Way forward for Aberdeenshire Council harbours decided
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Councillors have made their decision on the future of the harbours operated by Aberdeenshire Council.
Infrastructure services committee members were asked to agree to a preferred management option that would support the seven ports in the region.
The local authority currently operates Portsoy, Rosehearty, Stonehaven, Gourdon, Johnshaven harbours as well as the Banff harbour marina and Macduff harbour and slipway.
Four potential options were made available for the committee to choose from – close, sell, partnership with communities, and empowered users and stakeholders.
The option to select empowered users and stakeholders was recommended to and agreed by the committee at Thursday’s meeting.
Head of roads, landscape and waste services Philip McKay, who has responsibility for harbours, said: "It is proposed that further work is done to develop robust development plans for each harbour.
"This would build on the various development plans that we currently have for the harbours but would give us a clear focus on developing the potential for each harbour into the future, with stakeholders and users at the heart of all things.
"It is also to note that many of our harbours don't have significant gaps in our berthing arrangements, so we are very keen to understand through the development plans how we could maximise additional opportunities on the shore side facilities and how that could supplement the development of the harbours.
"External support will be required to develop these plans and officers will set about developing a commissioning brief. This will include consultation with the harbour sub-committee in line with the delegated powers that the infrastructure services committee gave them last year."
Up to £100,000 will be earmarked initially from the infrastructure revenue budget to support the production of the development plans for each harbour.
The example of progress at Rosehearty Harbour was used as a reason to select the option.
The harbours service, which works to ensure harbours are managed and developed appropriately, worked with economic development to help harbour users set up the Rosehearty Harbour Inshore Fisherman’s Association (RHIFA).
RHIFA members were given help to complete a grant application to the European Maritime Fisheries Fund that was successful and awarded the group around £70,000 for harbour improvements.
Committee members were told that the establishment of RHIFA had enabled community events to be organised in a bid to raise additional cash.
The harbour service is now encouraging other ports to do the same so improvement work can be made possible.
Committee chairman councillor Peter Argyle said the option was “absolutely the right way to go”.
He added: "The harbours operate at a deficit, we need to try and address that challenge and turn that round.
"We need to move them from being what could be seen as to some extent a liability, into something that is an asset for Aberdeenshire.
"They are extremely important and we need to do quite a bit of work to address some of the issues that are highlighted."
Councillor Mark Findlater said: "I do like to see the work of Rosehearty Harbour Inshore Fisherman’s Association and how it has been working with Aberdeenshire Council for the benefit of the harbour, which benefits themselves.
"It is a great example that's hopefully going to be replicated right across Aberdeenshire and the other harbours."
