Borough council bosses are set to pay up to £17,500 to cover losses incurred by the Sabrina pleasure boat following a ‘catastrophic summer’.
Around £7,500 has already been taken out of Destination Shrewsbury’s budget to pay the Chester Boat Company to relocate the Sabrina to the county town earlier this year. But up to £10,000 more is set to be handed over to subsidise the company’s losses after awful weather hit takings.
The figures came to light in a written response by Destination Shrewsbury manager David Griffiths to a question to the borough council’s cabinet submitted by resident Robert Bullard.
The news comes in a week when a new action group was set up to fight plans to introduce more pontoons and motorised boats on the river, revealed in a report commissioned by the borough council.
The boat was brought to Shrewsbury in March after a partnership was agreed between Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, the Chester Boat Company and Morris Property. Bosses at Morris Property agreed to let the Sabrina use its pontoon at Victoria Quay and spent around £20,000 upgrading it for public use.
Brian Clarke, managing director of the Chester Boat Company, said: “Following the failure of the River King we were concerned about getting involved in a project there may not have been business for.
“But we have been really encouraged by how we have done this year and if it had not been for the catastrophic summer we had I don’t think we would have needed this subsidy.
“We have a three-year contract with the borough council and with Morris Property to run a boat here and we are hoping to make it a success in time for the Darwin celebrations in 2009.”
Mr Griffiths said: “We hope that as the Sabrina becomes more successful the money we are providing will not be needed.”