Marina pricing

[Tranona]

So how come marinas in unpopular sailing areas, Preston, Whitehaven, manage to do offer berthing at less than half the price of Hamblesque locations? They have the same capital costs. The supply and demand concept is also a woeful argument: there are plenty of investors willing to put up cash for marina developments who are thwarted by vested interests. Beaumaris and the Marquise of Anglesey springs to mind.

Part of the answer is in my posts above. Redundant docks are relatively cheap to both convert to marinas and subsequently operate, particularly as most do not require any dredging of maintenance of sheet pile or bund walls. They are often part of regeneration schemes and receive infrastructure funding. Prices are low from a market point of view because the sailing environment is less attractive.

Coastal marinas need substantial shore based facilities and in the south this is the big killer as the demand for shoreside land is high, as are prices. Again in the northern part of the country there is less competition for shoreside, particularly in rural locations so capital investment overall is substantially higher.

Then there are the planning issues. There have been plans for a new marina in Poole for several years, mainly using reclaimed land by putting a bund wall round an unusable area of shallow tidal water and dredging (a proven method). It stands up on financial grounds, but always falls at planning because of objections from existing owners of shoreside property whose visual outlook will be changed.

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

What it comes down to is that the £1 million pound figure is just for the media and to impress everybody. They'll hire a pile driver for the posts, buy the pontoons and get their own staff to install them. And another thing, if they build houses there ... they'll sink!

 

[doug748]

Thats not cynical, thats realistic. We have two marinas in the Bristol channel that simply wouldnt have been viable without housing development. Lock gates and harbour walls dont come cheap. Fair enough - I dont see a problem with this.

Though, to be fair, there is not much to spoil in those particular areas. On the other hand nor is there in Hayle or Penzance where they have been vacillating for the last 30 years.

During this time France has established at least a dozen discrete, passage marinas on the corresponding stretch of coast. Including those very expensive developments at L'Aber-Wrach, Trebeurden and (particularly) Roscoff. None of which have housing of any sort attached.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Though, to be fair, there is not much to spoil in those particular areas. On the other hand nor is there in Hayle or Penzance where they have been vacillating for the last 30 years.

During this time France has established at least a dozen discrete, passage marinas on the corresponding stretch of coast. Including those very expensive developments at L'Aber-Wrach, Trebeurden and (particularly) Roscoff. None of which have housing of any sort attached.

Without the benefit of knowing for certain I would say all those French marinas are owned and run by the commune.

 

[doug748]

Without the benefit of knowing for certain I would say all those French marinas are owned and run by the commune.

I think you are correct, or at least with substantial local involvement at a political level. The sort of commitment which is not going to (or can't) happen in the UK.

Sybarite will be along soon to give us the full SP.

 

[Tranona]

It should be borne in mind that Britanny is a depressed area which relies heavily on tourism - so rather like the north of England there is much more incentive (and funding) to develop such facilities. Marinas in such locations are not seen as profit generators but as necessary to promote tourism and its associated general economic benefits.

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

Without the benefit of knowing for certain I would say all those French marinas are owned and run by the commune.

Applies to most of them in the Med.

 

[howard easton]

I think you are correct, or at least with substantial local involvement at a political level. The sort of commitment which is not going to (or can't) happen in the UK.

Sybarite will be along soon to give us the full SP.

Why should you think that state subsidised marinas are the way to go? Why should government, local or central, subsidise yotties?

And if you are convinced that will generate more tax revenue than it costs, why not apply the same argument to car parks and camping sites and hotels?

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Why should you think that state subsidised marinas are the way to go? Why should government, local or central, subsidise yotties?

And if you are convinced that will generate more tax revenue than it costs, why not apply the same argument to car parks and camping sites and hotels?

In France it's a very different social model and local government model so you can't compare it with the UK.

 

[Tranona]

Why should you think that state subsidised marinas are the way to go? Why should government, local or central, subsidise yotties?

And if you are convinced that will generate more tax revenue than it costs, why not apply the same argument to car parks and camping sites and hotels?

But many are in areas that are subject to regeneration through grants etc, and run by local authorities and other public bodies.

This is reflected (in part) in the significantly lower berthing prices compared with the commercial marinas on the south coast.

 

[[163233]]

Presumably Mylor have to purchase or lease seabed from someone?
I'd guess that's where the bulk of the money is going rather than on actual construction.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Presumably Mylor have to purchase or lease seabed from someone?
I'd guess that's where the bulk of the money is going rather than on actual construction.

All part of the costs of any marine development, you have to buy or lease the land and or seabed. So not unique to Mylor.