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Sutton Bridge Marina Development Plan
Nene Marine - December Update
We have been on the starting blocks to issue the contracts to construct this new facility since the summer but an issue has arisen that's caused Lincolnshire County Council to hold back for a while. This is around land ownership and has resulted in a document chase through the Cambridgeshire Archive Offices alongside them seeking legal advice from Counsel in order to clarify the way forward and safeguard the considerable investment of public monies into the project.
This work remains ongoing and has delayed the start of construction which will now start next year. We have been able to retain both the construction contractors services and the funding so the project will still go ahead.
The new marina could be completed as early as next spring or at the latest during the latter part of the year.
It is of course disappointing to everyone when obstacles appear so late on in the life of a project, but LCC take the pragmatic approach that checks they make leading into contract awards and commitments to leases and other agreements are the final checks on the security and sustainability of their projects. They might occasionally throw up anomalies such as this but their projects are all the better for that in the longer term.
Tom Rowe
Chairman - Nene Marine
Nene Marine - May Update
Nene Marine can confirm that moorings should be available for occupation on the 1st October this year, and the dry side construction completed by the 21st December this year. LCC will have a governance structure in place, they will meet with Nene Marine and the Port of Wisbech on a regular basis to monitor progress of the Marine's operation. Sutton Bridge is one of the 16 most deprived areas in Lincolnshire. The development of up to 69 long term leisure and up to 10 visitor moorings and facilities for yachts and other leisure craft on the River Nene will promote business and tourism in Sutton Bridge. Construction of the Town Quay and promenade alongside the River Nene with a new bank top path, lighting and seating, will enhance access to the waterfront.
Tom Rowe
Chairman Nene Marine CIC
Nene Marine - Spring Update
With all the funding in place, Sutton Bridge Marina will soon be up and running. Invitations to tender for supply of the pontoons and the Marina office were issued in December 2011 and the contractors were appointed in early January 2012. The new Marina office will be connected directly to the mooring pontoons via a walkway and access ramp. A further tender for construction of the Marina wet side works including removing some of the existing pontoon, installing new piling guides for the pontoons, and the construction of the access walkways and ramps, will be issued in March. Construction of this phase is scheduled to begin in July.
Construction of the bank top promenade path and car parking will begin in mid-May. The Marina project is scheduled for completion by the end of September 2012. The pontoons have already been delivered .
The leisure moorings are already proving to be much in demand with half of these berths already reserved before the Marina is even open for business - and before we have even begun construction!
The success of the Marina is therefore looking very positive.
Jenny Rowe
Secretary Nene Marine
Nene Marine pontoons arriving on Thursday, 15th March, by lorry into Wisbech for safe keeping.
Nene Marine - Latest Update
With all the funding in place, Sutton Bridge Marina is poised to become reality in the near future. The development will take place in two stages with the leisure moorings being completed first followed by the commercial moorings. Fenland District Council, as Nene Ports Harbour Authority, will manage both stages. Construction of the parking facilities and the bank top promenade path will be managed by LCC Technical Services Partnership.
Ground investigations will be carried out in the next week or so to ensure that the foundations for the works are designed correctly. This is a particularly important factor in designing the pontoon piles.
The leisure moorings will be operated on behalf of Nene Marine, the Community Interest Company, by the Port of Wisbech who will also operate the commercial moorings. The harbourmaster will have a new marina office connected directly to the mooring pontoons.
The leisure moorings are already proving to be much in demand with half of these berths already reserved before the moorings are open for business – and before we have even begun construction! The commercial moorings are also mostly allocated to existing operators at Sutton Bridge such as Eastern Sea Fisheries, Port of Wisbech and wind farm service and support vessels. The commercial profitability of the marina is therefore looking very good.
David Pullen
Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership
Nene Marine - Latest Update
Design work for the Marina is now underway, Lincolnshire County Council's Technical Services Partnership is working on the dry-side development, incorporating the car parking, bank-top walkway and lighting.
A topographical survey of the area has been undertaken which will enable designs to be refined and the developers are in discussions with the Environment Agency to gain approval for works affecting the flood bank.
Fenland District Council have started work on the design of the wet-side, ie the pilings and the mooring pontoons. All the groups involved with both the wet and dry side work are working together to co-ordinate the programme.
Nene Marine have already booked in approximately 700ft of mooring space.
Nene Marine - Latest Press release
Lincolnshire County Council (LCC), on behalf of the Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership (LWP), is pleased to announce that it has now secured planning consent and funding for a new marina at Sutton Bridge.
The Marina will be located immediately north of the A17 swing bridge over the River Nene at Sutton Bridge and will consist of 69 new leisure moorings, a Town Quay which will provide exhibition moorings for boats such as tall ships, a promenade and new access and car parking facilities. Rise and fall pontoons will be installed to provide the moorings and a new single storey building will be constructed to house the marina office. An artists impression of the facilities that will be created is shown below:
Artist impression of the Sutton Bridge Marina
This project was put forward by Nene Marine, a local community group and has been developed in partnership with LCC, the LWP, South Holland District Council and the Port of Wisbech (part of Fenland District Council). The cost will be approximately £750k and funding has come from the project partners, the East Midlands Development Agency and the Rural Development Programme for England.
