Commercial vessel activity in the harbour had ceased in 1992 with the exception of a few fishing vessels. An initiative was put together for the regeneration of the town that had built up around the harbour. Because of its nautical heritage, focus was directed towards the harbour and waterfront areas because of its many historic and listed structures.

Beckett Rankine prepared the marine elements of a masterplan to convert the port for leisure and fishing usage while also enhancing the town’s setting. The masterplan maintained the historical parts of the harbour while making available more berths for smaller leisure craft.

A key element of the scheme was the construction of a lock to impound the whole of the drying inner harbour. This produced a harbour that combines history with practicality and provides straightforward access for leisure craft. The lock was constructed off-site and floated into position.