The fate of the Egremont’s mooring in Salcombe has been sealed.

In a meeting on Monday, July 16, the Salcombe Harbour Board voted against renewing the ship’s mooring for the next 30 years.

The unanimous decision, made in agreement by every member of the harbour board, means that the Egremont will not be returning to Salcombe after spending more than a year upcountry undergoing an extensive refurbishment.

In the public open forum prior to SHB coming to this decision, a few people spoke up in favour of the Egremont returning to Salcombe, including Stephanie Danby, who started a petition earlier last week in hopes of proving to the board how important the ship is to both locals and visitors alike.

Other members of the public spoke out against her return, saying that “in order to make the project financially viable, the ship would need to be highly commercial,” and, “the Island Cruising Club should direct their ideas into forming a new vision, rather than holding onto the Egremont”.

Egremont Trust chairman Richard Martin spoke to the board asking it to consider the significance and importance of the well-being of the disadvantaged children in their decision making process.

He also questioned whether the board was in favour of withdrawing the ship’s mooring in order to create new moorings for other boats in the future, which the new Harbour Master, Cameron Sims-Stirling quickly denied.

Councillor Julian Brazil and chairman of the board, was keen to stress that this decision in no way means that the board has lost sight of the incredible benefits that a sailing school for disadvantaged children could offer.

However, despite repeated requests for a detailed business plan and a proposal that would explain how the business could operate, nothing has been forthcoming.

The board was also concerned about the £2m funding that was withdrawn from the project.

Cllr Brazil said: “What has been shown here is that it is not financially viable, and if we were to let the Egremont return we would be leaving the harbour open to risk. Where is the business plan that could show us how this could happen? We do not have enough certainty on so many issues. We have been left with no choice.”

Cllr Brazil concluded by saying that “the board is sorry for all of the dedication and hard work shown by the Egremont Trust, but the board is doing what it has been brought together to do: to protect and fulfil the commercial, operational and strategic requirements of the harbour for the benefit of all.

“We have let this rumble on for too long in the hope that the Egremont Trust could demonstrate that its proposal was sound. Sadly, it has been unable to do this.”

The ship was previously moored in the harbour and supported a sailing school for children, often for groups of students who might not otherwise have an opportunity to experience the water-based activities offered.

The Egremont Trust was keen to see a return of the vessel to the harbour with an expansion of their previous business model being used to support the project. However, the SHB was not provided with sufficient business information to be able to positively support the return of the Egremont to a mooring in the harbour.

Stephanie Danby, former ICC instructor said: “We wrote a change.org petition which has now gathered 1,050 signatures, but when I presented it to the board, my impression from the pre-prepared written statements that many members of the board read out was that the decision was made long before the board meeting.

“It strongly appeared that the board did not consider our petition persuasive or relevant. I’m not even sure whether some members of the board had even read it.”

Richard Martin said: “The opinion of the funding team that the Harbour Board does not want the Egremont to return was and is correct and we witnessed a very, very sad day for Salcombe and our country on Monday.

“The views and wishes of the majority have not had the influence that they should have. The board’s and other’s view that the Egremont has had her day and it is time to move on is totally out of step with the beliefs of many more people. It appears very evident that the views of supporters both locally and nationally carried no weight.

“A very good thing that we don’t apply this logic to our heritage assets! Such an important matter as this with such far-reaching consequences should have gone out to public consultation.

“I listened carefully to the Harbour Board’s reasoning and fully appreciate the time taken to assess the Egremont’s future. In my opinion the board made its decision for the wrong reasons based on the vociferous erroneous views of a minority of people who live locally and don’t have any understanding of the real reasons why the ship should be preserved.

“I can understand that there was interest in more confidential financial information. I didn’t though realise that the board has the responsibility or the authority to vet businesses. If they do then they have to bear the consequences for closing down perfectly good operations which have a future and a purpose.

“The suggestion that a project of this size and spend did not have any financial plans and was not being duly diligent is in my opinion preposterous. The supposition that the outcome of putting substantial funding into preserving heritage assets results in the return to the previous state of decay is unusual to say the least!

“There are very few people to my knowledge who have a real understanding of the special and unique importance of Egremont for young disadvantaged children - what they gain from a week on board Egremont has to be seen to be believed and those who have seen should be believed.

“To deny these children the unique healing that comes from a week on board Egremont in Salcombe is just plain wrong.

“We shared substantial information about the plans for the ship before she left the harbour in 2016 and received confirming emails that the ship would be allowed back to her home port. The extension of the timescales for her return and extent of the works were all accepted.

“We started the work, spent the money and now find that the ship has lost her home! Not a situation we should be faced with and certainly I have never heard of a ship leaving her home port for repairs and then having her moorings taken away.

“What next? We are not sure and will need some time to decide the way forward.”