Chichester Harbour Conservancy fees hike

Fantasie 19

Fantasie 19

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Apropos of nothing, did anyone else notice the fairly hefty increase in fees this year?? Mine are just shy of 20% more... that's some hike..
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Last year I paid £89 and yesterday received an invoice for the new season for £94.

I was expecting a bigger bill.
 
Yes I have been notified the increase in harbour dues, and depending on if you were at the bottom or top of a step on the old charge rates the increase might seem quite high. I suppose I make a bigger hole in the water than a smaller boat so £196 must be fair and doesn't seem too bad..... or am I just getting used to being squeezed?
 
Mine went down over 10% from £95 to £85. I am in the 9m sweet spot area on their graph showing the comparison rates between the old banding charges last year and the new linear per metre charge this year so lucky. Looks like most people will pay more. Those with boats at 6m will have a really big rise in rate per metre.

Ashtead, this charge is nothing to do with what sort of mooring you have as it is a harbour user fee. Just using a paddleboard in the harbour occurs a harbour due in theory, not sure how many pay in practice.
 
it is a harbour user fee.
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If it's a users fee for the Chichester Harbour Conservancy Area, how come other users (walkers, birdwatchers, cyclists, painters, etc) don't have to pay for using the AOANB? The conservancy does plenty of work to enhance their experience in terms of footpath maintenance, habitat improvement, etc.
 
OK should have worded it more carefully. It applies to all vessels using the harbour as per the wording on their website:

All vessels using Chichester Harbour MUST pay harbour dues. The revenue derived from harbour dues and from mooring fees is used by the Chichester Harbour Conservancy to meet the full cost of the management of the Harbour. This covers giving advice and assistance, maintenance of navigational aids and the enforcement of byelaws. This applies if your boat is kept on a permanent mooring, in one of the marinas or if you are visiting for a week or just a day.
 
neilf39 said:
OK should have worded it more carefully. It applies to all vessels using the harbour as per the wording on their website:

All vessels using Chichester Harbour MUST pay harbour dues. The revenue derived from harbour dues and from mooring fees is used by the Chichester Harbour Conservancy to meet the full cost of the management of the Harbour. This covers giving advice and assistance, maintenance of navigational aids and the enforcement of byelaws. This applies if your boat is kept on a permanent mooring, in one of the marinas or if you are visiting for a week or just a day.
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Yup - and I have no problem paying it - but the increase I reported above is just for the plaques - I don't have a mooring with them...


2016: Annual 5.21m - 6.3m £34.60
2017: Annual 5.01m - 6m £41.42

..so just shy of a 20% increase....
 
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neilf39 said:
OK should have worded it more carefully. It applies to all vessels using the harbour as per the wording on their website:

All vessels using Chichester Harbour MUST pay harbour dues. The revenue derived from harbour dues and from mooring fees is used by the Chichester Harbour Conservancy to meet the full cost of the management of the Harbour. This covers giving advice and assistance, maintenance of navigational aids and the enforcement of byelaws. This applies if your boat is kept on a permanent mooring, in one of the marinas or if you are visiting for a week or just a day.
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No doubt fee increases are one of the reasons that Chichester harbour is less popular than it was ten years ago! it is of concern that the conservancy direction in relation to passing on increases may eventually come back and bite them as if harbour fees income meets the 'full cost of their management' less fee paying vessels = a big problem !
 
My boat's 6m and, IIRC has jumped from about £34 to over £52.83 - that stings a bit. ....but from memory I think my Kayak has gone from £3 to £12 and that really does sting.

I'm quite tempted not to bother paying for the Kayak in protest, especially since the one time I've seen a Harbour employee when I was on the Kayak he shouted over "I won't fine you today because it's Christmas." He was the wrong side to see the sticker so he'd just assumed I hadn't paid which suggests to me they expect Kayaks not to pay as a matter of course.
 
Mark-1 said:
My boat's 6m and, IIRC has jumped from about £34 to over £52.83 - that stings a bit. ....but from memory I think my Kayak has gone from £3 to £12 and that really does sting.

