WATCHET’S three district councillors will be told next week that unless urgent action is taken, the town’s marina could fail, with catastrophic consequences to the community.

The warning comes from Watchet harbour advisory committee’s mud working group, which is also seeking meetings with other civic leaders to discuss the rapid decline of the marina as a tourist asset and to put forward a rescue plan.

At a harbour advisory committee meeting on Thursday (August 15), Watchet councillors Hugh Davies, Loretta Whetlor and Ian Aldridge will be asked to support proposed plans which involve a massive dredging of mud from the marina and outer harbour and the introduction of an efficient and reliable maintenance dredging system.

Welcoming the move and urging immediate action, Cllr Davies told the Free Press this week: “The good news is that the new district authority is recognising that after years of neglect something has got to be done about Watchet harbour.

“The bad news is that the disgraceful state of the harbour is entirely due to mismanagement by the former West Somerset Council.

“If things are allowed to continue as they are, the marina could well end up as a car park.”

Cllr Davies said it was time for drastic action and he intended to put forward three proposals:

n To offer the marina operator financial assistance – subject to strict conditions – to make the business efficient and attractive to boat-owners.

n To take legal action – should the offer be refused – over alleged violation of the lease by failing to keep retained water in the marina.

n As a last resort, to terminate the lease and seek a new operator – with a community-run marina being a possibility.

Mud working group chairman Ray Ventura said: “We will ask the councillors to look at what we have done, ask if there is anything more we can do, and if they fully support what we are doing, to take our plan to the district council and help get funding for a capital dredge.

“The council has ultimately got to decide whether it wants to be properly responsible for Watchet harbour and marina or not.

“If nothing decisive is done, the marina will fail.

“It can’t keep drifting on as it is. It must be reaching a point where is is not sustainable.

“Boat numbers are going down and there’s a lot of concern about the condition of pontoons and many other matters. It is not really a pretty picture right now.”

Mr Ventura said there were increasing concerns about harbour and marina safety which were shared by the Coastguard and the RNLI.

“Sooner or later there is going to be an accident and if someone goes head-first into the mud it could be a serious accident,” he said.

For the full story, buy today’s Free Press (August 9).