annual report 2013 - langstone harbour...langstone harbour board / annual report / 2013 06. 3...

Annual Report 2013

This year has been a challenging one for both the Board and staff members owing to the uncertainty caused by discussions about reducing the precept. Our determination to reduce reliance on the two constituent local authorities resulted in a further planned 10% reduction in the precept for 2013. However, in the face of opposition by a minority of members the Board agreed to a 50% reduction of the 2012 precept and commissioned an external review of the Board’s operation to determine whether it could fulfil its full range of obligations more cost-effectively.

Finding agreement between the two constituent authorities on the way the precept should be managed has been a considerable challenge. The results of the review were considered by the Board in September and the constituent Councils have agreed that their future policy toward the Harbour Board should be elucidated before acting on the review recommendations.

Happily, the economic outlook toward the end of 2013 was more positive than it had been for some years and this change was borne out by a considerable improvement in our aggregate imports, which increased by 51% to over 500,000 tonnes. Income from slipways was unchanged but mooring income fell 4.4% as a result of weaker demand.

In connection with a complaint lodged against the Board by the Hovercraft Club of Great Britain in 2009, we were pleased to receive a determination from the Department for Transport stating that they do not believe that the conduct of the Harbour Board in regulating use of the harbour by hovercraft constitutes an unreasonable or unfair exercise of powers and that the Board should continue to take account of the advice of Natural England in determining whether or not hovercraft activity should be permitted in the harbour. This welcome decision has taken account of Natural England’s view that hovercraft activity is incompatible with the sensitivities of the local harbour environment.

Environmental stewardship is one of our important obligations and we have contributed widely to the understanding, monitoring and regulation of the natural environment of the harbour and the wider European Marine Site. During and after some of the wettest and windiest weather for years we have been working with Southern Water to ensure that the harbour shores are cleared of persistent waste discharged during storm events.

Cllr Jackie BransonChairman of the Langstone Harbour Board

Langstone Harbour Board / Annual Report / 2013

02

Chairman’s Report

COMMERCIAL VESSELS AND PILOTAGEIncreased demand for marine aggregates was marked by a significant improvement in throughput this year. Vessel calls were up from 258 to 347 in the year and imports rose by 51% to 535,000 tonnes.

The vessel “Norstone”, which supplied dredged material to Kendall’s Wharf for many years, was withdrawn from service in the first half of 2013. Supplies to this facility have been maintained principally by the vessel “City of Chichester”, with other vessels chartered in to fulfil demand as required.

The Board provided an uninterrupted pilotage service in 2013. The significant increase in pilotage activity over 2012 was attributable to the use of different vessels to supply Kendall’s Wharf following the withdrawal from service of “Norstone”. 83% of vessels operated under pilotage exemption. There were 5 Pilotage Exemption Certificates (PECs) in force at the end of the year.

HAYLING FERRYAs part of its cost-reduction programme Portsmouth City Council have decided to stop subsidising the licence fee that the Hayling Ferry pays to the Board for the use of its pontoons. The Hayling Ferry is a privately run pedestrian ferry service which operates between the Board’s pontoons at Hayling and Eastney and the cost of the licence fee has for many years been met jointly by the two transport authorities, Hampshire County Council and Portsmouth City Council.

All vessel visits 2011 2012 2013

Vessels requiring pilotage service 25 25 59

Vessels operating under pilotage exemption 238 233 288

Vessels not subject to compulsory pilotage 1 1 0

Total 264 259 347

Marine aggregate to Langstone (tonnes)600,000

500,000

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

02006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

1 Harbour Activities


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Slipway Income

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

20,000

18,000

16,000

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0General Waterski Jetski

Overall mooring occupancy fell by 3% over 2012, resulting in a 4.4% reduction of income in this sector to £95,175.


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MOORINGS AND RECREATIONTotal income from slipways was unchanged despite a further decline in active membership of the Langstone Harbour Water Skiers Association (LHWSA). Slipway income from Personal Watercraft fell slightly while income from general boat launching was up 11%. The decline in LHWSA membership has been noticeable for a number of years and is expected to continue as younger potential members are attracted to newer and cheaper activities.

Slipway income 2011 2012 2013

General 9,007 7,644 8,499

Water ski 3,867 3,472 2,861

Personal watercraft 16,094 17,702 17,441

Total (all activities) 28,968 28,818 28,801


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Personal Watercraft (PWC)The discipline of PWC in the Harbour showed further improvement this year, thanks to the patience and determination of our patrol team. Although PWC activity still provides the team with its greatest challenges we are confident that most of this community now understands their individual responsibility for safety in the Harbour. We issued 181 ‘jetski’ permits in 2013.

