Commit to the sustainable management and conservation of the harbour, estuary, and local environment.
As a Statutory Harbour Authority and Trust Port, Cowes Harbour Commission is required to have due regard to the
environment in every aspect of the business and its activities. CHC’s jurisdiction extends from the Prince Consort north
cardinal buoy in the Outer Harbour and down the Medina Estuary as far as the Folly. CHC also has a number of
responsibilities under specifi c legislation that relate to the marine and coastal environment within its jurisdiction.
Strategic Plan Objectives
Dredging Management Plan: Develop a new, sustainable and cost-effi cient Medina Estuary
Dredging Management Plan underpinned by long-term monitoring, and promote alternative
dredging methods. 2016-2017
Over the past year CHC has continued work towards developing a sustainable and cost-effi cient Maintenance
Dredging Management Plan in partnership with stakeholders, to be underpinned by long-term monitoring and
to promote alternative dredging methods where appropriate.
Dredging stakeholders attended a meeting in 2017 to begin the process and since then, work has concentrated
on gathering further information about sediment movement in the estuary and how this could be managed
more effectively. Once developed, the Plan could bring considerable benefi ts to stakeholders, including cost
effi ciencies through the rollout of partnership surveying and a CHC-facilitated consenting process, as well as
potential benefi ts to the environment through a review of dredging methods.
Reports on sediment movement in the estuary are available online:
cowesharbourcommission.co.uk/estuary_sedimentation_management
Core Policy
Maintenance Dredging Protocol: Maintain the Medina Estuary Baseline Document on behalf
of stakeholders. 2016-2021
CHC has been working closely with the Isle of Wight Estuaries Offi cer and our estuarine sedimentation consultant,
Dr Rob Nunny, to review and update the Medina Estuary Baseline Document. This important document forms
the background environmental and ecological data used in any dredging licensing application to the Marine
Management Organisation (MMO). Without this document, each stakeholder wishing to dredge would have
to carry out their own detailed environmental impact assessment and submit evidence to the MMO prior to any
dredge licence application being considered. The updated document is nearing completion and will be agreed
with Natural England before being used to inform the Medina Estuary Dredging Management Plan.
Annual Report 2017 - 2018
23