The States knows that the clock is ticking on the lifespan of the gates, which were installed 40 years ago. It has estimated the cost of replacement to be between £5-10m., with the possibility that repairs might come out slightly cheaper.
The States’ Trading Supervisory Board is putting forward a range of options but no preferred solution.
It is however firm on plans to pay for the work, with the intention to pay half the cost through a loan from the States, which will be repaid from harbour charges, with the other half coming from the General Revenue Reserve. The Policy & Resources Committee supports this approach.
Before the States debates that proposal at the end of the month, Guernsey Ports is wasting no time in inviting expressions of interest from contractors to repair or replace the gate system.
Once it has assessed the experience of the contractors it will consider the solutions put forward, with the contract awarded to the best value solution meeting the performance specification.
The QEII Marina provides berthing for more than 700 locally-owned vessels and includes the deepest moorings in all of Guernsey Ports’ marinas. The marina gates play a critical role in those operations, retaining sufficient water within the marina so that vessels remain afloat at all states of the tide, and extending the tidal access window beyond what would be possible with a fixed sill. If the water level was to drop by a metre, it is estimated more than a third of these vessels would be left aground.
Although the gates have been maintained, condition surveys in recent years have identified a heightened risk of failure due to their age and condition. If they failed, the depth of the marina at low tide would drop by about a metre, grounding many vessels within, or if the gates were held in the closed position, the marina access window would become much shorter, restricting vessel movements.
Following the expressions of interest stage, shortlisted contractors will be invited to submit a proposal for the detailed design and construction of a marina gate system which maintains or improves current tidal access, ensures a stable impounded water level, delivers suitable resilience and can be efficiently maintained.
Expressions of interest must be submitted by Monday 29 June.
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