An agreement to set up a joint district and town council committee to run Southwold's harbour lands has been welcomed by community leaders.

Southwold Town and Waveney District councils met on Monday to debate the future management of the area surrounding the harbour, which includes the adjoining caravan site.

Both groups voted unanimously in favour of a set of recommendations, which included setting up a strategic board to replace the working group which currently oversees the harbour lands.

The new group will include representatives from both councils and have devolved powers to enable it to make decisions about the management of the area.

It will also work to find a long term solution for the ownership and management of the harbour lands and put a formal agreement in place.

It comes after a public consultation over proposals for the area received more than 100 written responses.

Southwold Town councillor Will Windell, who chaired the meeting, said: 'It was a good turnout and more than 50 people turned up, including members of the public, the harbour users and the Southwold Caravan Owners' Association.

'The debate was good and well informed and then there was a vote taken at the end.

'So now we have a joint interim management committee so we can move forward and look at the best forms of governance.

'It is a major step forward.'

Waveney leader Colin Law said: 'It was a very positive and well-attended meeting and a definite step in the right direction.

'There was a shared determination to improve Southwold Harbour and I was delighted that all recommendations were unanimously approved.'

The two councils agreed during the meeting that the money generated within the harbour lands would be ring fenced and remain the area. Currently it is absorbed in to Waveney's general budget. They also resolved to investigate options for maximising investment in the caravan site.

Have you got a Southwold story? Email kathryn.bradley@archant.co.uk