Ferry operators threaten to sue Dover Harbour Board
FURIOUS ferry operators at the Port of Dover have this morning announced possible legal action against Dover Harbour Board.
P&O Ferries, Norfolkline and SeaFrance are alleging a misapplication of payments made to DHB by the firms in the belief the cash would be used to help fund construction of the £400 million Terminal Two at the Western Docks.
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In a statement jointly issued this morning they say they have written to the port's chief executive Bob Goldfield to express their profound disagreement over the use of £60 million of cash they provided to fund Terminal 2 and to protest at a proposed 35 per cent increase in their tariffs over the next three years.
SeaFrance, P&O Ferries and Norfolkline say they have learned Terminal 2 is no longer an immediate priority due to the privatisation process and there would be no obligation on the new owner to actually build it. The firms say they were led to believe the excess dues paid over the past three years were to pre-fund the new development.
Helen Deeble, chief executive of P&O Ferries, said: "This is simply unacceptable .We feel that we have been misled. We were forced to pay higher charges to fund a new ferry development, but it now seems that the £60 million will simply land up as part of the privatisation assets of the port.
" As a consequence we are considering the various choices of legal action available to us. We want to ensure that the money, which we collectively injected into DHB's reserves, is ring fenced for use only in ferry terminal investment or returned to customers. Going forward, we expect to see a significant reduction in tariff as we will no longer be paying up front for Terminal 2."
Mr Goldfield said: “This letter came out of the blue and the press it seems were pre-briefed which is unhelpful. We are currently in the process of discussions with the operators about all the points raised.
"All these things are being negotiated so why they have decided to go public is very unhelpful. For example, Tim Waggott and I went to Paris to speak with SeaFrance and SNCF a few days ago and there’s a meeting with all the operators about T1.
“We would contend that a lot of points in the letter are inaccurate but they are points up for discussion. We are happy to carry on in the negotiations we are already in. Everything is negotiable.”
A DHB statement added: "We were extremely surprised to receive a joint letter from P&O Ferries, SeaFrance and Norfolkline claiming that Dover Harbour Board has abused its monopoly powers.
"We were even more surprised and disappointed that customers, with whom we are still in the process of holding private discussions in relation to negotiating a new price path for tariffs, would appear to have briefed the press before we were aware of the letter. Moreover, many of the statements made are inaccurate or simply wrong.
"It is entirely premature to be talking publicly about issues which we assumed would be discussed privately for at least another three to five months in order to reach mutual agreement and understanding. It is upsetting that these operators would therefore go as far as to hold a Press Conference, again without our knowledge. We do have further meetings in the diary and are prepared to continue talking to our customers, particularly as we had been asked by them to provide additional information in a number of areas as negotiations continue."
See the full report in next Thursday's Dover Express
4 Comments
by SBB, Nr Dover
Tuesday, March 16 2010, 8:09PM
“Interesting indeed Michael, that the board have some £60m in the bank and Mr Goldfield has been at the port for several years now, but only now is he saying that the town would benefit and then only if privatisation goes ahead.
So why has he not done anything for the town before? and why is it all dependant on the port being privatised?.
My guess is that Mr Goldfield is banking on the council and people of Dover being so desperate for a cash injection into the town because heaven knows that it is needed.
The problem with the above is that there is no obligation on a private buyer to give money to the town, and with Mr Goldfields track record of causing the first ever strike in over 400 years by the ports staff, his total disregard for the port workers and their families, not to mention the people of Dover because as most people suspect, when he gets his hands on massive share payout he does not intend staying in the UK let alone Dover! So, if you want the port to stay as a national asset and continue to bring money into the country for another 400 years then you should fight this proposal.
However if you wish to watch as Mr Goldfield and his hand picked band of greedy managers sell our port to some foreign investor, which will make a few people (Mr Goldfield in particular) very wealthy and hand over control of the port, then sit back and do nothing! the choice is yours.”
by Michael, Kent
Saturday, March 13 2010, 1:14PM
“This is becoming more and more interesting, so the Board have been fleecing the Ferry Operators and then under the orders of their political masters selling off the Port not as a part public/ private scheme which would be best to keep jobs in England, but as a lock stock and barrel deal to whoever they are told to, but not the highest bidder whoever that may be (D.P.W. a.k.a. P & O ? ). Why aren't the national media looking at this ? Mike Walters English Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Dover and Deal.”
by concerned dovorian, dover
Friday, March 12 2010, 6:29PM
“Instead of trying to raise millions by selling of the port hoping that the new owners would construct more berths,why don't the harbour board count their chickens and just construct 2 berths in the hover port.”
by Vinno, Dover
Friday, March 12 2010, 6:20PM
“It's about time the people of Dover realized what Goldfield is doing , he intends to sell off the port to line his and his puppets pockets. Remember people of DOVER this has been your port for over 400 years and lets keep it that way. We stoped Hitler getting our port we can stop Goldfield”