A MUD-free Watchet marina could boost visitor spending in the town by £1.8 million within six years and bring at least 50 jobs, a new study has revealed.

In a report on the future of the mud-filled marina and outer harbour, the Watchet Mud Working Group told Somerset West and Taunton Council’s scrutiny committee at its meeting on Wednesday that the marina was currently delivering only a quarter of its potential contribution to the local economy.

The sub-group of Watchet harbour advisory committee consists of representatives of Watchet Boat Owners’ Association, the district council and Watchet harbour marina.

Councillors were told that the purpose of the report was to show justification for a £500,000 full-depth dredge of the outer harbour and marina, followed by a continuous dredging programme.

“The purpose of this dredging programme is to return Watchet marina to a water-filled, functioning and safe marina, accessible via a safe dredged outer harbour,” the mud group report said.

The working group offered this three-point plan:

* Establish an outer harbour dredging maintenance budget to ensure that water from a full-depth dredge can be maintained.

* Agree an adequate marina dredging maintenance plan and take action to prevent further mud accumulation.

* Investigate and bid for substantive funding for a full-depth dredge of the outer harbour and marina.

The group stressed that it was vital that a maintenance dredging system was put in place before a full depth dredge reduced the harbour floor back to bedrock.

Claiming that a dredged marina would have a beneficial effect on the town, the group estimated that the spending power of a boat in the marina was £10,000 a year.

In six years, an improved marina with a capacity of 180 boats could inject £450,000 into the Watchet economy in the first year, rising to £1.8 million by year six.

The group believed that over a six-year period an improved marina would generate at least 50 indirect jobs in the town, with an estimated visitor spend of £35,000 per job.

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