Fishing boat owners at Fleetwood's Jubilee Quay raise concerns over letters from ABP about 'urgent works'

The boat owners of Jubilee Quay have been told that Associated British Ports (ABP) needs to carry out urgent engineering inspections on the quay due to safety concerns.

It will mean the men won’t be able to go about their business as usual while the work is carried out, and the vessels may have to be moved out of the quay altogether.

ABP says it will work with the men and offer them use of Fleetwood’s main dock during the work but the mariners,. who have had a number of disputes with the authority, are not happy.

The men, just a handful of survivors of Fleetwood’s once great fishing industry, own small fishing trawlers and pleasure boats in the quay.

Although the fishermen are able to use Jubilee Quay rent-free, they have accused ABP of neglecting it and the dockland area generally.

What is Jubilee Quay?

Jubilee Quay is a separate area of the docks, located at the north end of the port facility, and has been historically set aside for smaller, inshore boats.

But the men believe that ABP wants them out for good so that all its responsibilities for the quay’s upkeep will end

ABP says this is not true and insists the latest inspections are vital from a health and safety perspective and that, as the port authority, it is under an obligation to carry them out.

The fishermen’s view

John Worthington, 57, who owns the 10 metre trawler Mi Amor, said: "We don’t want to move our boats to the marina or the main dock because is completely unsuitable for fishing boats now – it’s unhygienic so there is nowhere else we can go.

"They say they want to carry out all these works, but they have done nothing here for the last 20 years.

“The work carried out here at Jubilee Quay has been done by the boat owners, not ABP.

"We paid for and had the bollards put in to stop thieves bringing their cars up here, we paid for the lights here.

“If we have to leave Jubilee Quay now will be even harder to get back .

"This is our quay and we don’t plan on moving out.”

What the letters say

In the letters, ABP says: ”We urgently need to carry out engineering inspections as we have serious concerns as to the condition of escape from water ladders at the Quay; marine bollards at the Quay; and the surface area of the Quay.

"The risks that we have identified to the Assets are considerable and pose a danger to users of the Quay, the wider public and ABP staff.

"ABP wishes to work with you (the boat owners) and other users of the Quay to accommodate your use of the Quay.

"However, health and safety issues are of paramount importance to ABP, and we cannot allow equipment or Assets to be used on ABP land, and within our Statutory Harbour Area of responsibility, which is unsafe.”

It continues: “We intend to carry out an engineering inspection of the Assets on or around the 7th July 2023.

"Please can you contact me urgently so that we can meet and discuss the practicalities involved in accessing the Quay in order to carry out the inspection.

“Whilst we are conducting the inspection, you and other users of the Quay will not be able to access the Quay and as such I suggest that we meet at the earliest opportunity to discuss alternative arrangements.

"ABP would be happy to offer you and other users of the Quay alternative mooring space within the Marina at the Port during the period of the inspection.”

APB comment

An ABP spokesperson said: "The age of Jubilee Quay and the way it was constructed means that there are now significant safety concerns about its structural integrity.

"ABP is obliged by regulation to undertake investigative work to ascertain the true state of Jubilee Quay, and to ensure that it is safe for its users.

"We have attempted to engage constructively with the current occupants of Jubilee Quay in order to find a viable solution where we can access the side of the quay to conduct these inspections, however this has proved difficult to achieve. “It has therefore been regrettably necessary to issue a formal letter to occupants.

"We aim to discuss reasonably with Jubilee Quay occupants about the critical work required and alternative berthing options that ABP can provide to continue to enable fishing activities to take place at Fleetwood.

"At the end of the day this is a safety matter and in the interests of all users of Jubilee Quay."