Proposals on the future town’s harbour lands have been approved following a historic meeting.

In a simultaneous meeting between Waveney District Council cabinet and Southwold Town Council, the two were asked to consider eight recommendations regarding the future management of Southwold harbour lands.

Waveney’s strategic director, Arthur Charvonia, said the meeting was the first of its kind, as all eight recommendations were all approved unanimously.

A joint committee has been agreed to take place of the current harbour lands working group, with investigations to be made to identify the options for optimising investment at the caravan site.

These options will balance priorities as mentioned in the consulatition document including supporting current users, levels of investment required and expected revenue generation.

The consultation document, says: “The current site is neither fulfilling its financial potential given its Southwold location and brand, nor providing a facility that is befitting of the character of Southwold.”

The draft key principles and vision outlined in the consultation document were also agreed to be adopted.

Both councils will instruct professional advisers to help them ‘develop the optimum options for the sustainable, long term, ownership, control and delivery’ of the harbour lands.

A community engagement strategy will also be created to ensure ongoing involvement with those affected as the harbour lands evolves.

Colin Laws, leader of Waveney, said: “It was a very positive and well attended meeting and a definite step in the right direction.

“There was a shared determination to improve Southwold harbour lands and I was delighted that all recommendations were unanimously approved.”

Ann Betts, Southwold Town Mayor, said: “I think it’s a good idea and the people who have got caravans don’t want holiday camps.

“They want a quiet weeks holiday without the nightlife.

“The harbours been like that all my life and we don’t want it to change that much, we just want it brought up to date.

“Waveney now seem to have got to grips with what the people at the harbour want and they are trying to work with us to achieve that goal.

“It’s a long term project, when I was mayor nine years ago it was mentioned then.

Miss Betts added the work on harbour lands wouldn’t be quick.

She said: “We’d rather get the right thing in.

“We at the town council all work for the benfit of the town.

“I think it’s what the town wants and all involved want.”

For more information on the harbour lands, visit www.waveny.gov.uk