Funding approved to help carry out maintenance works at Littlehampton Harbour

The money, along with £1million from Arun District Council, will be used to pay for the replacement of timbers on the West Wall of the harbour and to cover the cost of replacing the dilapidated groyne on West Beach.

The decision to use funds from the capital programme was taken on Tuesday (July 25) by Deborah Urquhart, cabinet member for environment & climate change.

The harbour is managed by a Harbour Board, on which the majority of members are appointed by the county and district councils, with a chairman appointed by the Environment Agency.

If the care of the harbour leaves the Board needing money beyond what it can cover with harbour dues and its maintenance reserve, the two councils are called on to provide the cash.

A report by Lee Harris, director of place services, predicted that more money would be needed in the future.

He said the harbour infrastructure had been surveyed in 2022, with consultants reporting that maintenance costs over a 15-year period would be in the region of £30million.

Mr Harris wrote: “Those costs cannot be met from Harbour Board income resources or its maintenance reserve.

“If no other funding were to be secured from external sources, it would mean that [the county and district councils] would need to find £15million each over this period.”

None of the harbour infrastructure is owned by either council.

Mr Harris added: “Recent damage has resulted in closure of the harbour to certain larger commercial vessels as well as the closure of facilities on West Beach to the public.”