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Target exceeded in quay £100k fundraising drive

Tamsin Melvillein Gorran Haven
News imageBBC A backdrop of Gorran Haven harbour with quay walls made of brown bricks with scaffolding along them, there are steps leading down to the sea, and a ladder and black tyres on the wall. There are large visible cracks on the far left wall that have been filled in white. BBC
Large cracks have been temporarily filled in and initial work carried out at Gorran Haven Quay

A race is on to fix an historic harbour before any winter storms cause additional damage.

More than £100,000 has been raised following a community campaign to preserve Gorran Haven Harbour Quay, near Mevagissey in Cornwall.

The Gorran Haven Harbour Trust (GHHT) said the 19th Century quay needed to be underpinned to prevent the end collapsing after storm damage earlier this year caused large cracks. Cracks have been temporarily filled in.

Initial exploratory work was completed earlier this month and it was hoped the major restoration work could begin as soon as possible, supporters said.

News imageGeoff Fox - an older man looking directly at the camera and smiling. He has grey hair and a grey beard and is wearing rimless glasses. He is wearing an orange coat with a blue lining and a pale blue shirt. He is standing on Gorran Haven quay which you can also see behind him along with part of the harbour and cliffs. The sky is blue with white clouds.
Geoff Fox says the Gorran Haven Harbour Trust is anxious to get on with the work now the money has been raised

Residents said it would be "catastrophic" to lose the quay, built in the 1880s, which acts as a breakwater protecting the harbour and village.

There have also been concerns that tourism and fishing could be impacted by any damage.

Geoff Fox, chair of GHHT, said: "Thanks to the incredible efforts and magnificent generosity of the local community and the extended Gorran Haven family, we have exceeded our fundraising target."

Fox said the initial exploratory work had led to a change in approach to the repairs, which meant there was now an anxious wait to get the work done as winter approached.

He said: "We already got listed building consent to do the work that was planned. But, because there's just a slight difference, we've now got to redo it.

"We've been told that could take eight weeks, and any storm we get in those weeks could cause serious damage."

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for strong winds on Friday as a result of Storm Austen.

News imageBob Winter is an older man looking directly at the camera. He has a white beard, white hair and a tanned, lined face. He is wearing a navy top with a lighter blue jumper underneath. Gorran Haven quay and harbour are behind him and the sky is blue with white clouds.
Harbourmaster Bob Winter said money was donated by supporters from all over the country

Harbourmaster Bob Winter said he was "incredibly pleased" with the fundraising response as further storm damage was a real threat.

He said: "I've been in the village for 50 years and I've seen the storms increase year by year.

"I think it won't be too many years before we have major problems.

"Storm Goretti was bad, but we get these storms every year from the east and, of course, we've just got a constant erosion really of this old quay."

Members of the Gorran Haven Harbour Trust said they hoped they could still complete the first phase of the works before the end of the year, with long-term defences also planned to protect the quay, boat pound and waterside properties for future generations.

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