News and Events

The BPA has responded to the DfT’s a National Policy Statement (NPS) for ports and our submission outlines the ports sector’s perspective.

We support the concept of a NPS for ports and see it as a welcome development. The ports industry will look to the NPS to deliver more certainty into a planning process that is currently largely characterized by uncertainty.

Some BPA members are more likely than others to be directly affected by the requirement for the largest projects to be referred to the Infrastructure Planning Commission. Even so, we believe that the NPS will have a significant influence far beyond those projects above the threshold, in that the planning principles will be similarly applied to a range of below the threshold projects to be handled by the Marine Management Organization. Our response, therefore, reflects the potential impact of the proposals both in relation to the IPC and beyond.

The BPA has been following the development of Ofcom’s proposals to introduce Administered Incentive Pricing (AIP) for maritime radio and radar spectrum to create, they claim, greater efficiency of use. Ofcom are developing their proposals through a series of consultations and along with the UKMPG we have now submitted a joint response to the latest consultation which is looking at the licensing of maritime VHF radio frequencies. Our argument has consistently been that AIP should not be applied where spectrum must be used for safety reasons and where international agreements exist with other governments on spectrum availability.

The consultation was extended to the end of January to allow comparison against the separate proposals for aviation and this is expected to add further delays to the implementation of Ofcom’s changes. While the rises do not appear to be as much as was first suggested, they are still likely to impose varying increases. In terms of timescale, Ofcom are proposing to introduce these changes to VHF licences in the first half of this year, although they are likely to phase in some of the changes over the next three years.

Towards the end of 2009 the BPA held a successful first revised trust port briefing in Gloucester which was attended by board representatives from Newport, Gloucester and Teignmouth trusts. The programme included presentations by the DfT on port and transport policy, harbour duties and powers as well as a presentation on the Port Marine Safety Code.

Governance issues and some practical examples of “board dilemmas” were covered and discussed. For England and Wales this was the first exercise covering the Modernizing Trust Ports 2 guidance and we look forward to rolling this out further in 2010.

In Scotland, where the MTP2 document does not yet apply, we have suggested to the Scottish Government that it would be useful to have a series of briefing seminars, primarily aimed at new board members, using the existing guidelines but at the same time initiating a discussion on the usefulness of the changes enshrined in MTP2. We are now making plans for a first seminar and will contact members in Scotland with details shortly.

The BPA’s Scottish Ports Committee hosted the first ever Parliamentary Ports Reception for MSPs at Holyrood on 24 November 2009.

The Reception was an opportunity for MSPs and the Scottish Government to meet with representatives of the Scottish ports industry and discuss a number topical issues such as the Scottish Marine Bill.

The event was hosted by Liam McArthur, MSP and the chief guest was Jim Mather, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism. Representatives at the reception were drawn from the Scottish Government, the Crown Estate, Marine Scotland and is the first gathering of its type in Scotland for many years.

Speaking at the reception, Nigel Mills, the Committee’s Chairman said: “The sheer size and importance of the ports industry means that we have to get policy right. We enjoy an excellent dialogue with the Scottish Government. Looking to the future, we aim to ensure that we have a good mutual understanding of future capacity needs, that we can identify where investment is needed in the transport network and that we have an efficient planning and consents system. The new Marine Bill is also a big issue for us and will set the pattern for coastal management for many years to come.”

The Marine and Coastal Access Bill was given Royal Assent on 12 November 2009. The Act, which was a substantially sized piece of legislation, introduces a new marine planning system, establishes a Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and streamlines the marine and fisheries licensing systems. It will also link up a long-distance public footpath around the English coast.

The BPA has prepared a ports industry briefing on the Bill and this can be found here.

The government announced its draft National Policy Statement for ports on 10 November, which is open to public consultation until 15 February 2010. The documents are very much focused on planning and the way in which both the Infrastructure Planning Commission, which will deal with a relatively small number of very large projects, and the Marine Management Organisation, which is likely to deal with the majority of applications, will handle consents.

The consultation only applies to England and Wales, however the forecasts are for the UK as a whole and would therefore have a bearing on developments throughout the country.

The overall message from the government is a positive one. Embedded in the planning process is an “official” acceptance that considerable long term expansion of port capacity is needed. The ports Statement, was published at the same time as the policy statement for energy infrastructure.

The Commons Transport Select Committee will be scrutinising the proposals and the BPA will be providing evidence to their inquiry.

The Port Marine Safety Code (PMSC) and accompanying guidance has been updated. The DfT will place greater emphasis on regular port input to keep the PMSC and Guide to Good Practice relevant and up to date.

The PMSC applies to all harbour authorities in the UK that have statutory powers and duties. It was developed with input from a wide range of interested parties in the ports sector.

The PMSC Guide to Good Practice supplements the Code and contains more detailed guidance on a number of issues relevant to harbour authorities. It is designed to provide general guidance and examples of how a harbour authority could meet its commitments in terms of compliance with the Code. This Guide should not be viewed as the only means of complying with the Code and for some harbour authorities, it may not be the best means of achieving compliance.

The refreshed PMSC document can be found here while the Guide to Good Practice is available here.

The recently formed BPA/UKMPG joint Welsh Ports Group met in Holyhead on 21 October. The Welsh Assembly Government were present and a number of topical issues were discussed including the Welsh National Transport Plan, the Climate Change Strategy for Wales and the inspection activity of VOSA at ports. We also agreed to produce a Welsh ports industry value brochure and will be in contact with Welsh members about the content shortly.

Welsh Affairs Committee inquiry into ports

The Commons Welsh Affairs Committee has also recently reported on its inquiry into the Welsh Ports Industry and members of the group gave evidence before the Committee over the summer. In its report the Committee highlighted the value of the ports industry and suggested that there are opportunities to develop the Welsh cruise industry further. The report can be found here.

Municipal Ports Review refresh

Together with the Department for Transport the BPA has been discussing the refresh and expansion of the Municipal Ports Review guidance document with all the Welsh local authority managed ports. The 2006 review offers guidance on corporate governance and management structures, and is being refreshed following the recent update of the equivalent guidance for the Trust Port sector.

The Department for Transport have published the second edition of Modernising Trust Ports document. The revised document applies to trusts of all sizes in England and Wales however the DfT has suggested that other types of ports should also follow its recommendations.

This guidance represents a code of good practice. In Modernising Trust Ports the government states that all trust ports should review their governance arrangements against the standards set out within.

The first edition was published in 2000 by the then Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, and followed a review of the trust ports sector that focused principally on corporate governance and accountability.

The new document includes sections on stakeholders and beneficiaries, annual reporting and performance indicators, and it can be found here.

The South West Regional Ports Association and the British Ports Association launched a new ‘South West Ports – Gateways for Growth’ brochure in Torquay on 1 July 2009.

The Associations jointly produced this brochure to outline the economic value and role that our industry plays within the South West. Not only does it provide an overview of the types of port and harbour related activity in the region, it also highlights some of the challenges facing the industry in the future. The brochure can be found here:

South West Ports – 'Gateways for Growth’

If you would like a hard copy please contact us on 020 7260 1780 or e-mail us.