Funding for £90m. marina in the Pool yet to be decided

Plans were published this week showing details of a £90m. project, including a large new marina in the heart of St Peter Port Harbour.

Pool marine study programme lead Doug Wright explained that a detailed financial evaluation was still being carried out, but Guernsey Ports said it anticipated that any investment would be recouped over time.

‘Whether its a loan or a grant from the States, and whether there’s contribution from elsewhere is still to be decided,’ he said.

‘Unlike other capital projects, this one has an income stream. The marina would bring a direct benefit, in mooring fees etc, and an indirect one in a gross benefit to the wider economy.

‘From our analysis we would be able to pay back half the amount from the increased mooring fees within 20 years.’

Mr Wright said he hoped the States would back the plans, but even if they did not, the feasibility study had been worth carrying out.

‘It’s given us some idea about other projects we could do in the harbour. Areas we could improve quite simply with some dredging and some tidal gates.’

Guernsey Ports held a drop-in at the ferry terminal yesterday so people could inspect the plans and chat to some of the team involved.

Mr Wright said he was pleasantly surprised, not only with the turn-out, but the depth of knowledge of the general public.

‘People have asked some intelligent and probing questions. Most have come down to get a detailed look at the plans and have gone away generally supportive.

‘A few people were worried about the visual impact of the new breakwater on St Peter Port, but we have been able to show how the sight lines work and that most will be obscured by boats and everyone’s gone away relatively happy.’

Experienced yachtsman Adrian Heyworth thought the plans were fantastic and was impressed with how the Ports had considered the harbour as whole.

‘An all-weather marina here would be phenomenal,’ he said.

‘It’s such an obvious destination for UK sailors, and is the perfect distance for a two-week trip. It’s become a bit quaint.

‘The staff are lovely and St Peter Port is a great location, but the overall quality compared to somewhere like Roscoff is chalk and cheese.’

Derek and Pat Lowe, both 84, had owned boats in the past for many years and also supported the plans for a new marina.

‘Over our lifetime we’ve seen all the harbour change and grow from just a few boats to the building of the QEII marina and right now it’s a mess.

‘The States definitely needs to go ahead with it. It needs a lot of money spent on it, but there’s nowhere for the bigger boats to go.’

Yachtsman Rupert Dorey said the plans were pleasingly ambitious and thought the benefits of the plan to Guernsey were enormous.

‘This will be up against other projects in the budget,’ he said, ‘But the key issue is this can pay for itself.’

. A second drop-in is being held today in the terminal from 10am to 4pm. Feedback can be given there, or by going to www.gov.gg/poolmarina for other options.