Port is on the up and up, surely?

But why the pessimism as to the future of the port? I understand that, following the decline due to the recent recession, trade is now picking up and there is no justification for the premise that the future is either port or marina, when the merits of commerce, employment, “green” transport and tourism make clear that the best future for the harbour is as a bustling port and marina.

I am sure many readers would appreciate regular publication of port movements, giving the name of the vessel, its cargo and place of origin or destination.

K. W. Grimes,

Broadmark Avenue,

Rustington

Editor’s note: thanks for your comments, Mr Grimes. As a story nearer the front of this week’s paper (page 2) makes clear, however, commercial trade in Littlehampton harbour is far from recovering.

The Harbour Board was told on Monday that the total number of cargo ships visiting this year was unlikely to reach even the conservatively low estimate of 24 made when the budget was prepared.

It was also stated that the cost of providing a pilot boat and pilot heavily outweighed the income from commercial shipping, and that the board remained determined to follow the course of a leisure-only port.

We would gladly publish details of shipping visiting Littlehampton if the harbour board can provide it, but with only one or two vessels a month coming in, and sometimes none, it’s unlikely to be a regular feature, as it used to be in the much busier days a decade, and more, ago.