The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has raised questions over a £75,000 grant it gave to Brightlingsea Town Council (BTC) to build the Heritage Jetty on the town’s hard.
The future use of the jetty – completed in the autumn of 2021 with an additional £25,000 from the town council – has been thrown into doubt following a ruling by the Land Registry that prevents it being extended further out into Brightlingsea Creek.
The town council believed it had the rights to the land needed for the extension, known as Stone or Stoney Ground but, after documents missing from a previous application to the Registry came to light, its latest application to register the land has been cancelled.
The original grant application said that the jetty was primarily intended for use by coded, or licensed, fishermen and would support jobs, but without the extension to the low water mark, fishing boats cannot make full use of it. It was also suggested that the jetty could be used by traditional vessels such as Thames barges – but there is not enough water for such large craft to reach the jetty in its current form.
A screenshot of an email from the MMO posted on the Brightlingsea Harbour Users Facebook page said: “We have had dialogue with the applicant [BTC], and allowed them suitable time to respond, and also posed questions and offered opportunities for them to consider.”
The email suggests that any decision about the validity of the grant won’t be made until the new year. Potentially, an adverse decision could see the council having to repay the grant or even sell the jetty – which the council values at around £150,000.
This week, BTC issued the following statement: “Brightlingsea Town Council has been notified by the Land Registry that the application to register the land known as Stoney Ground has been cancelled. The council fully accepts this ruling and whilst we are disappointed to have received cancellation, it will be of comfort to the residents of Brightlingsea that the application and process was made at no cost to the council.”
In a post published on its website in October this year, the town council stated: “Our efforts to clarify the status of Stone Ground are solely aimed at improving community amenities. We believe that, in partnership with Brightlingsea Harbour Commission, the MMO and local professional coded fishing vessels, responsible management of this area is in the best interest of all residents.”
It added that extending the jetty would benefit local fishermen by providing easier access for launching and docking, enhance safety by reducing congestion on the main town jetty, and promote recreation by providing space for crabbing and other activitities.
• Brightlingsea Info has asked BTC and current mayor John Carr – the councillor who led the jetty project – for comment about the involvement of the MMO, but no response had been received at the time of posting this article.
