News - 28/10/14

Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) has today (Tuesday, 28th October 2014) launched an online consultation that is aimed at assisting the Commission during a major review of the vision, strategic objectives, plans and policies for Cowes Harbour on the Isle of Wight. The e-consultation, which is designed to give stakeholders the chance to have their say on the future of the harbour, can be accessed via the Survey Monkey website at: surveymonkey.com/s/CowesHarbourStrategicReview. 

Capt. Stuart McIntosh, Cowes Harbour Master, said: “My Commissioners and I would like to invite and encourage input to our e-survey from as many stakeholders and harbour users as possible and indeed from all those who are interested in creating a widely supported and sustainable long-term vision for Cowes Harbour. 

“The key question we are asking at this point is, what do you want Cowes Harbour to look like in 2020 and beyond? This, along with other leading questions and topics,” Capt. McIntosh continued, “will form part of our strategic review taking place up until next February. We intend to consult and involve harbour users and stakeholders right from the start, through to the approval of CHC’s new strategy, and will also be holding a series of direct consultation meetings with the main Cowes Harbour stakeholder groups.”

Now that construction of the new Cowes breakwater is progressing on schedule and other key projects from the Commission’s current 2010-2015 strategic framework are either complete or under way, CHC believes that this is the right time to review its vision for the harbour, underlying strategy, plans, objectives and performance targets. A new CHC strategy covering the period 2015 to 2020 and beyond will be developed by April 2015 and promoted at the next CHC Annual Public Meeting on 21st May 2015.

CHC’s Strategic Review online survey, entitled “The vision for Cowes Harbour in 2020 and beyond!”, should take around 10-15 minutes to complete, depending on the amount of information you may wish to provide. To allow CHC sufficient time to evaluate results, the online consultation will close on Monday, 1st December 2014.

Updated 4th November 2014: You can also pick up a printed copy of the Strategic Review consultation questionnaire from the Harbour Office, Shepards Wharf Marina, and Kingston Marine Services. Alternatively, you can download a PDF of the questionnaire. Printed copies of the consultation questionnaire should be returned to the Harbour Office at Town Quay by 1st December.