exploiting it."

Mr Marks said that the latest available figures on the total number of nights spent in Cornish ports by leisure craft, which date from 2008, showed that Penzance hosted just 989 nights for visiting boat owners.

This compared to more than 27,000 in Falmouth (estuary and town), around 9,000 in Fowey and more than 3,000 each at St Mary's and Padstow.

"There is a huge potential which we are not plugging into," he said.

"What we need are marina berths with secure shelter and access at all stages of the tide plus space alongside to service the increased number of vessels using the harbour."

He argued that the AECOM recommendations for two marinas will see access for boats in the current wet dock remain at around just three hours for every 12-hour tidal cycle but be drastically reduced in the Albert Pier dock.

"Currently, small boat users can access the channel alongside the Albert Pier for almost an entire 12-hour tidal cycle on a neap tide and for around 8.5 hours on a spring tide.

"But under the AECOM proposals, with a new lock gate, we estimate that access would be reduced to seven hours out of 12 on a neap tide and 6.5 hours on a spring tide."

According to Mr Marks, a new breakwater to the east of the Albert Pier, as outlined by the PHUA on previous occasions, is vital, It would provide secure, 24-hour a day berthing and space on shore for service industries to cater for their needs.

Mr Marks put the cost of the basic infrastructure works at £26 million – £19 million for the breakwater and £7 million for the landfill.

Enterprise

He argued that costs could be offset by inviting private enterprise to get involved in building onshore business and residential units, and that Convergence funding should be used to refine cost estimates, all in a fairly short timescale.

"We must have plans in place to take to developers as soon as the economy turns and be first in the queue," he said.

article copyright THE CORNISHMAN