Waterskiing25 water ski licences were issued in 2013, reflecting the steady decline in ski-boat ownership amongst LHWSA members. The water skiing season lasts from 1 April to 31 October and LHWSA members assisted the Board to regulate the Water Ski Zone by undertaking 17 ski patrols in 2013.

Boating & EventsClubs in Langstone Harbour enjoyed a full calendar of regattas and racing events throughout the year. The Langstone Harbour open Race Weekend over the late May bank holiday is now in its fifth year and the introduction of ‘night time’ dinghy races has added a new and popular dimension to the racing calendar.

Other organised competition and charity events use the Harbour, including round-Hayling and round-Portsea Island kayak and wind-surfing events, charity swims and gig racing.

Life of PiLangstone Harbour was the location in late April for a publicity event to raise media awareness of the Blu-ray release of the film “Life of Pi” and to promote the RNLI. The event challenged Mike Perham, the youngest sailor to sail solo around the world, to spend 227 hours (9.4 days) ‘adrift’ in a lifeboat moored in the Harbour (representing an hour for each day the character of Pi spent adrift). The event was covered by ITV, Sky and local radio.

ENFORCEMENT10 Offences were successfully prosecuted in Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court during 2013. 7 of the offences related to personal watercraft (PW) and 3 to sports boats. As can be seen from the table below, most of the offences were related to speed. Total fines of £2,740, ranging from £50 to £750, were imposed and the Board was awarded costs of £3,025.

Offence Formal warning Prosecution

PW Permit (Bye-law 53) 1 1

PW Speed (Bye-law 6) 2 6

Other craft Speed (Bye-law 6) 2 3

Water Skiing (Bye-law 51) 0 0

2 Navigation & Marine Safety

• The Marine Navigation Act 2013 came into force in October, introducing changes to eligibility for Pilotage Exemption Certificates (PECs) and provisions enabling harbour authorities to acquire powers to make harbour directions. The Board uses its byelaws effectively to regulate the harbour and is not presently pursuing powers of direction.

• Through the Solent Navigation and Pilotage Coordination Committee (SNPCC) the Board’s obligations under the Pilotage Act 1987 have been kept under review during 2013. The SNPCC also considered the implications of the Marine Navigation Act 2013 for the five Solent pilotage authorities. The SNPCC Operations Group met four times in 2013 and reviewed all significant incidents during the year.

• The Board’s safety management system was externally audited in August. Risk assessments and controls have been reviewed and amended where necessary.

• The annual inspection of navigation aids by the General Lighthouse Authority was undertaken in July. All of the Board’s main navigation marks were found to be in good order and a number of defects concerning third party navigation marks have been notified to owners. In September, the GLA conducted an audit to assess the suitability and availability of the Board’s Aids to Navigation against the applicable elements of the Port Marine Safety Code.

• Our oilspill contingency plan (“Langspill”) was audited by MCA in December. No non-conformities were found.

• The Board issued 17 Local Notices to Mariners in 2013. At yearend there were 18 Local Notices in force for Langstone Harbour. MAIB recommendations concerning the ejection of passengers from a high-speed RIB in May were also promulgated through a Local Notice.


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3 Service Review

The proposed budget for 2013/14, which showed a 10% reduction in the annual precept, was not agreed by the Board. Against a background of austerity measures being imposed by Portsmouth City Council the Board discussed a number of amendments aimed at eliminating the precept. At a meeting on 11 January it was agreed that a 50% reduction in the precept should be budgeted for in 2013/14 and that a Service Review should be commissioned to look at, among other things, the cost-effectiveness of the Board’s operation.

The review was undertaken by Fisher Associates between May and August and the final report considered by the Board in September. The report recommended that the governance model of the Board should be changed to reflect Municipal Ports Best Practice. There were also recommendations concerning the means by which increasing revenues and cutting costs could reduce the precept to zero. The policy of the two constituent councils with regard to the Harbour Board is being clarified prior to consideration of the Service Review recommendations by the Board’s Joint Working Party.


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4 Environment


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Seagrass Protection ByelawSeveral breaches of the Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority’s (sIFCA) Seagrass Code of Conduct occurred during early 2013. The sIFCA concluded that the Code of Conduct, established during 2012 to protect Seagrass beds in the district had failed and that legislative routes to protect this important habitat throughout the SEMS were required. At midnight on the 19th April 2013 a Marine Management Organisation (MMO) Emergency Byelaw came into force to protect some of the Seagrass beds in the Solent, including those in Langstone Harbour, from damaging fishing activity. Full details of this emergency byelaw can be found on the MMO website. The sIFCA are currently consulting on a new byelaw which will replace the MMO emergency byelaw, and protect all Seagrass beds within the Solent European Marine Site.

