A £1m development scheme on Looe's harbour front is set to bring benefits to the harbour, fishing and tourist industries – and the foundations of the town itself! Looe Harbour Commissioners are due to begin construction of a new building to accommodate new fisheries facilities on Granite Quay, Looe in April. The project will also include strengthening works to 30 yards (27m) of the Granite Quay on which the new building will stand. Objective One Fisheries grants of more than £870,000 have been awarded for the work which is aimed at ensuring the port meets the needs of the modern fishing fleet and onshore businesses. With additional grant aid from Rural Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Partnership, Cornwall County Council and Caradon District Council, the cost of the project is more than £1m. The new building will incorporate fishermen's gear stores with power supplies, workspace for net making and mending, as well as marine engineering. It will also cater for the construction and fitting out of three new high-specification fish processing units designed to meet the increasing quality and hygiene demands of the food industry and provide space for fish processing businesses to create new products for customers. The new processing units are for rental by the Looe Harbour Commissioners and they have been allocated to expanding local businesses which are building on Looe's reputation for high quality fish products. The aim of the project is to further raise the quality and provision of services and accommodation for modern fish catching and fish processing operations, putting Looe at the forefront of modern integrated fish industry development. Armand Toms, chairman of the Harbour Commissioners, this week expressed his delight at the award of the grant which, he said, would allow the harbour authority to further improve the facilities available to the users of the port. 'The fishermen in particular will enjoy improved storage facilities and there will be new accommodation for ancillary services on the quayside. Also a number of fish processors will be renting the new high specification units which will enable additional quality products generated within the port to compete worldwide,' he said. Mr Toms added that the strengthening work to the harbour walls was essential as they retain the copper mine waste used as infill when the quays were originally constructed. 'If the walls were to collapse at any time it could be disastrous as the infill would wash out in no time, undermining the buildings which stand on the reclaimed ground. 'Refurbishment of the walls is a real bonus for the rest of the town and the idea is to carry it on over the years as further grant aid becomes available.' Commissioners' chief executive Tina Hicks explained that the new grant comes in the wake of ten previous projects that have been completed with assistance of Objective One funding over the last three years, enabling the port of Looe to be assured of its future as one of the significant fishing ports in England, and to maintain its reputation as a port offering top quality day-boat fish. It was also important for tourism which relies heavily on Looe maintaining a working port, she said. The new building was designed to the Harbour Commissioners specifications by local architect Andrew Thomas and the contract for the project was won by Midas Construction. Richard Ellis, Divisional Manager said: 'Midas is delighted to be the main contractor on this project. It is an area of expertise for us, having worked on similar projects in the past, and we are looking forward to the particular challenges of this job over the coming months. We are continuing to work closely with the Looe Harbour Commissioners, the funding bodies and the design team.' The contractors are expected to start on site in mid April when scaffolding and fencing will be put up. The contract includes the demolition of the existing Granite Quay building to make way for the new development which will be in keeping with other buildings on East Looe waterfront.
