CUTTING the number of Weymouth harbourside staff and closing the ferry port are to be considered if there is no income from a service next year.

A report to go before Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s management committee lists options which would cut costs if there is no income from a ferry service in 2016/17.

The harbour budget has lost an income worth up to £650,000 this financial year after Condor pulled out – but faces having to shell out almost £2m to repair two harbour walls which are described as being in a ‘safety critical’ state.

The council is currently in talks with High Speed Ferries to introduce a new ferry link to Cherbourg, but there have been delays, as reported in the Dorset Echo.

The report contains a revised harbour budget for 2016/17 which is described as a ‘work in progress’ and represents a ‘worst case scenario’.

The report notes: “If the High Speed Ferries project is not successful a wider review of the future of the port area and a new five year budget forecast for the business plan for the harbour will be required.”

It also sets out further savings which could be made if needed.

The report states: “There are a number of options for dealing with savings in employee costs but these are dependent on the key decisions taken and the proposed way ahead.

“Each will have consequential effects on the employment of the current five WPBC employees and will need to be studied further to understand the full costs including any redundancy/pension payments and implications.

“The proposed level of three staff for the port is the minimum number to allow the port area to be functional and then with significant restrictions.”

Another potential saving which will be considered is to close the port.

The report states: “The ferry port area is a complex industrial site with old buildings and infrastructure. The area is used for ferry operations, storing fishing gear, berthing larger vessels on annual contracts, storing equipment for wider council use including the beach, sand bags, an office for port health etc.

“The full closure of the area would impact significantly on the wider operation of the harbour and other council activities. The area could not be opened to the public without investment to make the area safe.”

A separate report which provides an update to the harbour walls states that Wall D is ‘in such poor condition that urgent reconstruction is necessary for it and the adjacent quayside to safely continue in their established uses’.

The reconstruction of this wall is expected to cost more than £1.5m. Wall C, which also needs to be reconstructed, will cost £383,000. The money will come from the borough council’s capital programme.

The borough council’s management committee will discuss the reports at a meeting on January 5.

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