RSPB Little Tern Project Following a successful bid to secure Lottery Heritage funding, the RSPB began works to improve breeding habitat for Little Terns on the islands in Langstone Harbour during 2013. A total of 300 tonnes of gravel were purchased from Tarmac Ltd, and shingle recharge work took place during February and March. A barge delivered gravel to the islands over each high tide during that period, raising the level of the existing substrate in an effort to make any little tern nests less susceptible to flooding. The RSPB has now received confirmation of funding for further works to begin on the harbour islands and at the Hayling Oysterbeds, improving and enhancing existing habitats for this nationally important tern breeding colony during 2014.

Birdlife2013 represented the first full year of the ‘Helping Havant’s Little Terns’ project. The aim of the project is to reverse the recent spate of very poor breeding seasons via a combined set of habitat creation/re-creation works and a local varied public engagement programme. In March, the western ridge of South Binness island was recharged with approximately 750 tonnes of sand and shingle in order to raise the nesting area and protect it from overtopping during large spring tides and storm surges. Later in the spring a smaller shingle recharge project was completed at the West Hayling Local Nature Reserve to improve a Little Tern breeding area. Despite the improvement at this site, initial interest by Little Terns was dissipated by the end of May, probably the result of human disturbance. At the South Binness site Little Terns had laid 26 eggs in 17 nests by 10th June but by 26th June the colony had been abandoned completely, probably as a result of avian predation. Despite this poor performance, there have been indications that the current project will bear dividends when considering purely local issues. The recharged shingle ridge at South Binness remained a much safer height above the tide all year and both shingle recharges were very attractive to the Little Terns in the harbour. There were also no issues with fox predation amongst any of the seabirds on the harbour islands this year.

The full count of seabirds nesting this year was as follows:

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SpeciesNumber of

pairs nestingNumber of

pairs in 2012Number of

fledged young

Oystercatcher 28 29 0

Ringed Plover 8 8 3

Mediterranean Gull 184 58 49

Black-headed Gull 4,761 4,682 3,258

Sandwich Tern 6 46 1

Common Tern 85 92 58

Little Tern 26 40 0

Solent Disturbance and Mitigation Project (SDMP)At a meeting of the SDMP group in February, Natural England confirmed their position statement following a peer review of the SDMP project work. Natural England endorsed the project’s findings but cautioned that mitigation measures should be proportional to predicted bird disturbance. The report for the third phase of the SDMP was subsequently completed by Footprint Ecology and in addition to mitigation strategy, recommendations included a shortlist of potential “quick win” mitigation measures suitable to this region. The accepted project evidence shows that disturbance avoidance and mitigation is necessary to avoid likely significant negative effect on Solent SPA features. Natural England has requested local authorities within 5.6km of the coastline agree an interim planning framework whereby financial contributions towards these mitigation measures may be collected immediately. This interim framework will allow development to proceed before delivery of the strategic mitigation programme begins.

Location and DateFaecal Coliforms/ 100ml Seawater†

Faecal Coliforms/ 100mg Shellfish Flesh††

Langstone Harbour

January 2010 <10 3500

July 2010 <2 50

January 2011 <10 5400

July 2011 <2 230

January 2012 <10 490

July 2012 <10 700

January 2013 1,680 330

July 2013 <10 3,500

Kayak StudyIn response to reports by several relevant authority’s within the Solent European Marine Site (SEMS) of an increase in canoe and kayak activity, the Solent Forum Natural Environment Group commissioned a student from the University of Portsmouth (UoP) to undertake a research project looking at the potential impacts of this increased activity to SPA bird assemblages within the SEMS. The study focussed upon activity within Langstone Harbour, and revealed that a large percentage of canoeists using the harbour are unaware of the environmental sensitivities of the area. The study recommended a number of strategies for increasing awareness of this user group. Together with the RSPB, Portsmouth Watersports Centre, Portsmouth Canoe Club and in connection with the British Canoe Union we are working to create literature and signage aimed at enhancing the environmental awareness of recreational watersport participants in Langstone Harbour.

