By Jenni DixonSOUTHWOLD Town Council has backed a proposal to hand over the rights and management of the town's harbour and caravan site to a trust.Town councillors have passed a resolution to support their harbour sub-group's negotiations with Waveney District Council over the transfer of the harbour and caravan site to an independent body for next year's summer season.

By Jenni Dixon

SOUTHWOLD Town Council has backed a proposal to hand over the rights and management of the town's harbour and caravan site to a trust.

Town councillors have passed a resolution to support their harbour sub-group's negotiations with Waveney District Council over the transfer of the harbour and caravan site to an independent body for next year's summer season.

Sub-group member and Southwold town councillor, Peter Austin, said: “We discussed progress so far and we are looking at the proposal from Southwold with regards to the formation of a trust, but we are still waiting for the business plan before deciding how viable we think that will be. “Nothing will be in place this year. It's slow progress, but the overriding factor is to bring the site up to a good standard.”

The town council had been at the forefront of the protest against the district council's announcement it owned the caravan site in Ferry Road and wished to sell the land because it could not afford to bring it up to modern-day standards.

However, it pulled out of legally disputing the field's ownership after receiving legal advice from the National Association of Local.

Graham Hay Davidson, harbour sub-group member and chairman of the Harbour Users' Association, said: “The town council are behind the proposal. This is an important step as far as we are concerned as the council now falls into line with public feeling.”

A spokesman for Waveney District Council - which is seeking legal advice over the ownership issue - said he was not surprised the town council had backed the harbour sub-group's proposal.

jenni.dixon@eadt.co.uk