Whitby’s harbour master resignation rumours.
Posted by thewhitbyindependent on March 23, 2011
Word is flying round the pontoons that Whitby’s harbour master is leaving his post.
A stormy future for Whitby harbour?
The running of the harbour by Scarborough Borough Council is an issue that we at TWI are starting to look into: the Whitby Harbour Board is an organization that appears to have been set up to guarantee the flow of car parking and harbour fees from Whitby to Scarborough and ultimately to fail.
A government white paper issued in 2002 directed local authorities to dispose of their interests in harbours. SBC declined to do so on the basis that having responsibility for two harbours (Whitby and Scarborough) and a coble landing at Filey made the disposal too complex.
Whereas every person in Whitby with an IQ higher than a seagull knew that SBC takes about £750,000 a year out of Whitby Harbour car parks and mooring fees and that they would not cede these assets and income to anyone. The draft Whitby Harbour Board regulations which allows SBC to charge Whitby Harbour Board whatever rent they wish, the sample figures being sums that seem uncannily similar to the annual harbour revenue.
Striking but derelict and not open to the public: Whitby East Pier
As things stand, the larval Whitby Harbour Board (SBC Pravda report) has not yet signed a contract with SBC and if what TWI understands is true, they would have to be very silly to do so as effectively as SBC has declined to specify a harbour board budget, agree the assets to which they are entitled or provide a definitive outline of what constitutes Whitby Harbour.
Anyone who uses the harbour knows it is semi derelict. Whitby’s cargo trade has long since collapsed. According to rumours one of Whitby’s four remaining white fish trawlers is off to the south coast to become a gill netter, a second is scheduled for decommissioning and this Tuesday’s Gazette reports the winding up of Alliance Fisheries with knock on effects on the fish market and ice plant.
Whitby harbour still remains a massive financial liability for anyone contemplating taking responsibility for it. SBC have been responsible for its maintenance for 35 years: the piers have had a few sticking plasters applied, but recent enquiries by Free Whitby‘s Nigel Ward have revealed that if (as it appears) the East Pier lighthouse is leaning and structurally unsafe, the end of the east Pier will be closed to add to the dereliction and closure of the East extension.
This from the local authority that in clear breach of the law let a £25 million contract for Scarborough sea wall repairs without bothering to put it to public tender. According to an engineer who worked on the project, the final cost was £48 million.
Nigel Ward said
Conformed for my by two Borough Councillors. ‘Capatin’ martin Willis has indeed resigned his post. Indications are that this follows hard on the heels of Mrs Nicola Willis being scheduled to lose her position as Head of Transformational Management at SBC. What the hell is ‘Transformational Management?’ I hear you ask . . .
Well, here’s her Job Description. You tell me what she does. Did.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20492001/Nicola%20Willis%20TM0001%20Head%20of%20Transformational%20Management.doc
I do not know if this is correct, but I am told that one has to be a master mariner to occupy the position of Harbour Master.
Wikipedia describes the rank of Master Mariner thus:
In the UK, the term “Master Mariner” is reserved only for those who hold an unlimited master’s certificate. The term “unlimited” (often referred to as unrestricted) indicates that there are no limits on size, power or geographic location on the certificate. It is the highest level of professional qualification amongst mariners in the British Merchant Navy.
If ‘Captain’ Willis qualifies, I am the Queen of the Belgians, as Richard likes to say. What ‘Captain’ Willis is good for is best demonstrated by this superb report by Allan Roberts:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20492001/%27Golden_Ball%27_Diary_of_Non-Transparency.pdf
Two down . . . how many to go?
Nick said
Two down… who next?
Al Roberts said
Further to the Diary of Non-Transparency referred to above, may I add that,
I have at all times copied into the correspondence my local ward Councillor Peter Popple.
Cllr Popple is also the Cabinet member with responsibilties for Harbours at SBC, so this issue is within his remit.
Despite observing the apparent difficulty I am experiencing with SBC officers Cllr Popple has remained silent, offering absolutely no help, intervention, or offer of arbitration.
However FIVE MONTHS into the issue I received this solitary piece of advice from Cllr Popple, dated March 14th 2011,
Morning Allen,
I read with interest your emails re harbour issues and do
note your concerns.
Your obvious interest in the harbour should be channeled into
a situation where you would have some say over the development
of the harbour. May I suggest either yourself or brother stand for election in the forthcoming SBC election in May.
Regards
Peter
Little wonder that the SBC harbour management have been given a vote of “no confidence” by WTC.
Shakeup For Whitby Harbour – Martin Willis To Leave. - Real Whitby | Whitby News | Real Whitby | Whitby News said
[...] Whitby can now confirm reports from The Whitby Independent that Harbour Master Martin Willis is to leave his post with Scarborough Borough [...]