Upgrade of Southern Water’s Storm Tanks at Fort CumberlandSouthern Water has begun redesign and upgrade works to the storm water tanks and screening system at Fort Cumberland, Eastney. The improvements, which commenced in August 2013 and are due to be completed by early 2015, should alleviate the problems experienced at the site in recent years which have allowed the discharge of unscreened sewage into Langstone Harbour. A robust and long term maintenance programme for the site is to be developed to ensure its functionality into the future.

Fish Survey updateThe 2013 Langstone Harbour Small Fish Survey was completed, once again in collaboration with the southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and the University of Portsmouth. Minor alterations to the Standard Operating Procedure were affected in response to the lessons learned during 2012, including extremely successful changes to the beam trawl methodology. During 2013 a total of 18,934 individual fish were caught representing 30 different species. The number of Sandeels caught during 2013 was considerably less than during 2012, as were numbers of all flatfish species. Herring, Sand Smelt and Sand Goby numbers were all more than 50% greater than during 2012 however. A full survey report including comparisons between catches in Langstone and Chichester harbours is available on the Fish Survey page of the LHB website.

Closure of Oyster beds in the SolentDuring September the Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (sIFCA) announced their intention to impose a temporary closure of oyster beds within the district. The sIFCA considered this measure necessary to allow severely diminished native oyster (Ostrea edulis) stocks to recover in the Solent region. The oyster beds in both Portsmouth and Langstone Harbour were however opened to commercial fishing on the 1st November, although oyster fishing was limited to the duration of one month in these locations. A small number of boats were sighted harvesting oysters within Langstone Harbour during the first week of November, after which the fishery became unviable due to the extremely low oyster population.

Water QualityThe data in the table below was provided by the Environment Agency and CEFAS

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† Faecal Coliform levels at ≤100/100ml meet the highest criteria level for the Bathing Water Directive

†† Faecal Coliform levels at <4600/ 100mg shellfish flesh deem those shellfish as class B under the Food Safety (Fishery Products and Live Shellfish) Regulations 1998

The Langstone Harbour Advisory Committee met five times in the year, representing the interests of a broad range of stakeholders. There were a number of changes to representation during the year and the Portsmouth & District Canoe Club was invited on to the Committee to represent the growing community of kayakers and canoeists using the Harbour. The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Advisory Committee are members of the Board. Representatives from the Advisory Committee also sit on the Joint Working Party and the three committees of the Board dealing with Finance, Planning and Staffing. Current membership of the Advisory Committee is as follows:

The Langstone Harbour Open Forum was held at Langstone Sailing Club on 10 October. The event, which was hosted by the Langstone Harbour Advisory Committee, was again well attended, with presentations by the Maritime Archaeology Trust, Environment Agency and Portsmouth Watersports Centre.

In the wider community the Harbour Manager and Environment Officer gave a number of lectures and presentations to Portsmouth University, local schools and other local organisations with an interest in Langstone Harbour. The participation of the Board has become an established part of the delivery of Coastal Management and Environment topics to Undergraduate and Masters students at Portsmouth University.

Constituted in 1999 order

Peter Bisset Portsmouth & District Canoe Club

Ruth Pelling English Heritage (EH)

Mark Pullen Hayling Health Society (HHS)

Helen Baldry (Vice-Chair) British Water Ski Federation (BWSF)

John Goodspeed Friends of Langstone Harbour (FoLH)

Stewart Ferrier Marine Aggregates (Tarmac Marine Dredging)

Peter Potts Hampshire Countryside Service (HCS)

Nominated bodies

Observers

R W Russell OBE (Chair) Royal Yachting Association (RYA) - CHAIR

Stuart Tucker Portsmouth & Langstone Sailing Association (Eastney Cruising Association)

Brian Davies Portsmouth & Langstone Sailing Association (Locks SC)

Dave Cox Portsmouth & Langstone Sailing Association (Langstone SC)

Brian Tansom Portsmouth & Langstone Sailing Association (Tudor SC)

Hilary Crane Natural England (NE)

Richard Grogan Hampshire Wildlife Trust (HWT)

Phil Grant Langstone & District Wildfowlers and Conservation Association (LADWACA)

Roy Rolf Solent Protection Society (SPS)

Peter Hill Southern Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (SIFCA)

John Holloway The Langstone Harbour Fishermen’s Association (LHFA)

Wez Smith Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)

Chris Mussellwhite Environment Agency (EA)

5 Stakeholders & Community


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6 Safety

There were no reportable accidents in 2013. Risk assessments have been reviewed and a report on the Safety Management System was issued by Nicholson’s Risk Management.

Small craft incident reporting and the management of incident reports has continued to improve. Mechanical failure accounted for 33% of the 153 incidents in the year, exactly the same proportion as the previous year. Like 2012, the second most common incident was ‘Vessel Adrift’, amounting to 25%, down from 29% in 2012.

