Pool marina plans put on hold for funding review
PLANS to turn the centre of St Peter Port Harbour into a 24-hour access marina are set to be put on hold to give Policy & Resources time to look at different ways of funding the multi-million-pound project.
It is one of many items included in P&R’s latest report on updating and rescinding various States resolutions, due to be debated next month.
The request to pause the project comes after a draft policy letter was prepared by the States’ Trading Supervisory Board which stated that the new marina would provide a return greater than the cost only if about half of the estimated cost range of £44m. to £60m. came from taxpayers’ capital investment.
‘In the current fiscal environment, it is not clear that the States will consider this affordable, particularly given the other significant competing priorities for limited capital funding now and in the next term,’ P&R said.
It did not question the evidence put forward in the report, but said ‘the benefits are potentially constrained by the delivery model that is set out’.
P&R has asked STSB to defer submitting its report until P&R has had time ‘to identify the pros and cons of other delivery models, and the funding models which would support them’.
The original intention had been for the funding to come from mooring fees and ‘growth opportunities for the island economy’, with boat maintenance and yacht chandler businesses put forward as potential revenue-raisers.
If members approve P&R’s proposals, the committee said it would look to produce a report early in the next political term.
The Guernsey Boatowners’ Association and the Guernsey Marine Traders’ Association both supported the project, but GBA president Nick Guillemette said he was not surprised to learn that it was to be paused.
‘This is probably at the bottom of the pecking order now,’ he said.
‘Obviously they have more important issues to deal with like funding for the hospital extension and housing and other things.’
He was aware that there was demand from some boatowners to have a mooring with 24-hour access and who were prepared to pay a premium for it, and that would have freed up space for others to take up moorings in the Victoria Marina.
The idea also had great potential for increasing harbour revenue, said Mr Guillemette, since improved protection for Victoria could lead to people from outside the island seeking to keep their boats locally during the winter.
