News / floating harbour
Pontoons remain unused one year after installation
Almost a year after they were installed, pontoons that were due to bring in much-needed extra income for Bristol City Council have still yet to welcome a single boat.
The pontoons opposite the SS Great Britain cost the council £670,000 to build.
A gangway connects the pontoons to the footpath next to Capricorn Quay but this has still not been made accessible.
In November 2025, the chair of the economy & skills and policy committee, Andrew Brown, told Bristol24/7 that the installation of service posts for water and electricity supply to vessels was due to be completed “imminently” and once this happened, the pontoons would be available for mooring.
The latest update from Brown on Wednesday is that further works on the pontoons will allow them to be used “by the end of summer”.
There is space for 32 boats, and seagulls and cormorants have made use of the facilities in the absence of any human visitors.
The gangway connecting the pontoons with the footpath remains fended off – photo: Martin Booth
Plans for the new pontoons were first unveiled by former mayor Marvin Rees in 2022 alongside a floating ecosystem which has been a resounding success since being installed.
Brown said: “While the pontoons at Capricorn Quay are complete and ready to use, work is currently underway to connect water, electricity and other utility services to the moorings.
“This will also include the installation of a gate security system on the recently completed gangway.
“These works are expected to be finished by the end of summer, at which point the moorings will be available for vessels to use as intended.”
The pontoons may be inaccessible for boaters but they remain popular with birds – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
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