Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Baldrey, Ms Hayes and Mr Gordon Jennings.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Harbour Committee held on 11 June 2012 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Committee noted the Minutes of the Brixham Harbour Liaison Forum meeting on 11 July 2012 and the Minutes of the Torquay and Paignton Harbour Liaison Forum meeting on 10 July 2012.

The Committee considered a report regarding the introduction of a ferry service between Torquay and Brixham.  In particular, the installation of new pontoon and passenger access infrastructure at Brixham Harbour and Torquay Harbour.

The Chairman agreed for the Clerk to circulate two documents prior to the Committee.

The Committee was advised that the recommendations related to indicative plans for new pontoon and passenger access infrastructure and the principle of agreeing the infrastructure to unlock the £2.75m funding from the successful Local Sustainable Transport Fund bid – the Travel Torbay Regeneration Project.  Should the Committee be unable to support the recommendations then the funding could be withdrawn as the service has to be running from March 2013.

Plans of the indicative layout of the pontoons and access ramps at Brixham and Torquay enclosed harbours, which were needed for the procurement of the new pontoon infrastructure, were circulated to the Committee at the meeting.

The Harbour Master reported that at the recent Harbour Liaison Forum meetings, stakeholders were able to give their views and the Torquay and Paignton Meeting was well attended by stakeholders and current ferry operators.  The Brixham Liaison Forum Meeting was not well attended and no existing ferry operators were in attendance.

Work was being undertaken to procure specialist legal advice to draw up a strong contract with appropriate control measures to protect the revenue funding provided by the Department for Transport.

A Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) was undertaken as part of the Local Transport Plan 3 in conjunction with Natural England and the Environment Agency who have given specific advise related to pollution prevention plans and the ‘fast ferry’ service.   As the new ferry service will not be a ‘fast ferry’, many of the concerns over speed and wash have been addressed.  As a comparative the vessel would not be as powerful as the one previously trialled by Stagecoach where the speed and wash did not impact on the high quality of the marine environment.

Resolved:

(i)         that the locations and indicative layout of the pontoons and access ramps at Brixham and Torquay enclosed harbours to enable procurement of the new pontoon infrastructure, as set out in the plans submitted at the meeting,  be approved;

(ii)        that the Executive Head of Tor Bay Harbour Authority in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairmanof the Harbour Committee be given delegated authority to approve the final pontoon designs at Brixham and Torquay enclosed harbours, following the appointments of the successful contractor and;

(iii)       that the Executive Head of Tor Bay Harbour Authority be requested to form a working group consisting of relevant officers, Councillors and harbour stakeholders, to consider a long-term location for passenger ferry infrastructure at Torquay harbour and report back to the Harbour Committee.