A VIEW OF THE INNER PORTION OF NEWLYN’S NORTH PIER SHOWING THE AWFUL STANDARD OF BUILDINGS.
The ongoing saga of Newlyn Harbours regeneration is yet again stalled as a single objector looks set to force a public enquiry into the proposal to modernise the the Ports Management standards so that it finally complies with the reqirements of the DfT’s “Guide to Good Governance”. This sets out acceptable standards for the governance of Trust Ports such as Newlyn which should have been fully compliant in 2002.
NEWLYNS NORTH PIER DOES NOT KEEP A REAL SOU EASTERLY OUT, THEY DO BETTER IN SPAIN!!! SEE BELOW.
This weeks Cornishman highlights the issue and the frustration that the Harbour Commissioners feel as they look increasingly likely to be forced into holding an expensive time consuming Public enquiry to resolve the issue. Currently the sole objector is choosing to remain anonymous as is so often the case in matters concerning harbour affairs.
This is just the latest mishap to afflict the convoluted regeneration process which should have been delivered at least four years ago.
There is a further article highlighting the concern expressed by many fishermen with regard to the viability of the proposed new £7 million fishmarket, the tender for its construction is due to go out in the next few days. Once again an anonymous Harbour Commissioner is wheeled out to insist that the scheme is viable and will be proceeding despite the fishermens expressed reservations. The fishermen fear that landing dues and commission charges will make it financially unattractive for them to use the new facility.
Yet again there are doubts expressed that ought to have been clearly resolved at the very outset of the project.
Currently an increasing number of the more progressive vessel owners having lost all patience with the Newlyn Regime, send their fish landed in Newlyn, to Plymouth Market where it is claimed that the modern electronic auction system achieves much better more transparent financial returns for their catches.
A VIEW OF NEWLYN FISH MARKET FROM THE STRAND. NOT AN ATTRACTIVE BUILDING IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION.
Newlyns redevelopment has been in the pipeline since around 2002 when the Newlyn Fish Industry Forum was set up to coordinate the Ports redevelopment to bring it up to the standard of other premier ports both in the UK and Europe. In the meantime the Fish Market scheme has had a long and fractious gestation while a similar eagerly embraced development in Brixham has long overtaken Newlyn’s initial head start.
AN INTERNAL MARKET VIEW SHOWING THE TRADITIONAL ”SHOUT AUCTION” IN PROGRESS.
Newlyns Harbour Commissioners are quite rightly adamant that it is not financially practical to update the existing market at a total cost of £8 million with no grant aid available. To build a new market they have to find £2 million as their contribution with the balance coming from grants. Hitherto the auctioneers have used the market without cost. It is intended to put the operation of the new building out to tender having previously identified a list of approved bidders. Whoever gets selected will be responsible for both the running and upkeep of the market whilst paying the Commissioners a commercial rental.
Historically the Commissioners have failed to achieve market rents for various harbour properties, this was clearly highlighted by Hyder Consultants who were engaged to examine the Harbours long term viability. In some cases certain tenants enjoyed what amounted to peppercorn rentals robbing the harbour of vital income over many years. One of the difficulties created by the Commissiners historical insularity and lenient charging structures is the now natural reluctance of many stakeholders to pay market rates for services supplied by the harbour, previously at its own cost. This is in marked contrast to modern businesslike ports who charge for all services at all times. This was highlighted by a recent trip to Fraserborough in Scotland where the Port is thriving and forward looking despite the scrapping of a significant portion of its fleet.
VESSELS LANDING ALONGSIDE NEWLYN’S EXISING MARKET.
Currently Newlyns main income stream is landing dues which are paid on the value of fish landed as declared and collected by the vessels agent, this is currently set at 2% of the gross value of the catch. If or when a new market is built the Harbour Commissioners will continue to collect 2% landing dues but will be relieved of the cost of operating or maintaining the new market building.
The selected market operator will be obliged to operate and maintain the market which will almost certainly result in much higher commission charges on the fish sold on the market. Boat owners are unwilling to accept any rise in commission charges which could then amount to as much as 10% of the catch value when landing dues are taken into account.
The root of the current problem is whether when the selected operator is named the market operation will be commercially viable given the imposed cost structure which does not appear to have been properly considered in the Commissioners thought processes.
BERMEO IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY TUNA CAPITAL OF EUROPE AND REMAKABLY SIMILAR IN SIZE TO NEWLYN BUT A WORLD AWAY IN OUTLOOK.
Currently and increasingly a high proportion of fish landed does not pass over the market floor, sardines generally go direct to processors and shellfish direct to various merchants at home or abroad. Of the whitefish caught by Newlyn boats a significant proportion is now sent to Plymouth for sale while some netters land direct into France where returns are once more better.
