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1. The Reception Office has been modernised and refurbished and many of our procedures and systems upgraded and put online.
2. We have introduced a maintenance app which the team use to complete the daily, weekly & monthly checks on the pontoons and marina grounds. The app sends notifications to the relevant teams and the remedial works are scheduled in to a detailed workflow.
3. We have streamlined the service bookings by moving all bookings online. In order to manage the maintenance workflow, services are completed on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays reserved for scheduled maintenance.
4. We have introduced a new marina management programme, 'Harbour Assist' which we have been rolling out in the background. This programme is scheduled to go live on the 29th April.
5. The Pontoons: Much of the chain and block anchoring system has been renewed and we have laid over 2miles of new planking at a cost of around £8/m excl labour.
6. A new keypad access security gate has been installed to Brunswick to prevent access to the marina proper from overnight visitors to the ‘party boats’.
7. The CCTV system has been renewed and upgraded.
8. We moved the workshop into a container and converted the space into a state of the art laundry with 4 industrial washers and 4 driers programable remotely from the App.
9. New male and female washrooms have been built with berth holders private shower and WC facilities separate from those for other customers.
10. The Bar and Restaurant has been refurbished for the 2nd time in 6 years to include sports screens, a pool table and two games booths.
11. The Function Room has been upgraded with a new bar, carvery and soft furnishings has been fitted.
12. Post Room: A ‘Post Room’ has also been built off the reception lobby for the security of our live-a boards letters and parcels.
13. As The new WIFI system did not provide the coverage, speed or reliability promised, a new provider was appointed and the system was completely replaced by Baltic Broadband.
14. A dedicated car parking area has been provided for mobile home visitors.
15. Signage: Following the completion of a comprehensive audit, new signage for the whole of the site has been ordered
16. Our entire team have completed training in water survival techniques and first aid.
17. We have recruited a new office team with Erin as Front of House and Mark as Account Manager.
18. We have replaced the safety ladders and installed 36 all new fiberglass safety ladders as well as installing new life rings and replaced defective throwlines.
19. A new bin shed has been erected to keep any unsightly rubbish away from the main walkway on Coburg entrance.
20. We have repainted the structures, work sheds and doorways on Coburg & Brunswick in our new Marina blue for a tidier, more brand consistent image.
21. We have removed the unsafe and unsightly benches in the outer car park and will be refreshing the flowerbeds and trees with fresh plants this coming Summer.
22. We have repainted the yellow safety markings on all flashings in line with our Health & Safety requirements.
23. We have introduced quarterly Health & Safety audits and a 24-hour red or urgent response policy.
24. Community Projects:
We encourage and support all forms of involvement and mutual co-
operation with our customers. The first successful initiative has been:
‘The Plantoons’, a berth holder horticultural co-operative, formed to grow
vegetables and herbs for the benefit of our resident community.
We are also working with another of our berth holders to obtain planning
permission for a convenience store concept:
‘The Box Shop’ is an exciting new project which will be welcomed by our own
customers and local residents alike. The pop-up, contemporary container will
be sited next to the front entrance and will sell locally sourced grocery products
as well as teas, coffees and cakes. Elaine Timmins, who is heading it up, is
also planning to offer a ‘welcome pack’ service for berth holders and visitors.
It is worth noting that some of these improvements have taken longer than they might have done: we had a four year battle with the original installer of the new WiFi before having to start again and the washroom and showers contract was badly delayed by materials and labour issues arising from Covid, but have been fully operational now for several weeks.
Future Proposals:
Whilst these improvements have been taking place, we have also been working on plans for the complete redevelopment of the land-based facilities to create a new marina based Waterfront District. Whilst it will be apartment driven, the centrepiece will be a 4 storey ‘Yacht Club’ building with a dynamic ground floor Activity Hub, together with a wide range of other retail, commercial and community uses.
In relation to the marina itself, Intermarine have been appointed to work with us on planning the renewal and reconfiguration of the pontoon infrastructure to suit the current demographics which have changed substantially since we built the existing facility nearly 35 ago! Whilst not yet finalised those plans are likely to include 5 separate marina areas:
Coburg West for canal boats only;
Coburg East for visitor boats and bespoke floating structures;
Brunswick West for motor and sailing yachts and commercial vessels;
Brunswick East for prestige floating homes and
Brunswick South as a highly secure satellite marina for 44 wide beams with their own exclusive facilities.
Our intention is to create an exemplar which will set new standards in the marine industry so that when these exciting plans are realised, there will be very few marinas in the Uk, either coastal or inland waterway, which will rival Liverpool for the range and quality of its facilities; for the diversity of its customer base or for its attractiveness for visitors.
We will continue to update you all as we progress through our many improvement projects throughout the year.