Agenda item

Consider Joint report by Executive Director, Corporate Improvement and Economy and Service Director, Assets and Infrastructure.  (Copy attached.)

3.         EYEMOUTH HARBOUR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENNACE PROJECT- UPDATE ON THE PROPOSED DIVE SHORE ACCESS ROAD FOR RECREATIONAL DIVERS

3.1       There had been circulated copies of a joint report by the Executive Director, Corporate Improvement and Economy and Service Director, Assets & Infrastructure which provided elected members with an update on the Eyemouth Operations and Maintenance Project Neart na Gaoithe offshore windfarm and specifically on the funding and construction of the proposed dive shore access road for recreational divers, which was a key condition of the recently approved planning application.  The report explained that earlier in the year planning permission had been granted to Eyemouth Harbour Trust for a new Operations & Maintenance (O&M) base at Eyemouth Harbour to support the Neart an Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm.  The O&M base would house office, warehousing and staff welfare facilities for the servicing of the wind farm and had potential to provide the town with significant economic benefits, including direct and indirect employment opportunities and allowed for the diversification of the existing harbour operations.  The key planning condition was the requirement that vehicular access be maintained to nearby popular diving sites at Greenends Gully and Nestends Gully during the construction and operational phases of the O&M base development. Following discussions between Eyemouth Harbour Trust and Scottish Borders Council, it was agreed that a re-routing of the access road which was also known as the Dive Shore Road would be required to satisfy planning conditions outlined in the initial application. It was also agreed that Scottish Borders Council would design and help fund the new access road to help ensure the work related to the O&M base could be initiated.  The proposed new section of Dive Road would provide vehicular access to the popular dive sites and would be approximately 60 metres in length, with its width varying between 5.5m and 3.25m. The new road had been designed to facilitate access for emergency vehicles should they be required and it was proposed that this new section of road would be constructed by the Council’s in-house construction team, SBc Contracts. 

3.2       The cost of the new section of road had been estimated to be in the region of £145k, part funding of £20k was being provided by Eyemouth Harbour Trust.  A contribution of £125k was required from the revenue roads budget to allow for the works at the Dive Shore Access Road to proceed.  The sum of £125k would be allocated from the Emergency & Unplanned Schemes fund to the Roads Block within capital to allow eligible capital works to take place which were being re-allocated from the revenue budget to allow the scheme to be funded.  Members welcomed this development.

DECISION