Two fatalities were reported to the Board in 2013. However, neither of these was related to harbour activities. In March it was reported that a man had been taken to hospital and subsequently died following a “rave” on the beach at Gunner Point. In May, the body of a man was recovered in the north of the Harbour. The inquest determined that he had fallen into the water under the influence of alcohol in the vicinity of the disused Hayling Billy bridge.


12

Incident InvestigationsTwo incidents were fully investigated in 2013 in accordance with MAIB guidelines. The first incident, which involved the grounding of the dredger “Norstone” shortly after leaving Kendall’s Wharf, resulted in recommendations to improve the awareness of risk in towage operations. The second incident concerned a collision between a personal watercraft and a 10-metre charter angling vessel, which resulted in slight damage. The owner of the PWC had his permit withdrawn as a result of the investigation.

PontoonsMaintenance work to improve safety on the Hayling and Eastney pontoons continued as programmed. The important phases of this work achieved in 2013 were the replacement of the Hayling footbridge connection to the shore and the replacement of damaged fendering on the north face of the Hayling pontoon.

Type of Incident Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total

Capsize (with Personnel)

1 2 1 1 5

Collision 2 2 2 6

Fatality 1 1 2

Fire 1 1

Fouling 2 2 4

Grounding 2 1 3 2 8

Man Over Board 1 1

Mechanical Failure 5 6 14 20 5 1 51

Mooring dragged 1 1 1 3

Near Miss 1 1 1 3

Obstruction to Navigation (fixed)

1 1 2

Other 2 1 2 5

Other Impact 1 1 2

Pollution 1 1 2

Sinking Vessel 1 1 1 1 4

Stranded Vehicle 1 1

Sunken Vessel 1 1 1 3

Tender Adrift 2 1 1 1 5

Trips and Falls (Pontoon)

1 1

Vandalism & Interference

2 1 2 5

Vessel Adrift 5 4 4 1 2 3 1 1 2 7 2 7 39

Total 8 5 10 10 19 28 34 11 6 11 2 9 153


13

One of our full time Harbour Attendant/Patrol Officers left the Board in August following a period of ill health. In view of the uncertainty about staffing requirements introduced by the Service Review this vacant post has not been filled.

A seasonal Patrol Team of up to 7 members assisted with harbour regulation between Easter and the end of October. Several of last year’s seasonal team returned this year and this continuity of experience has significantly enhanced our efficiency, capability and flexibility on the water during the summer.

81.5 days were lost to sickness absence in 2013, down from 85.5 days in 2012.

7 Staff & Training


14

Marine

Administration

Environment

Support

Harbour Master/ManagerDeputy Harbour MasterSenior Patrol OfficerPatrol Officers (2)Seasonal Patrol Team (up to 7 P/T)

Administration Officer (P/T)Deputy Admin. OfficerAdmin Assistant (P/T)

Environment Officer

Clerk (P/T)Treasurer (P/T)Engineer (P/T)

8 Consultation

The Harbour Board is a statutory consultee in respect of certain developments under the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995. The Planning Committee considered 45 applications in 2013. 23 applications were made through Portsmouth City Council and 22 applications through Havant Borough Council. The Board objected to 2 applications on the grounds that they contravened one or more of the objectives of the Langstone Harbour Management Plan; advice on the implications of planning proposals on the natural environment of the Harbour was offered on 6 other applications.

FEB APR JUN SEP DEC

Portsmouth City Council 2 6 2 4 9

Havant Borough Council 4 3 3 6 6

Planning authority


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9 Governance & Forward Planning

This section explains the Board’s proportional compliance with “Modernising Trust Ports: A Guide to Good Governance”, 2nd Edition, August 2009 (MTP2).

Commercial AccountabilityThe Board’s annual budget deficit is met by a precept on the two constituent local councils. The precept for 2013 was set at 50% of the 2012 precept. In the context of the Board’s constitution, a target level of return is not appropriate for the Langstone Harbour Board.


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LHB Precepts 2006-2013

200,000

180,000

160,000

140,000

120,000

100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

02006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Investment is limited to replacement of the Board’s fixed assets and infrastructure. The Board maintains a General Reserve fund and an Asset Replacement reserve. The Langstone Harbour Business Plan was adopted by the Board in February 2012. The Board does not provide any in-house services that are not consulted on through the Advisory Committee and we therefore do not believe that an annual efficiency statement is appropriate to the Board’s operation.

