The future of a Crown Estate owned Moray Harbour could become clearer after a talks take place this evening with local boat owners.
Following extensive damage to Portgordon Harbour in storms last winter the Crown Estate asked boat owners to remove their vessels from the harbour to allow essential repairs to be carried out.
However, with nowhere to go the owners sought to negotiate a deal – and were offered the chance to purchase the Harbour, which requires repairs that are likely to cost around £400,000, for just £1.
The talks this evening will involve the Crown Estate and Moray Council as well as representatives from the Portgordon Harbour group.
Chairman of the group, Lee Brown, said: “We want the boats back in the water and we might get that resolution out of this meeting.
“I hope that we can work with the Crown Estate to draw up a local management agreement and for workers to come down to the harbour on a voluntary basis to carry out repair works.”
Two boats remain in the harbour despite a warning that they would be removed and destroyed if they remained there after September 18.
A large section of the harbour wall was destroyed in the storms that hit the Moray Coast just before Christmas last year. It has since continued to deteriorate and there are fears that any future storm would completely destroy the remaining harbour defences.