CONTROVERSIAL harbour fees in Minehead and Watchet are set to rise next year by four per cent, in line with inflation.

Minehead Sailing Club was forced to close last year after more than 60 years when bankruptcy-threatened Somerset Council slapped a 4,500 per cent increase on harbour slipway fees.

The club was only able to reopen last spring after months of bargaining saw the council backtrack and agree a one-off fee for the club rather than charge members individually.

Now, council head of community regulatory services Dave Coles has admitted the size of fees needed to make harbours self-financing was not achieveable.

Mr Coles told Somerset councillors reviewing fees to come into effect next April: “In recent years, we have continued to invest in the harbours at an increased cost to the taxpayer.

“The goal should be for the harbours to be self-financing.

“However, the increase in moorings fees required to achieve this would be unsustainable.

“The proposed fees and charges for the harbours have been increased by four per cent to take account of inflation and to contribute to the costs of operating the harbours.

“This is a standard inflationary rise in charges and no changes to the fees and charging structure has occurred.”

Councillors agreed to recommend a four per cent increase in all charges across the authority’s ports, which still has be signed off by the council’s executive.

People who launch vessels from either Minehead or Watchet’s slipways would see daily costs rise from £16.50 to £17.20, weekly fees increase from £56 to £58.30, and annual permits go up from £204 to £212.20.

Kayakers and paddle boarders face a daily jump from £10.50 to £11, or weekly from £41.50 to £43.20, while annual fees would rise from £124 to £129 for adults and £93 to £96.80 for under-16s.