Advisory Body to

Gloucester Harbour Trustees

Navigation House, the Docks, Sharpness, Berkeley   GL13 9UD    Tel:  01453 811913   Fax:  01453 810381

 

 

 

Minutes of a meeting held on Tuesday 13 May 2008 at Navigation House, The Docks, Sharpnesss

 

Present:          See attached list

Apologies:      See attached list

 

 

John Christie welcomed members to the May meeting of the Advisory Body and invited all present to introduce themselves and state their particular interest in the Gloucester harbour.

 

 

1          MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

 

       The minutes of the Advisory Body meeting held on 1November 2007 were agreed as a correct record.

 

2          MATTERS ARISING

 

·           SARA

            Alan Sutton reported that phase 2 of the work on the lifeboat station at Beachley was in progress and the slipway at Sharpness had been completed with just the final finishing touches such as signage to be done.  A new SARA team was to be set up at Tewkesbury shortly and negotiations were also in progress with the MCA concerning the provision of a rescue service within the Cardiff Bay barrage.

 

3          UPDATE FROM GHT

 

(i)        Harbour Master’s Report

                        This had been circulated prior to the meeting and in Mike Johnson’s absence, the                         GHT chairman commented on a number of items:

 

·               The level of tonnage through the port, on which GHT relied for much of its income, was satisfactory and predicted to remain at this level in the immediate future.

 

·               The appointment of a new trainee pilot, due to start on 1 June, was noted.

 

            (ii)       Dredging

                        A report had been circulated prior to the meeting setting out the current position with regard to two applications for sand dredging within the harbour area.  Edmund Dorman explained that GHT’s involvement in the determination process for these applications had involved a lot of time and effort by Mike Johnson and some progress

                        had at last been made.  The Bedwyn Sands application, which was a planning matter, had now been approved by Monmouthshire County Council subject to stringent conditions.  GHT would now draw up and issue a parallel licence with similar conditions.  The application for dredging on the North Middle Grounds had been submitted for determination by the Marine & Fisheries Agency.  However, it now seemed that this would be delayed by legislative difficulties within Defra.

 

 

 

 

(iii)      GHT Open Day

            Edmund Dorman explained that GHT wished to increase public awareness of the port of Sharpness and its commercial potential.   It was, therefore, considering the possibility of holding an open day, perhaps in mid-September, when businesses and other interested organisations would be invited to visit Sharpness to see something of the work done by GHT and assess the commercial potential of Sharpness as a port.  John Butter confirmed that Sharpness Dock Ltd would be happy to support this project.  However, an initial response to local business organisations had been disappointing and the Trustees would reconsider the viability of the project at their next meeting.

 

4          OPEN FORUM

 

      Don Sutherland reported that the Severn Estuary Partnership was holding a workshop in             Cardiff on 6 June on the Water Framework Directive.  This would be a stakeholder meeting     open to members of the general public and he would be able to supply further details to            anyone interested in attending.

 

      Matthew Riddle, as a South Gloucestershire councillor, was concerned that aggregate dredging might have an effect on river banks, but was reassured that the recent applications concerned deep-water areas downstream of the Severn bridges.  The environmental impact surveys necessary as part of the application procedure were intended to establish what effect, if any, dredging would have on the area.

 

      Henry Hodges explained that people in lower Usk area were concerned about plans by the Environment Agency not to raise the sea wall at the Caldicot levels and, in fact, to create gaps in the sea defences.  A defence group for the Levels had been set up locally to find out exactly what was happening.  GHT noted this concern, but explained that this area was outside its jurisdiction.

 

      Colin Evers reported that the Nature Map for Gloucestershire had recently been launched by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.  This showed where the characteristic habits that typify the country and support its wildlife can be expanded and linked to help wildlife survive in an uncertain future.  The Severn and its banks would be part of this programme.

 

      John Christie reported that Lydney Yacht Club would be holding its annual rally on 5 and 6 July from 10 am onwards.  Events would include ‘Try Sailing’ and visitors were most welcome.

 

      John Christie recommended GHT’s website as a useful source of information about the Trustees and their work as well as activities within the Harbour area and links to other related sites.

 

 

 

 

 

4          SEVERN TIDAL POWER

 

            Following the report of the Sustainability Development Commission on tidal power in the UK published in October 2007 and the announcement by HM Government of a feasibility study focussing on the Severn Estuary, this issue has been of much interest locally.  GHT thought it would be timely and useful to AB members to draw up a ‘beginners guide’ to some of the proposals which will be evaluated in the first stage of the feasibility study.  Consequently, a report describing the main contenders was circulated before the meeting.  However, this is such a dynamic issue that events had already moved on in that short time and a further report giving more details of GHT’s involvement in the consultation process was circulated at the meeting.

