The 15 Trustees are unpaid volunteers. Every year, five resident Polperro ratepayers are elected at an annual meeting to serve for three years. The Trustees themselves elect a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Harbourmaster.

Income from harbour dues, such as fish landing and mooring charges, as well as wayleave and receipts from the Heritage Museum, is used to meet the cost of maintaining the quays and piers and other overheads.

Chairman: C Sargent Vice Chairman: T Courtis Treasurer: J Gregory

Enquiries to: Harbourmaster: Chris Curtis

Tel: 01503 272423

E-mail: blackmore@polperroharbour.freeserve.co.uk
N.B. Use telephone if your enquiry is urgent!

Latest Harbour News:

Polperro Harbour is administered by the Harbour Trustees, established by an Act of Parliament in 1894 “for the improvement, maintenance and regulation of the harbour”.

The fifteen Trustees are unpaid volunteers and the cost of maintaining the quays and piers is met from income from harbour dues, such as fish landing and mooring charges, as well as receipts from the Heritage Museum.

After nearly 30 years of operation, the gate is showing signs of distress and the Trustees are not able to afford the sums required for significant repairs.

The existing gate is designed to be operated at all stages of the tide and act as a wave filter, water is allowed through gaps in the timbers contained within channels in the gate frame but wave energy is dissipated. There so no effective sealing so the gate does not provide the opportunity to control the inner harbour level.

The proposed new gate will be capable of sealing the harbour from the sea to maximum level of 4.5 mtrs above ordinance datum but is designed specifically as not to be capable of retaining waters within the harbour keeping the existing tidal regime.

The new gate is designed to give tidal flood protection to the harbour area and the surrounding properties protecting49residential and 28 commercial properties, including listed buildings, against a 1 in 100 year tidal flooding event during the anticipated lifespan of the gate of 50 years.

Still water protection to a 1 in 200 year standard is projected. Over topping analysis will provide operating level data to enable the new gate to be closed on a building tide leaving sufficient capacity in the harbour for ingress from wave action.

Safe operation of the tidal gate will be greatly enhanced with the new proposal of hydraulic controls and interlocks replacing the existing hazardous rope and pulley system. The location of the hydraulic control station and safety of the operator has been carefully assessed. The joystick control will be a failsafe spring loaded central off and the location of the control station will enable the operator to view boat movements.

(July 2009)