Marinas upturn as future debated
PWLLHELI’S twin marinas have seen a slight upturn in fortune as a report on their future management nears completion.
The Gwynedd council-run marinas at the Outer Harbour and Hafan Marina are “under review” following years of dwindling use, after Hafan was inherited from the former Dwyfor District Council.
While the twin facilities brought in a profit of £800,000 a year at their peak, the downturn has seen this figure cut in half, with berth holders leaving the marinas.
In 2009, there were 339 people on the waiting list for a place at Hafan, but by 2014 it had fallen to 71.6% occupancy, with only 293 of the 409 moorings taken up. At Harbwr Pwllheli, meanwhile, 91 of the 114 moorings were taken up in 2014, with a further drop to 55 in 2018.
But a report due to be presented to Gwynedd’s Harbour Consultative Committee as the Herald went to press yesterday reveals a slight upturn for the 2019 season, with occupancy at Harbwr Pwllheli currently at 58 (up from 55 in 2018) and 299 at Hafan (up from 292 in 2018).
It is a mixed picture elsewhere in the county, with Caernarfon’s Doc Fictoria at 94% capacity, Porthmadog
at 54.6% capacity, Barmouth at 50% and Aberdyfi at 56.7%.
The report also confirms that an update on the review into the future management of Pwllheli’s twin harbours is expected imminently.
Admitting to a historic lack of investment over several years, last year saw councillors commission further studies after concluding that “doing nothing was not an option.”
Hafan offers over 400 pontoon moorings, offices, changing rooms, showers, toilets, safe boat storage area, a 50 tonne crane, boat transport and parking provision.
During September, work was completed to dredge the area near the harbour entrance using landbased plant, with around 10,000 cubic metres of sand collected and a further campaign intended for March/April 2020.
But most facilities, including the moorings, are over 20 years old and will reach the end of their life over the next few years.
Many other marinas in North Wales, including Holyhead and Conwy, are already run privately: a questionnaire found many former berth holders at Pwllheli had decided to sell their boats due to the high costs of maintaining a vessel.
Many berth holders were getting older and younger people are not coming in to fill the gaps, the report found, with a lack of capacity to dispose of the sediment leading to long-term concerns over dredging.
Among the options are leasing out the facility to a private company, the authority paying for the necessary improvements, establishing an arm’s length company and/or a joint venture with a private company.
The report to the committee says: “Since the appointment of the consultants earlier this year, the project board has worked closely with the consultants to look at a range of considerations relevant to the Hafan and Pwllheli Harbour.
“A final report from the consultants is expected by mid-October.”