 

            GHT made clear that its main concern in relation to any tidal power scheme in the Severn Estuary would be the viability of commercial shipping continuing to move in and out of Sharpness Dock.  It was estimated that a barrage scheme would reduce tidal height thus limiting access to the dock, especially as the current trend was for increasingly larger ships.  Fewer ships coming to Sharpness would not only have an impact on the dock and its workers but also the economic hinterland of Sharpness.  These issues would be highlighted in the Severn ports submission to the feasibility study.

 

            AB members agreed that the barrage was a difficult and emotive issue.  The financial and environmental considerations were such as to be potential ‘showstoppers’ unless the decision was politically driven.  The effects on the estuary of a barrier had not yet been fully investigated and issues of siltation below and above a barrage needed to be looked at carefully.  The sea locks would be a challenge for shipping and leisure users were concerned that they would no longer be able to navigate freely at no cost.  Colin Evers recalled working at the CEGB in the 1980s on a scheme similar to the Cardiff-Weston proposal, but those studies had concluded at that time that this was a non-viable option on technical and financial grounds. 

 

            The other technologies put forward for tidal generating were mostly untried on a large scale.  Though tidal lagoons had been put forward as a less intrusive solution by environmentalists, Don Sutherland explained that the RYA could not support these as so many would need to be constructed to generate the amount of electricity required, that navigation would be difficult if not impossible.  Tidal generators were another interesting idea, and a pilot scheme was being trialled in Strangford Lough, but again enormous numbers and extreme sea conditions were needed to generate enough power.      

 

            Members were glad to have an opportunity to consider some of the issues surrounding the current tidal power debate.  However, it was agreed that further discussion should wait until the preliminary feasibility study had been completed and it had become clear which, if any, of the proposals were serious contenders. 

 

 

5          DATE OF NEXT MEETING

 

            Tuesday 11 November 2008 at 7 pm at Navigation House, Sharpness

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting commenced:                     19.00

Meeting concluded:                        20.35


 

 

ADVISORY BODY MEETING – 13 MAY 2008

 

Present

 

Sid Booys                       Thornbury Sailing Club

John Butter                     Sharpness Dock Ltd

John Christie                   Lydney Yacht Club

Hartley Everett                Severn Estuary Fishermen’s Association

Colin Evers                     Gloucestershire Association of Parish & Town Councils ( West Side )

Jean Hanks                     Gloucestershire Association of Parish & Town Councils ( East Side )

Henry Hodges                 Chepstow Town Council

Nic Price                        Maritime Volunteer Service

Matthew Riddle               South Gloucestershire Council

Alan Stanley                   SARA

Don Sutherland               RYA (South West) / BCYA

 

 

GHT

 

Edmund Dorman             GHT Chairman

Rosemary Elsey               Clerk to the Advisory Body

 

 

Apologies

Mike Johnson                  GHT Harbour Master / Marine Officer

Martin Quaile                 Forest of Dean District Council

Colin Crick                     Newport Harbour Commissioners

Bill Payne                       Gloucester Pilots Partnership

Stuart Ballard                  Severn Surfer

Paul Senior                     Environment Agency

Keith Hadley                   Severn Estuary Fishermen’s Association

 

 

 

Copies for Information (AB Members not present)

 

Bob Breen                      Severn Sands Ltd

Geoffrey Rogerson           National Association of Boat Owners

Stephen Phillips               British Canoe Union

Andrew Blake                 Wye Valley AONB

Sue Howard                    Countryside Council for Wales

Fred  / Darren Larkham    Larkham Ships

Graham Robertson          Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers

Stephanie Shewell            Tintern Community Council

Graham Turner               Minsterworth Water-Ski Club

Wendy Turner                Minsterworth Waterski Club

Paul Hooper                   Inland Waterways Association (Glos/Hereford Branch)

Natasha Barker               Severn Estuary Partnership

Charlotte Pagendam         Natural England

 

 

Copies for Information (Non-AB Members)

 

Jonathan Calderbank        Sport England (SW)

N Phillip                                    Barry Yacht Club

Jon Phillips                     Government Representative

Jim Clune                       Severn River Crossing plc

Capt Neils Westberg        Bristol Port Co