Locating a marina at Sutton Bridge will create an attractive new facility which will be accessible from the Wash and inland waterways too. It will be closer to the sea than any other similar facilities around the Wash and is about an hour's less sailing time than Wisbech Yacht Harbour, which is currently the River Nene's nearest marina to the coast.
This project has the potential to make a huge difference to the local economy. The marina will create new jobs, directly to operate the new facility and indirectly as services grow around it. There have been enquiries about operating fishing and seal/bird watching trips from the quay and from commercial boats that serve the wind farms. More visitors will stop off at Sutton Bridge from the A17 too as the boats moored at the marina will be visible from this busy road and some of the (18,000!!!) vehicles per day are bound to stop for a break in such attractive surroundings.
Tom Rowe
Chairman of Nene Marine CIC
Bridge House West
Sutton Bridge
01406 350 093
Nene Marine - Latest Press release
Nene Marine CIC (Community Interest Company) have secured the funding to build an attractive new riverside marina facility and plan to be up and running this Summer! This exciting development will encourage leisure and tourism.
Our unique Marina will be the closest and have unrestricted access to The Wash and beyond. Situated seaward of the Swing Bridge, a mere half an hour to open waters, it will consist of a town quay which will cater for maritime attractions, 69 leisure moorings, car parking, a lit promenade with seating, CCTV and other associated amenities
Interest has been shown in running boat trips and other commercial enterprises
Sutton Bridge is extremely lucky to have three major projects this year; the Marina along with the re-opening of the Bridge Hotel and the proposed Visitor Centre at the Sir Peter Scott Lighthouse on the East Bank are all set to boost the local economy & encourage investment in the town.
Tom Rowe
Chairman
on behalf of the Nene Marine Committee
Waterways World Magazine Article
Crossing the Wash will become a little easier next year if the new Sutton Bridge Marina on the tidal River Nene gets the go-ahead. The Lincoln Waterways Partnership says it is very close to gaining both planning consent and the necessary funding to build the 69-berth marina.
The marina is to be sited on the downstream side of the swing bridge, and include an official Town Quay to provide moorings for exhibition boats such as tall ships, a promenade and new access and car parking facilities. Rise and fall pontoons will house the moorings and there will be a new single-story building for the office.
Sutton Bridge Marina is likely to be welcomed by inland waterways boats that make The Wash crossing, as it is several miles closer to the mouth of the Nene and will make the crossing easier and over an hour shorter. At present canal and river boats must overnight in Wisbech Yacht Harbour, over an hour's sailing time inland, even with the tide.
The marina is largely funded by the East Midlands Development Agency and will be operated by the Port of Wisbech. The project was to have included replacement commercial moorings, but the Port of Wisbech have decided to continue using the existing facilities for a couple more years.
Up to 18,000 vehicles a day pass through from King's Lynn on the A17 to the Midlands, cross the large swing bridge, and the marina will give them more incentive to stop for a break.
Andy Jee, Economic Regeneration Manager at Lincolnshire County Council, says "This job has the potential to make a huge difference to the local economy. It will create new jobs, both directly and indirectly. There have been enquiries about operating fishing and seal/bird watching trips from the quay, and from commercial boats serving the off-shore wind farms.
Nene Marine Press release
The Nene Marine committee were delighted with the positive comments and support they received from South Holland District planning committee on the 3rd of November when they unanimously voted in favour of this exciting project.
Andrew Jee Project manager, Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership, explained the concept in detail to the committee.
The Town of Sutton Bridge will benefit from this development as it will encourage tourism and will act as a catalyst to generate demand for additional local facilities, this will create opportunities for private sector investment.
Marina Update
Tom Rowe, Chairman of Nene Marine, reports that they have now submitted their planning application to South Holland District Council.
He states that this is on the basis that a Marina at Sutton Bridge will deliver improvements to riverside access including a town quay, promenade and high quality rise and fall moorings for leisure craft and visiting boats within the curtilage of the Town. There will be 69 new moorings.
The Marina will also create employment opportunities and stimulate private and public investment in the area; it will create new car parking and associated Highways works.
Roughly half of the £750,000 will come from the councils, including £200,000 from South Holland District Council and application has been made for a grant from Defra's Rural Development Program.
On
the 10 February 2006 an open day was held at the Bridge Hotel to publicise the launch of the proposed Sutton Bridge Marina.
The display was well attended by over 400 people and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
If you missed the presentation the main points are:-
The Marina would be an extension of the existing commercial moorings on the River Nene to make a total capacity of 69 berths (including the existing berths) and they would not project out into the river anymore than the existing ones do.
It
is also proposed to build a walkway or promenade with seating so that people will be able to enjoy the river views.
Under the title 'NENE MARINE' the project is progressing well but in the present economic climate slower than we would wish.
There are still some issues to be resolved but we look forward to completing what will be a great asset to Sutton Bridge.
Copy
of the Development Plans for the Sutton Bridge Marina Proposal
(Adobe PDF - filesize:356kb)
