The marina project is certain to be a vital concern for Friars residents: a huge development right on our doorstep.
The 'final master plan' (now changed, we hear!) is on the Council's website. There are a couple of really interesting points hidden deep in the small print. On page 60:
"An earlier assessment by Babtie suggested that 100 permanent berth holders could be attracted.".
250 berths is what's planned and the number marina operators consider constitutes a viable development. If the marina only attracts 100 boat owners, it's failure in economic terms is certain.
And on page 54:
"The outcome of the appraisal, on the basis of all the
information described above, is a net present value of
minus £13.6m......
Clearly, the net present value of the scheme will
deter the private sector from delivering the scheme
unless some form of public sector financial support
is available."
which appears to translate as "the scheme will cost 13.6 million pounds more to build than its market value"......"It will be so expensive that no developer will touch it without a slice of public money" (that's your money and my money. 13.6 million pounds worth is the latest estimate, but who ever knew the cost of a big development to be less than projected?).
On page 22:
"a 250-berth marina that ...allows for subsequent access by
inland craft through re-opening of inland navigation."
So the master plan doesn't include the transformation of the Nar into a navigable link from the marina to the Relief channel at Saddlebow. This must have a big impact on the marina's viability: it's a puzzle to know why this item's been dumped. The conclusion must be that the Nar scheme is so expensive that there is no realistic possibility of including it in the marina plan (which is already amazingly pricey by anyone's standards).
Unfortunately, pretty well all the support for the Marina has come from inland boaters. Kings Lynn isn't ideal as a cruising base: yachtsmen mostly aren't looking for a very challenging experience: ideally, they like to be able to cruise a few miles to some scenic but sheltered anchorage where they can anchor, take the kids ashore to play on the nice sandy beach, have lunch, sail home in the afternoon. That scenario isn't ever feasible here because the river's only navigable when the tide's in. There aren't really any neighbouring marinas for a nice easy weekend cruise, either. Wisbech is probably the favourite, but it's not amazingly simple.
There's some mention of visiting yachts, but again, it's a loooong haul from practically anywhere, and as for boats on passage northbound or southbound, deviating to visit Lynn adds a big slab of mileage: it's just about exactly as far from Yarmouth to Lynn as it is from Yarmouth to Grimsby.
It's my conclusion that the idea of a marina in the proposed location is a folly, and for these reasons:
- The construction cost is too high.
- The demand is too low.
- Not only will public money be required for construction, but it will also be required to subsidise operation