LOCAL harbours should be financially self-supporting over the coming decade – under proposals being put forward in a strategy document.

An eight- week public consultation into the proposals is expected to get under way later this year with the strategy expected to be approved next spring.

Talks and online consultations have already been held with harbour groups which have attracted around 500 comments with 100 people taking part in online workshops.

A questionnaire around the proposals is expected to be approved at a working group meeting.

Weymouth councillor Louie O’Leary called on Wednesday for the document to be tightened up to make the outcomes more measurable.

He told the Dorset Council harbours committee that many of the proposals lacked specifics and would be difficult to work out whether or not they had been achieved.

“There is a lack substance in some of this…the problem is that it’s been developed top down, not bottom up,” he said.

 

Cllr O’Leary said many of the harbour problems lie in not properly consulting and communicating. He claimed that some representatives on harbour consultative groups had not been elected by the members they were supposed to represent, but were self-appointed. He also claimed that there was little evidence, in some cases, of those representatives talking to their memberships and seeking their views.

The strategic document, which will guide development over ten years, will be followed by each of the harbours preparing a detailed business plan to meet their strategic objectives.

The emerging strategy, which will not be approved until after the public and harbour user consultation, sets out six goals including “To be a premium destination by supporting existing and developing leisure, tourism, and commercial sectors, making a significant contribution to the local and blue economy,” and “To strengthen relationships with harbour users and stakeholders and work in partnership to achieve common goals.”

The consultation exercise is expected to mainly take place online although hard copies of the documents should be available from public libraries across the county.

The draft document can be read in full via the Dorset Coast Forum website - https://www.dorsetcoast.com/projects/dorset-harbours-strategy/