‘Money to burn at Bristol City Council’
Martin Booth SWNS, Filipa Gaspar SWNS and Abigail Neep
17:30, 10 Nov 2025
(Image: SWNS)
Pontoons installed on a harbourside in Bristol have been condemed as a ‘waste of money’ after it was revealed that they are yet to welcome a single boat.
The pontoons were installed on the Floating Harbour, Bristol, in June of this year with the hope of bringing in extra income for Bristol City Council.
The council has so far spent £670,000 on purchasing and installing the pontoons and associated structures but it has been revealed that no boats have moored at the pontoons opposite the SS Great Britain.
The council could also pay towards a ‘quayside suitability investigation’ which cost around £30,000.
The plans, that were first unveiled in 2022, outlined that the pontoons were meant to provide for new places for people to live but so far the 32 spaces have remained unoccupied.
Locals have reacted to the news saying the project was a ‘waste of money’.
One said: “Money to burn at Bristol City Council.”
“They were made the wrong size – should be twice as long,” claimed another.
Previously, residents in the flats overlooking the historic docks at Capricorn Quay expressed concerns about the noise that would come from boats at the new moorings.
Association chair, Fraser Bridgeford, said previously: “This has overwhelmingly been rejected by residents. The pollution and noise adjacent to our homes will be unacceptable…
“It’s about money and getting more into the council’s coffers at the expense of residents.”
A modular building on the Hotwell Road side of the pontoons contains toilets and showers for use by boaters, should they arrive.
The pontoons at the Floating Harbour in Bristol have been condemned as a waste of money(Image: SWNS)
One potential issue for the future viability of the mooring facilities at Capricorn Quay is that the pontoons’ fingers are too small for most boats.
The initial specification document, revealed after a Freedom of Information request, shows that the layout of the berths was always based upon a maximum boat length of ten metres. However the majority of live-aboard vessels in the harbour are longer than this.
It appears that the primary issue delaying the pontoons welcoming their first boats is a change of plan on how to construct the gangways.
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In a statement sent by email to a local paper, the chair of the economy & skills and policy committee, Andrew Brown, confirmed that the pontoons at Capricorn Quay “are structurally sound and the small services hut nearby is in working order”.
Brown said: “We delayed the installation of the gangways in order to undertake further assessments of the quay’s load-bearing capacity and as a precaution have altered plans.
“We will now install these from the waterside rather than the shoreside.
“This work is expected to be completed imminently and will include the installation of service posts for water and electricity supply to vessels.
“Once installation is complete, the pontoons will be available for mooring as intended.”
