You may not be aware of the proposal by Peelports which is the company employed to manage harbours in the Clyde estuary to institute an annual charge of £100 +VAT to recreational boat users who keep their boats anywhere within Clyde waters - which includes all of the Clyde sea lochs.
Unsurprisingly there is considerable opposition to this and a petition is in existence. Whether or not you possess a boat you are encouraged to sign it.
Petition to oppose Peelports Conservancy Fee
Stuart McMillan, the Inverclyde MSP who is the convenor of the Scottish Government Cross Party Group on Recreational Boating Marine Tourism has issued the following open letter:
Quote
To whom this may concern,
Re: Peel Ports Clydeport’s plans to introduce conservancy fee
I write on behalf of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group (CPG) on Recreational Boating and Marine Tourism which I convene.
I am writing to make you aware of Peel Ports’ intentions to introduce a £100 conservancy fee for leisure craft sailing in the Clydeport area from April 2025.
By way of background, this has been discussed at two of the most recent CPG on Recreational Boating and Marine Tourism meetings on 24th September and 27th November 2024. On both occasions, Peel Ports were invited along to outline their plans, but twice declined to participate. Consequently, it was unanimously agreed at the November meeting of the CPG that our collective position is that these plans should be abandoned.
Concerns include how the marine tourism economy will be damaged as boaters will be put off sailing within Clydeports’ waters. Boaters are also angry at the lack of meaningful dialogue with them about these plans, which has led to questions arising over how the fee will be spent.
Another worry relates to the progressive increase in charges that will surely happen if a conservancy fee is implemented. The somewhat limited fee, as proposed, will inevitably not remain the same in the coming years. In effect, this fee is considered very much as a ‘cash grab’ by the recreational boating sector.
The reason I am bringing this matter to your intention is because it affects areas within your local authority area. Consequently, when Peel Ports initiate the statutory consultation period, which is expected to begin later this month, we wanted to ensure that [X] Council were in a position to respond to the proposals.
Understandably, I appreciate you will be limited in your ability to respond to this letter given the current lack of details provided by Peel Ports about these proposals. However, I wanted to make you aware of the Open Letter that I have sent to Peel Ports on behalf of the CPG, with Kenneth Gibson MSP and Clare Adamson MSP also co-signatories, and the public petition that I’ve launched which is calling on Peel Ports to abandon their plans to introduce a conservancy charge. I’ve also attached a briefing note that was sent to all MSPs regarding this matter.
So far, the petition has reached over 2,300 signatures – but we know that this only represents a small amount of the boating community in Scotland. Plus, I have received correspondence from sailors who live in other parts of the UK who visit the Clyde and have said they oppose these proposals, and would consider sailing elsewhere if it was introduced. I will therefore continue to call on Peel Ports to ditch their plans for a conservancy fee in the Clydeport area, and try to make as many stakeholders as possible aware of these plans.
I trust this information is helpful.