Harbour fees at Weymouth, West Bay and Lyme Regis are expected to rise by a minimum of five per cent next year, although a small number of charges will go up by 10 per cent.

In rare cases at Weymouth, a handful of fees are expected to go down, but only where they are expected to increase the use of the harbour.

There is a 25% discount is being suggested for leisure craft staying for a week or more with a lower rate, yet to be agreed, for slipway fees after 2.30pm.

A report to the Dorset Council Harbours Committee this week says that fees and charges locally are benchmarked against other harbours.

It says that a 5% general increase should ensure the local harbours remain competitively priced, although a bigger increase of 10% could be justified for some areas.

Among the recommendations for the larger increase is for personal watercraft docks (jet skis) at Weymouth, where six were installed in 2021 and a further nine in 2022, all of them full occupied during the summer season, and where there is a waiting list.

Also being increased by 10% is a rise of 35p per metre for overnight stays for leisure craft at Weymouth which a report says follows several years of low increases.

At West Bay and Lyme Regis the bigger increase is being proposed for quayside parking for launch vehicles with the 10per cent uplift also being applied for assistance by harbour staff and for mechanical and marine services.

All three harbours have seen a return to 'normal' following Covid restrictions, with Weymouth exceeding its expected year-end operational surplus, forecast to be £104,600, but now likely to reach £214,600 with any surplus being transferred to the harbour reserve fund at the end of the financial year next April.

Also up on expectations was income from car parking fees – forecast at £349,500, but now thought likely to end the financial year with a net surplus of £284,300.

West Bay has also seen increases in car park income and from diving air refills with Lyme Regis harbour up on car parking fees, shop income, kayak storage and in visiting vessel stays and launch fees.

The two smaller harbours are making savings by sharing a harbourmaster, while at Weymouth a recruitment exercise is currently underway for a new harbourmaster after the previous post holder, Jamie Joyce, resigned in August.