The country’s general trade union, GMB, is calling on the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, to use his powers to investigate the finances of the private company that runs Bembridge Harbour.
The ownership of the Harbour, which was once community-owned but is now in the hands of a single family, the Thorpe’s, has been of local interest for sometime. They successfully outbid the charity Bembridge Harbour Trust back in 2008.
According to GMB, since this particular piece of privatisation occurred ‘controversy and financial scandals have blighted the Harbour’s development’ and ‘undermined public confidence in the running of the Harbour for the best interests of users and residents’.
The 101st GMB Congress, which last week saw 500 elected lay members and 300 visitors and guests descend on Brighton, is calling to enact the Bembridge Harbour Act 1963 which allows for the Secretary of State to call in the books of the Bembridge Harbour Improvement Company (BHIC) and conduct and audit.
Paul Maloney, GMB Regional Secretary said:
“It is clear that considerable questions surround the management and sustainability of Bembridge Harbour.
“Despite community attempts to bring a greater degree of public transparency to the financial management of the Harbour, the time has come for the Secretary of State to get a grip and use his departments powers to audit the Harbour books.
“Finally, the impact on direct employment and the maintenance and growth of leisure activities mean urgent public scrutiny of the Harbour’s long term viability is vital which is why we are seeking from the Secretary of State, the use of his delegated powers to show the books to the Bembridge community.”
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Reacting to the calls for an investigation, Malcolm Thorpe has said:
“The Management of Bembridge Harbour is aware that Jeremy Gully, Chairman of Bembridge Harbour Trust, has met with Sir Paul Kenny, a Bembridge resident and former General Secretary of the GMB to discuss matters relating to the Harbour.
“Regrettably neither Sir Paul nor any representative of GMB has made any contact with the Harbour for clarification of Mr Gully’s claims.
“The Trust is against the Harbour’s regeneration plans which in December 2017 received its 2nd positive resolution for consent since the original approval in December 2015. In the intervening 2 years a number of very thorough and comprehensive investigations and reports were carried out by, or on behalf of, the Isle of Wight Council as a result of representations made to them by the Trust. This involved answering their many financial questions, including that referred to in the recent GMB Congress Press Release, all of which were answered fully and to their satisfaction. The Trust was sent copies of all such correspondence.
“It appears that the Trust has misled the GMB stating that the net sale proceeds from a houseboat plot sale completed on 07/04/2014 had not been paid into the Harbour [BHIC] bank account. A full explanation had been sent to the Trust on 07/07/2017 on receipt of their request, explaining that £80,000 as the net sale proceeds had been paid into BHIC on 14/04/2014 – seven days post the sale; a copy of the Bank Transfer form was also included.
“By such actions the Harbour Authority has demonstrated that it has complied totally with both its corporate obligations and with clause 31 of the 1963 Harbour Act in a transparent manner.
“It should be noted that during the period 01/02/12 to 31/03/2016 our total investment within the Harbour was £1,031,137 [new pontoons / new taxi engines / workboat / new moorings / dredging / Port Marine Safety Code provision / management software / staff training etc] – yet the Trust ignore such facts.
“The Trust has continuously tried to demonstrate that the Harbour and its management have acted illegally on several aspects; their misleading remarks are inaccurate, incorrect and undeserved and are all part of their continuing campaign to undermine the Harbour management and derail our planning consent – the latter planning resolution being approved post the Harbour answering all the financial questions being raised by the Trust via the Isle of Wight Council.
“It should be noted that the Harbour submit their annual accounts to the Department for Transport as well as the Isle of Wight Council”.