The Board’s Business Risk register was reviewed in 2013 and provisions added to take account of the vulnerability to loss or curtailment of the precept as a result of changes in governance arrangements or policies of the constituent authorities. As a consequence of the annual safety audit the Board has introduced a formal enforcement policy. The effectiveness of our internal audit arrangements has also been reviewed. Contracts are market tested and reviewed as appropriate and our statutory (stakeholder) Advisory Committee is consulted on all such matters that are considered by the Board.

Annual Reporting RequirementsThe Board’s Management Plan, Business Plan and Annual Report are publicly available and posted on our website. The Business Plan describes the strategy of the Board in the period to 2016.

TrainingThe Chairman, Harbour Manager and Treasurer attended a Trust Port Strategy and Governance Update organised and hosted by the British Ports Association. The one day seminar covered a wide range of governance issues, financial strategy and the perspective of government.

Compliance (MTP2)1

In December the Department for Transport issued its determination concerning a complaint under Section 2.3.4 of MTP2 by the Hovercraft Club of Great Britain (HCGB), which had been lodged in 2009.

The principal issues alleged by HCGB were that the Board was (i) acting illegally in preventing its members from exercising their common law right to navigate in the harbour (ii) directly discriminating against HCGB members in favour of other water users and (iii) acting in an arbitrary or unaccountable manner.

In considering the circumstances pertaining to Langstone Harbour, DfT concluded that the conduct of the Harbour Board was neither an unreasonable or unfair exercise of powers and that the Board should continue to decide each application for Hovercraft usage on a case by case basis taking into account Natural England’s advice when making a decision.

Compliance (PMSC)2 External audits were conducted on the Board’s Safety Management System, Oilspill Contingency Plan and Register of Navigation aids.


17

1 Modernising Trust Ports, Edition 2 (2009)2 Port Marine Safety Code (Dec 2012)

Havant Borough Council Cllr Jackie Branson (Chairman) Cllr Tony Briggs Cllr Andy Lenaghan Cllr John Smith Cllr Ken Smith Cllr Leah Turner

Portsmouth City Council Cllr Peter Eddis(Vice-Chairman) Cllr Lee Mason Cllr Phil Smith Cllr Gerald Vernon Jackson Cllr Luke Stubbs Cllr Matt Winnington

Hampshire County Council Cllr Frank Pearce

Advisory Committee Mr Bob Russell OBE Mrs Helen Baldry

Standing Deputies Havant Borough Council Portsmouth City Council Cllr David Collins Cllr Hugh Mason Cllr Elaine Shimbart Cllr Caroline Scott Cllr Gerald Shimbart Cllr Eleanor Scott Cllr Steve Wemyss

Officers of the Board

Capt. Nigel Jardine MNI Harbour Master/Manager

S P Kerr, BA, LLM Clerk to the Board

C C Braby ACMA, CGMA Treasurer to the Board

L Cairns, BEng (Hons) Engineer to the Board

10 The Board

The Board comprises 15 members appointed in accordance with the 1962 Act, as amended. The Board’s Register of Interests holds no declarations of interest or related party transactions for Board members or officers in the year 2013. At the Board’s Annual General Meeting on 22 June 2013 Cllrs April Windebank and Caroline Scott, representing Portsmouth City Council, were replaced by Cllrs Luke Stubbs and Phil Smith. Cllr Mark Johnson representing Havant Borough Council was replaced by Cllr Andy Lenaghan.


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Committee Feb April June Sept Dec

H Baldry J,F ✓ ✓ X ✓ ✓

J Branson J,F,P,S ✓ (✓) ✓ ✓ ✓

A Briggs F ✓ ✓ ✓ (✓) ✓

P Eddis J,F,P,S ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

(M Johnson) ✓ X (✓) - -

A Lenaghan - - - - ✓

L Mason J ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

F Pearce ✓ X ✓ X ✓

R Russell J,F,P,S ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

(C Scott) (✓) X - - -

J Smith ✓ (✓) ✓ ✓ X

K Smith J X ✓ ✓ ✓ X

P Smith - - ✓ ✓ X (✓)

L Stubbs J ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ X

L Turner J ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ (✓)

G Vernon Jackson F ✓ ✓ (✓) (✓) ✓

(A Windebank) X - - - -

M Winnington ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

In accordance with the Pier & Harbour (Langstone Harbour) Confirmation Act 1962 the Board met 5 times in 2012. Minutes of the last 5 Board meetings are posted on the Board’s website.