I'm quite tempted not to bother paying for the Kayak in protest, especially since the one time I've seen a Harbour employee when I was on the Kayak he shouted over "I won't fine you today because it's Christmas." He was the wrong side to see the sticker so he'd just assumed I hadn't paid which suggests to me they expect Kayaks not to pay as a matter of course.
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I have to admit I'd thought of not paying for the tender which is only on the water for 3 hours a week... on the other hand, I can afford it, and the harbour is beautiful and worth supporting.. it seems a massive increase - I'm surprised they didn't send out any supporting literature giving the reasons... sod it.. I'll send them an email and ask... :rolleyes:
 
Fantasie 19 said:
the harbour is beautiful and worth supporting..
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Yeah, my position on this isn't logical since a) £12 for a Kayak is the same as the Canal charge and the harbour is way better than the Canal. b) £50 is what I already thought the fee was for the bigger boat until I checked, so I clearly feel £50 is reasonable and c) Like the Witterings Estate, the Harbour is well worth supporting.

Fantasie 19 said:
I'll send them an email and ask...
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Quite a sensible idea!
 
Mark-1 said:
Yeah, my position on this isn't logical since a) £12 for a Kayak is the same as the Canal charge and the harbour is way better than the Canal. b) £50 is what I already thought the fee was for the bigger boat until I checked, so I clearly feel £50 is reasonable and c) Like the Witterings Estate, the Harbour is well worth supporting.


Quite a sensible idea!
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So a response from the Conservancy (very quick response by the way) - not going to reproduce it here since the communication was to me and as it looks like a formal brochure anyone interested could request their own copy, but in summary the increase is due to

~ a shortfall in funds to meet all the conservancies duties (they mention a 7% drop in vessel numbers in recent years)
~ making the dues system fairer (larger boats pay less per metre than small ones for example)
~ standardising the size bands on whole meters rather than the random ones they used to have (5.2 to 6.3m etc)
~ a failure for charges to keep pace with inflation.

The new system for calculating harbour dues is based on a linear increase in rates per metre, using whole metres. He makes reference to the fact that some boats are going to see a bigger difference than others (the small ones) so to protect owners they're limiting effects to one price band per year increase until they're at the right one...

I'd guess the drop off in numbers of boats is the major driver...
 
What has always upset me about Chi Conservancy is that the harbour marks from their base at Itchenor to the entrance - in other words the route taken by Chi Marina users -are always maintained and tickety-boo, but my bit in another part of the harbour gets very little in the way of patrols to spot any nuisances or boat theves etc, and lights and marks are obviously a low priority.

Last year I didn't get to my boat for a few weeks after launching, though I'd paid my dues before then.

I found a note ty-wrapped to the rail ' we know you've paid but we're going to threaten a huge fine anyway for not putting on our lovely sticker and making us use our laptop for a good 10 seconds '.

Then there's the Conservancy Ribs crewed by young boys and girls who always seem to have something requiring a high speed ride to the Entrance at weekends.

A while ago I reported bait diggers destroying the prehistoric listed ancient wadeway near my mooring; answer ' keep an eye out and call us if you see them at it again ' - no chance of a patrol for an irreplaceble ancient monument, but patrolling with snotty notes for non-sticker showers is crucial...:rolleyes:
 
my harbour dues have gone up £24 to £31-- reasonable enough----big BUT----i trail my boat and launch at itchenor and have never paid to launch but now i see under "other charges"----launching £50 a year---so £81 a year + car and trailer parking £8 a day-------might not get a years licence ----just pay as i go ---daily harbour dues/launch £9
 
Lenten,

I could be wrong but I think the magic year's sticker on the side should include launch / recovery; put it this way, in your position I wouldn't be strolling to the office volunteering more cash...

OTOH, having the magic sticker doesn't count for the visitor's buoys off Itchenor, one still has to pay up - again - something else which has always annoyed me !

In about 1990 I bought my long standing boat back, after a dalliance with a fin keeler; it had been a rushed launch so I hadn't got Chi harbour dues sorted.

I took the boat, with a non-sailing chum, to Itchenor; when the crusty old boy came round to savage my wallet, he looked at the magic sticker, his jaw dropped, " tha's F-F-FOUR YEARS out of date ! "

I explained and paid up, after he'd gone my friend who didn't know about these things turned to me, " I genuinely thought he was having a seizure ! "
 
Just to put it all in context, (even after the increases mentioned above) the annual fees for Chichester are significantly cheaper than those on the Hamble, and you have that whole beautiful harbour to explore.

3-4m boat: Chi £22.46, Hamble £48.48
6-7m boat: Chi £52.83, Hamble £113.12
9-10m boat: Chi £94.80, Hamble £145.44
12-13m boat: Chi £148.35, Hamble £193.92

I do note though that Hamble doesn't bother going after sailing dinghies, tenders, kayaks etc. Probably decided it isn't worth the effort.
 
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