Quay Fundraiser
For 140 years we have largely taken our village quay for granted. It has survived the battering of millions of tons of seas, year after year, storm after storm. It has given shelter to boats, protected the waterfront, given access to fishermen and provided recreation for a whole range of quay users both young and old. For many visitors to our village, it is the ‘quay attraction’.
Its existence is now under serious threat!
A fissure has appeared to which we have provided temporary filling. But major work is needed desperately, and funds are urgently required to prevent the quay falling into irreparable disrepair. Various funding agencies have indicated that we don’t meet their criteria, either because we are a non-commercial port or because our quay isn’t used by enough people!
Catastrophic Consequences
If we cannot secure enough funding to repair the quay then the consequences could be catastrophic, as can be seen with a few other quays in the county which are disintegrating. The end of the quay could quickly fall away, leaving the sea to disembowel the eastern arm. Shelter for boats would be reduced and moorings would probably be redundant. Safety regulations would compel us to close the quay completely; the breakwater protecting waterfront properties would diminish; some of the beach may remain unusable. The knock-on effect may influence tourists wanting to visit or stay in the village, not to mention the businesses which rely upon them. Without remedial action, another winter’s storms could put the condition of the quay beyond reasonable funding.
What can we do?
We haven’t been idle, although our various investigations with several funding agencies have thus far proved unsuccessful.
We need you to be aware of the serious situation for our community and to support our funding campaign: ‘The Quay to the Village’.
The Gorran Haven Harbour Trust has procured the expertise of a surveyor and a local marine civil engineering company who have experience in this kind of work on other quays in the county.
While we don’t wish to curtail the use of the beach and harbour during July and August, we need to begin work as soon as it is feasible.
Please publicise the need and be creative in any fund-raising initiatives.
Thank you for your support and for any contribution that can be made towards our quay’s preservation.