Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) has today launched its first online consultation aimed at assisting a major review of plans and policies for Cowes Harbour on the Isle of Wight.

The consultation, designed to give stakeholders the chance to have their say on the future of the harbour, can be accessed via: surveymonkey.com/s/CowesHarbourStrategicReview.

Captain Stuart McIntosh, Cowes Harbour Master, said: ‘My Commissioners and I would like to invite and encourage input to our e-survey from as many stakeholders and harbour users as possible and indeed from all those who are interested in creating a widely supported and sustainable long-term vision for Cowes Harbour.

‘The key question we are asking at this point is, what do you want Cowes Harbour to look like in 2020 and beyond?

‘This, along with other leading questions and topics will form part of our strategic review taking place up until next February.

‘We intend to consult and involve harbour users and stakeholders right from the start, through to the approval of CHC’s new strategy, and will also be holding a series of direct consultation meetings with the main Cowes Harbour stakeholder groups.’

Now that construction of the new Cowes breakwater is progressing on schedule and other key projects from the Commission’s current 2010-2015 strategic framework are either complete or under way, CHC believes that this is the right time to review its vision for the harbour, underlying strategy, plans, objectives and performance targets.

A new CHC strategy covering the period 2015 to 2020 and beyond will be developed by April 2015 and promoted at the next CHC Annual Public Meeting on 21st May 2015.

CHC’s Strategic Review online survey, entitled “The vision for Cowes Harbour in 2020 and beyond!”, should take around 10-15 minutes to complete.

The online consultation will close on Monday, 1 December 2014.

Picture: View of Cowes Harbour and the Harbour Office