A PROPOSED marina development in Watchet Harbour was a once in a lifetime opportunity to boost the town's economy, a public inquiry into the plan was told on Tuesday.

West Somerset District Council enterprise and development manager Bruce Lang told the inquiry that regeneration of the town was the spur for the marina proposal.

Mr Lang said he had been involved in the scheme since its inception in 1993 as he was the council officer with overall responsibility for economic development, regeneration and external funding.

He said: "Watchet needs to benefit from a significant injection of capital investment to start the whole regeneration process rolling.

"This marina project provides this opportunity. The integration of the East Wharf into the project creates a greater scale of impact and therefore strengthens the catalytic effect of the project.

"The overriding conclusion of the council is the community of Watchet has far more to gain and very little to lose from taking this once in a lifetime opportunity."

Mr Lang said the Royal Yachting Association showed five years ago there was demand for a marina in the town.

The RYA updated its assessment only last month and again took the view the project was likely to be a success.

It concluded Watchet's potential catchment area would extend as far as the Midlands and the West London/M4 corridor.

The marina would also be well placed in relation to new facilities being created on the Welsh side of the Bristol Channel to take advantage of an increase in the number of sailing craft expected by 2000.

Mr Lang said: "They believe the arguments in favour of the project are stronger today than they were in 1994 due to a range of detailed factors.

"The council accepts there is no certainty of success. If there was, there would be no need for the initial public capital subsidy and support.

"There have, however, been numerous studies at various stages of the development of the project which have indicated the course of action being proposed is deliverable and realistic.

"Since 1993, there have been no other economically viable regeneration options put forward."

Mr Lang said the clock was ticking on the marina project and it had to be undertaken within the next 12 to 18 months to avoid losing a £1.896 million European Objective 5b fund grant.

The marina scheme could not now be replaced with another major project as Watchet had been excluded from the Objective 2 funding designation which was about to replace Objective 5b.

Mr Lang said: "The funding package currently on offer can only be spent on the marina proposal. It cannot be used for any other purpose, whether in Watchet or West Somerset. No marina means no money."

He said consultants Coopers and Lybrand tried without success to identify potential users and operators of the harbour as long ago as 1993.

The consultants did, however, identify the harbour and old town as the two main assets of Watchet, and they developed an improvement strategy to attract more visitors.

The strategy proposed to establish the harbour, The Esplanade, and the East Wharf as a vibrant centre of activity, with development of the under-used East Quay land.

Mr Lang said the marina proposal emerged in that Coopers and Lybrand report.

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