In the attendance table below, attendance in parentheses indicates that a deputy attended on behalf of the named member of the Board. Members’ names in parentheses indicate members who resigned or were replaced at the Annual General Meeting in June. Committee membership is indicated as follows:

F = Finance Sub CommitteeP = Planning Sub CommitteeJ = Joint Working PartyS = Staffing Sub Committee


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Income and Expenditure for the year 2012/13

Operational activity for the year resulted in a surplus of £19,424 despite significant shortfalls in fuel sales impacted by the shutting down for several months of the automated fuel dispensing system whilst major fuel line replacement work was undertaken. Whilst the harbour dues from leisure craft were slightly below budget, fees for the new ECA Pontoon and an increase in mooring income from both deep water and tidal moorings more than helped to offset the loss of fuel dispensing income. Costs were impacted by two major unbudgeted events, the fuel line replacement referred to above and increased costs of pontoon maintenance, offset to a great extent by savings on employee costs.

11 Finance


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Income and expenditure account for the year ended 31st March 2013

Income 2012/13 (£) 2011/12 (£)

Commercial Harbour and Cargo Dues 180,972 166,682

Harbour Dues- Leisure 62,325 64,108

Slipway Launching 10,996 11,248

Water-Ski Licences 1,611 1,887

Pontoon Fees 43,652 32,665

Mooring Rents and Licences 110,399 96,875

Boatshed and Boatyard Fees 11,813 11,334

Services Rendered 4,348 2,866

Sale of Fuel 20,601 50,704

Pilotage Charges 24,340 24,340

Other Income 6,069 5,675

Interest Income 905 7,004

Local Authorities Precepts 141,803 141,759

611,833 617,149

Expenditure

Employees 327,822 324,556

Repairs and Maintenance 90,009 58,222

Elect, Water & Cleaning 6,633 5,488

Rent and Rates 33,760 32,873

Boats and Vehicles 21,065 16,725

Equipment, Furniture etc 2,808 3,113

General Office Expenses 18,127 24,321

Travel and Subsistence 6,038 7,006

Insurance 25,060 25,010

Miscellaneous Expenses 4,823 6,129

Internal Audit Fees 5,000 5,000

External Audit Fees 1,950 1,950

Purchase of Fuel for Resale 17,823 43,537

Pilot and Pilot Boat Hire 8,672 17,200

Legal Expenses 4,920 7,706

Environmental 7,131 10,101

Charge to Provision for Bad Debts 299 74

Support Service Charges 10,469 9,598

Capital Purchases Note 1 0 7,733

592,408 606,837

INCOME LESS EXPENDITURE 19,424 10,312

Opening Balance 64,915 45,973

Add Income for the Year 611,833 617,149

Less Expenditure for the Year (592,408) (606,837)

Transfer to Asset Replacement Reserve 0 0

Transfer from Earmarked Reserves Note 6 0 8,630

Closing Reserves 84,339 64,915

General reserve analysis


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Balance sheet as at 31st March 2013

Notes 2013 2012

Current Assets and Liabilities:

Stocks 2 6,737 10,922

Debtors 3 106,476 86,608

Cash 4 228,307 168,805

Short Term Investment 4 250,000 250,000

Current Assets 591,520 516,335

Current Liabilities

Creditors 5 (252,886) (197,125)

Net Current Assets 338,634 319,210

Long Term Liabilities 0 0

338,634 319,210

FINANCED BY

General Reserve 6 84,339 64,915

Earmarked Reserves 6 254,295 254,295

Total Reserves 338,634 319,210

Internal Auditors: Portsmouth City Council, Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, PO1 2BG

External Auditors: The Audit Commission, Second Floor, Aspinall House, Aspinall Close, Middlebrook, Bolton, BL6 6QQ

1: Fixed Assets

Movements in fixed assets during the year were as follows:

Land &Buildings

£

VehiclesPlant &

Equipment£

Plant &Equipment

Boats£

Infrastructure£

Total£

Gross Book Value as at 01/04/12 229,625 101,639 173,842 177,972 683,078

Prior year adjustments

Revaluations 0 0 0 0 0

Additions current year 0 0 0 0 0

Disposals current year 0 0 0 0 0

Gross Book Value at 31st March 229,625 101,639 173,842 177,972 683,078

Notes to the accounts


22

1.2: Asset Valuations

Fixed Assets have been valued as follows:

2: Stocks

Stocks comprise gas oil and oils for resale and are valued at the average price paid for the deliveries remaining in stock, and is not materially different from the lower of cost or net realisable value

3: Debtors

4: Cash

All cash balances of the Board, except for small sums held by the officers, are ultimately transferred to Portsmouth City Council which maintains banking facilities on the Board’s behalf. This transfer is done via the Board’s Account held with National Westminster Bank Plc. Interest is credited to the Board by the City Council at the monthly average of 7-day market lending rates. In March 2011 a 12 month Fixed Rate Bond was purchased from National Westminster Bank Ltd.