THE VERY DANGEROUS ENTRANCE TO SAN VINCENTE DE LA BARQUERA CANTABRIA NORTHERN SPAIN. ONCE INSIDE THIS LARGE ESTUARY A SMALL MODERN FLEET OF 15 TO 25 METRE CRAFT ARE SERVICED BY AN ULTRA MODERN FISH MARKET AS SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING PICTURES.
This effectively means that any new market operator will struggle from day one to achieve critical mass as it is not a foregone conclusion that vessels currently sending fish to Plymouth for sale will return to Newlyn Market if costs and returns fail to equal or better Plymouths.
SAN VINCENTE DE LA BARQUERA QUAYSIDE SHOWING A TYPICAL VESSEL WHICH HAS JUST LANDED.
Plymouths electronic auction is web based and transparent while in Newlyn the traditional shout auction has been suspected of abuse by those who have left. One comment said “Newlyn Market is now reaping the bitter harvest sown over many years of intrigue and coercion which has influenced recent commercial decisions by operators with long memories and currently better options”.
THE ELECTRONIC AUCTION HALL SAN VINCENTE DE LA BARQUERA CANTABRIA NORTHERN SPAIN.
Unfortunately this has been a saga of how not to modernise and progress which could only happen in Newlyn with its lethal undertow of entrenched intersts historically used to getting their own way at all times.
These shadowy characters who lurk in dark corners under a cloak of anonymity have to date virtually succeeded in their desire to prevent beneficial change leaving the Port effictively in a time warp which is creating an economic black hole in the the Towns economy.
PART OF THE MAKET FLOOR SAN VINCENTE DE LA BARQUERA.
Another element that has affected the Ports long term welfare is the qustion of quota, only a handful of vessels have invested in sufficient to aviod discarding fish. The Duchy Fish Quota Company is attempting to purchase and secure quota but struggles with funding as quota continues to fall into well financed Spanish hands. DEFRA have taken draconian steps to stamp out blackfish (overquota) landing with major cases still ongoing in Newlyn.
EXTERNAL VIEW OF MARKET HALL SAN VINCENTE DE LA BARQUERA. A STUNNING MODERN BUILDING TOTALY IN KEEPING WITH ITS BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS. THE PORT IS VERY SIMILAR TO PADSTOW BEING ENTERED OVER A VERY DANGEROUS SANDBAR AT THE MOUTH OF A LARGE SANDY ESTUARY.
The Newlyn Harbour Commissioners have taken too long to wake up and smell the coffee as the dereliction and negativity enveloped them. Their seeming inability to get a grip of the situation is a result of weakness and ineptitude over an extended period. In failing to expeditiously deliver facilities quite reasonably expected by modern progressive vessel operators they have driven them elsewhere.
There is an awful scenario where defeat may yet be snatched from the jaws of victory and and take Newlyns best hopes for the future with it.
NEW FISH MARKET UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN LLANES A SMALL PORT IN ASTURIAS NORTHERN SPAIN.
The Spanish pictures are a random sample of the standard of development typical of the way Spain has tergetted European funding at small vibrant fishing ports to huge economic benefit by preserving and enhancing fishing communities and the work they generate.
Yet again SWRDA seems to have failed to deliver the maximum benefits that ought reasonably be expected of a Quango charged with delivering Objective One funding to Cornwall in the form of strategic infrastructure projects that would then ripple down into the wider Cornish economy.
THE SPANISH PROUDLY BRAG ABOUT HOW MUCH DOSH THEY SCREW OUT OF BRUSSELS FOR THEIR FISHERMEN AND PORT INFRASTRUCTURE.
This sound proven economic principle is well demonstrated by the privately owned and financed Mylor Dockyard Marina where the facility has spawned a cluster of marine orientated businesses that employ various skills needed to service boats of all descriptions.
The same could have happened in Newlyn if the will were there, unfortunately enterprise and entrepreneurs have historically been an alien concept to the Harbour Commissioners which has held back beneficial changes. This is clearly illustrated by the trail of false hope and wasted opportunties that the endless delays to newlyns regeneration have caused.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING WRONG- DEFRA- SWRDA,-CORNWALL COUNTY COUNCIL,-NEWLYN HARBOUR COMMISSIONERS???
PART OF THE MODERN FLEET, LLANNES ASTURIAS, A PORT THE SIZE OF MOUSEHOLE BUT NONETHELESS VIBRANT AND STATE OF THE ART.
THE MASSIVE NEW HARBOUR WALL BUILT TO KEEP NORTHERLY BISCAY STORMS AT BAY LLANES ASTURIAS. TAKE NOTE NEWLYN AND SWRDA, ONCE AGAIN WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG IN NEWLYN???
Yet again as so often during the Objective One process the real winners are not the fishermen or the local economy but the legions of consultants based elsewhere who have profited hugely from the Newlyn impasse for virtually zero result, to call it a balls up is to be unduly polite.
NEWLYNS PROPOSED NEW FISH MARKET, JUST A PLAN AT PRESENT, YEARS BEHIND SCHEDULE. WHAT IS ITS FUTURE???
