Experts have completed surveys in the bay and say there is no reason why agreed sizes and shapes for the multi-million-pound marina put forward by the steering group should not work.

Using high-tech computer software, HR Wallingford has been able to discover how a marina, with 215 pontoon moorings within Bridlington Harbour and 105 more in a new outer harbour to the south of the south pier, would be affected by waves, currents and other environmental issues.

Its investigations have revealed any expected problems would be dealt with by fine-tuning the layout.

The news has been hailed as a major step forward for the marina partnership and it means discussions on design and lay-out details can continue on the development, which would make Bridlington the second largest coastal marina in the north east after Hartlepool.

It would also, says the marina steering group, ease pressure on available berths in the region at Scarborough and Whitby.

Jan Anderson, environmental director of the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward which together with East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the Harbour Commissioners form the basis of the steering group, said: "This is great news, not just for the marina itself, but the economic development of Bridlington as a whole.

"Once the layout has been fine-tuned, the partnership aim to carry out further studies on the cost and nature of the build."

However, Yorkshire Forward says until further work is done to determine exactly how the marina would be constructed it is unable to give an approximate date for completion, or the cost of the project.

West 8, the urban design consultancy firm working with the Bridlington Renaissance Town Team and East Riding of Yorkshire Council to link the marina and town centre together, will join the council's and Harbour Commissioners' engineers to progress the marina design.

George Traves MBE, chairman of Bridlington Harbour Commissioners, said: "The technical consultants have shown us that, with some modifications, the ideas put forward for the marina can work with the North Sea conditions"

Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "We are pleased to have reached this milestone in the process and are looking forward to working with the commissioners on the next stage."

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