Balances as at the 31st of March 2013 were as follows:

2012/13£

2011/12£

Debtors Control Account (less reserve) 59,229 45,989

VAT 0 0

Unbilled Receivables 26,105 19,367

Payments in Advance 21,142 21,252

TOTAL 106,476 86,608

Land & Buildings £

Vehicles Plant &

Equipment£

Plant & Equipment

Boats£

Infrastructure£

Valued at Historic Cost 0 63,729 41,837 177,972

Valued at Current value in: 229,625 37,910 132,005 0

2003/04 0 4,724 0 0

2004/05 184,700 7,681 0 0

2005/06 0 5,784 130,300 0

2006/07 0 0 0 0

2007/08 44,925 0 0 0

2008/09 0 0 0 0

2009/10 0 2,757 0 0

2010/11 0 10,936 0 0

2011/12 0 6,028 1,705 0

Total 229,625 37,910 132,005 0

2012/13£

2011/12£

Co-Operative Bank 123,803 125,978

National Westminster Bank Plc 103,754 42,427

Cash in Hand 750 400

TOTAL 228,307 168,805

All valuations of Land and Buildings were carried out by RICS qualified staff from Portsmouth City Council’s Property Service in accordance with the practice statements and guidance notes contained in the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors manual of appraisal and valuation (1995) as revised. The boats were valued by Associated Maritime Consultants, AMC), Surveyors, Consulting Marine Engineers and Valuers. The following statement shows the progress of the Harbour Board’s rolling program of fixed asset revaluation.

12 month Fixed Rate Bond (Nat West) 250,000 250,000


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5: Creditors

6. Movement on Reserves

2012/13 2011/12

GENERAL RESERVE £ £

Opening Balance at 1st April 64,915 45,973

Add surplus for the Year 19,424 10,312

Transfer to/from other reserves

To Asset Replacement Reserve 0 0

From Grant Funding for Harbour Signage Reserve

0 630

From Earmarked Reserves 0 8,000

84,339 64,915

7: Pension Costs

In 2012/13 the Harbour Board paid employer’s contributions of £29,630 (£29,927 in 2011/12), representing 13.1% of employees pensionable pay and 6% of the 2010 pensionable pay (fixed for 3 years) into the Hampshire County Council’s Pension Fund. The Employers contribution rate is determined by the Funds Actuary Hewitt, Bacon and Woodrow based on three-yearly valuations. The next such review being 31 March 2014. Under pensions regulations contribution rates are set to meet 100% of the overall liabilities of the fund.

Further information on the Hampshire County Council Pension Fund can be found by contacting the County Council at: The Castle, Winchester, Hants SO23 8UB

2012/13£

2011/12£

Sundry Creditors 52,569 32,282

Key Deposits 620 650

Income Received in Advance 175,227 141,841

Warner Mooring Fees 1,673 1,537

Fuel Duty 300 389

VAT 22,497 20,426

TOTAL 252,886 197,125

EARMARKED RESERVES

Asset Replacement Reserve The Board is committed to maintain a reserve to finance the replacement of certain assets. This applies particularly to the Board’s vessels and the pontoon landing stages at Eastney and Hayling Island all of which are now ageing.

Opening Balance at 1st April 254,295 254,295

Transfer from General Reserve 0 0

Transfer from Reserved Receipts 0 0

Closing Balance at 31st March 254,295 254,295

Grant Funding for Harbour Signage

Opening Balance at 1st April 0 630

Grants received during the year 0 0

Expensed during the year 0 (630)

Closing Balance at 31st March 0 0

Reserve for Pontoon Repairs and Maintenance

Opening Balance 1st April 0 8,000

Transfer from General Reserve 0 0

Transfer to General Reserve 0 (8,000)

Closing Balance at 31st March 0 0


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Langstone Harbour BoardFerry Road Hayling IslandHants PO11 0DG

T: 023 9246 3419 F: 023 9246 7144

E: [email protected]: www.langstoneharbour.org.uk

Harbour Manager: Capt Nigel Jardine

Deputy Harbour Master: Mr Nick Lyon

Administration Officer: Mrs Christine Overy

Environment Officer: Louise MacCallum

annual report 2013 - langstone harbour...langstone harbour board / annual report / 2013 06. 3...

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