Harbourside apartment residents worry about noisy boats as pontoon plans approved

Up to 34 boats could soon be moored on the new pontoon planned for the Floating Harbour

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People living in apartments on the Harbourside in Bristol have raised concerns about noisy boats as plans for a new pontoon were approved. Up to 34 boats could soon be moored on the new pontoon planned for south of Capricorn Quay in the Floating Harbour.

Residents living metres away from the pontoon objected to the plans, and claimed that the potential noise from boats, like halyards slapping sailboat masts, would be an 'excessive cacophony'. One said he was previously forced to move away from Brighton Marina due to noisy boats.

Bristol City Council now has planning permission to install the new pontoon south of Hotwell Road, as well as a small toilet and shower building. Councillors on the development control B committee narrowly voted to approve the plans.

Read more:Pontoon plans prompt noise concerns among Harbourside apartment residents

Speaking to the committee, Frazer Bridgeford, a local resident, said: "Regular, excessive, disturbing noise will be generated from rigging, the pontoon, engines and crews on boats. It was claimed that reed beds would help reduce noise, however there's no evidence for this whatsoever. Residents are overwhelmingly opposed to this."

Nick Cater, another Harbourside resident, added: "Having lived in Brighton Marina for a year, I can testify that the noise and clamour from rigging from sailing boats causes an excessive cacophony — especially for a residential area. It was not ideal but I expected it, and I was forced to move due to the excessive noise."

Another issue is the potential pollution coming from boats mooring on the pontoon. Many boats which use Bristol's harbour run on diesel engines, and emit harmful air pollution — but these boats don't have to pay a fee as part of the Clean Air Zone, introduced late last year.

James Scrivens said: "The proposed location is in the Clean Air Zone recently brought in to address air pollution, especially from diesel engines. Under the current proposals boats will not be banned from running diesel engines. This goes against the whole purpose of the Clean Air Zone and poses a threat to our health."

The pontoon will be restricted to leisure licences, meaning boats can only moor there for a maximum of three weeks at a time. These licences include rules about keeping masts and riggings tightly secure, to prevent nuisance noise. But according to some of the residents at the meeting, there is little enforcement of these rules.

A council planning officer said: "The residents have pointed out that the site is within the Clean Air Zone, but from my conversation with the air quality officer, this only applies to vehicles on highways. It doesn't apply to vessels moored in this location.

"It's the pontoon that we’re considering today. The use of it will be to moor vessels, but they’re not always going to be there making noise. It's the infrastructure that we’re considering today, which doesn't make any noise itself.

"It's only when there's certain yachts that have equipment on particularly windy days. It will make a noise, but it's a noise you would expect to hear in a harbour, if I’m honest."

Several of the residents objecting to the plans appeared to become angry during the meeting, and towards the end began shouting at councillors and council officers. Green councillor Ani Stafford-Townsend, chair of the committee, said they could object to the boat licences under a separate process, but also admitted the situation was 'quite frustrating'.

Cllr Stafford-Townsend said: "Unfortunately a lot of the concerns that residents have are not planning considerations. They’re more tied to licensing and how the harbour authority is going to run it.

"There is sometimes a slightly awkward disconnect between licensing and planning, but also in this particular instance it's the harbour authority who is technically responsible for running the harbour, not the council as such. It makes things a little more complicated quite often.

"What I would say to the community is there's still a chance to get yourselves involved in the licensing process for how this pontoon will be run and organised and operated. That's something that I urge you to get involved in. You can put statements and objections in and that will help address quite a lot of the concerns. But I know it's quite frustrating."

The committee was split on whether to grant planning permission for the pontoon, with three voting in favour and three voting against. Voting in favour were Cllr Stafford-Townsend, Labour Cllr Katja Hornchen, and Green Cllr Lorraine Francis. Voting against were Green Cllr Guy Poultney, and Conservatives Cllr Chris Windows and Cllr Lesley Alexander. As the vote was tied, Cllr Stafford-Townsend gave their casting vote as chair of the committee in favour.