LOOE town council has shown its strong backing for a pre-feasibility study for an outer harbour, by pledging up to £5,000 to cover any shortfall in the £30,000 needed.
At the town council meeting, there was full support for a letter from the harbour board who are raising the funds for the study, having already received some financial backing from Caradon, The Environment Agency and the Regional Development Agency. Looe Town Forum pledged £250 at their meeting on Monday.
It has been explained that because of the nature of such a huge scheme, which it is hoped will attract £millions from Objective One, a full feasibility study will cost more than £100,000. Before that amount of money is spent, it has been deemed logical to spend a lesser amount in the interim to find out firstly whether or not the scheme would be possible. The pre-feasibility study will take the affect on the environment into its calculations, which is a major consideration.
Councillor and harbour commissioner Colin Cotton had impressed on councillors that agreeing financial support at this stage did not necessarily mean supporting an outer harbour as there will be a town referendum.