Marine Business Hub Future For Fowey Shipyard?

Having gained fame as a base for building boats for the 1944 D-day landings, Brazen Island shipyard in Fowey in Cornwall, is now in line to shoot dramatically into the 21^st century as a result of a partnership between Fowey Harbour Commissioners and the University of Plymouth.

The collaboration through UK-funded programme the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) will not only secure the future of Brazen Island shipyard but create jobs and business growth.

Hopefully there is a brighter future for Brazen Island

Captain Paul Thomas, Fowey harbour master, has called it a "now or never opportunity", which will require the latest skills, expertise and "significant funding" to realise ambitions for the 278-metre long strip of land, which originally began life as a sardine factory.

Will Cooper, business development manager and KTP associate, was drafted in to look at the harbour's viability and has seen the potential of the area. He said: "Brazen Island shipyard is essential to the day-to-day running of the Harbour Commissioners' fleet. It is such a fantastic spot, has such a strong heritage of shipbuilding and ship repair."

The shipyard was once a thriving hub, employing up to 60 people at its height, but today only six are employed on the island, which is suffering from subsidence and a lack of investment in equipment and facilities. The situation has become critical since the port was ravage by the storms in January, which ripped up quay buildings, the island's impressive slipway, dredged nearby Cairn beach of sand, and left approximately £150,000 of damage in its wake.

Mr Thomas said: "It's a now or never opportunity, and I don't think that's an over exaggeration. We have to do something and we have to do it quickly and we can't do it on our own, that is the bottom line. We have tried to muddle on for decades and that has not worked. But with the right funding, right investment and business plan we can support work and create opportunities for the next 50 to 100 years."

Already there has been support from  Cornwall Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)  for the idea, which could bring workspace for small marine businesses from the town or even a dry dock. Another important aspect is to cordon off and then repair the dangerous iron spikes exposed by the storms on the foreshore of Cairn beach, popular with locals but who are being advised to avoid it because of the hazard.

Mr Cooper said: "There's huge potential at Brazen Island to incorporate local start-up businesses, as well as maintaining the current engineering jobs, which are so vital to the running of the harbour.

"Key to any development is understanding and incorporating the needs of the Fowey community and the local economy. As such we're hopeful for funding in the not too distant future, but our case is dependent upon the LEP and the powers that be sharing our ambition for securing jobs, and providing a home for new marine enterprises," he added.

Mr Thomas said: "We're going to be asking for a significant amount of money, we're not talking hundreds of thousands here, but this kind of investment is going to provide opportunities for local families and that's worth every penny."