Tory MP Charlie Elphicke calls for a 'people's port' in Dover
DOVER Harbour Board (DHB) faces an alternative to its controversial sell-off plans – a so-called people's port.
The idea is the brainchild of new Tory MP Charlie Elphicke. He claims it would eliminate several risk factors associated with the DHB scheme.
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The people's port would be owned by a community trust – made up of local representatives – which would lease the port to an operator. It could be sold to local residents in "Dovorian bonds", says the MP.
Government coffers would still be boosted through the operator's purchase of the lease, tens of millions of which could be ploughed back into the town, says Mr Elphicke.
He has been implacably opposed to the DHB sale, worried about whose hands the 400-year-old trust port would end up in.
The Express understands Mr Elphicke's proposals were submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond on Tuesday.
On Monday the MP met DHB chairman Roger Mountford at the House of Commons to disclose an outline of his plan.
The DHB scheme would be a straight sell-off in the light of the last Government's desire to dispose of assets to help pay for the UK deficit. It would lead to an operator with sole control but with regeneration cash diverted to a trust.
Mr Elphicke argues a people's port would eliminate the risk of it falling into foreign hands, realise serious regeneration money for the town and be attractive to the ferry operators.
The MP said: "The people's port is a viable compromise option, as far as I am concerned, and it's important that the people and the politicians of all colours are behind it.
"I feel this will retain an element of control in Dover and it would be more attractive to the ferry operators who provide so many jobs for local people."
The big three ferry operators – P&O, Norfolkline and SeaFrance – are locked in a dispute over pricing increases and the alleged diversion of money paid by the companies for a second terminal going into the DHB pension deficit and unrelated capital works instead.
The Express understands the ferry companies have written to Mike Penning, the shipping minister, to inform him they are to launch a legal action under section 31 of the 1964 Harbours Act, which deals with pricing.
The operators have complained to the minister that a consultation period with DHB has "come to nought".
It is understood ferry chiefs are in favour, in principal, of the people's port proposal if it shields them from market forces and protects jobs. The ferry firms met on Tuesday morning for a "catch up" meeting.
A senior insider at one company said: "We can't deal with the Harbour Board any more. Relations have hit an all-time low and if there is something else that can be achieved, then it has to be worth looking at."
Mr Elphicke met Dover mayor, Labour's Sue Jones, and her town clerk Mike Webb last Friday to outline his ideas and to seek a cross-party consensus.
Cllr Jones said: "I need to discuss this with fellow councillors, obviously, but in principle I'd like to endorse the concept of a people's port if it is for the benefit of Dover and its residents." Her colleague David Hannent, the leader of the independents and deputy mayor, said: "I think that Charlie has got a lot of ideas and hope for the future of the port, with which I mostly agree."
DHB chairman Roger Mountford said: "Charlie has told me he has ideas of his own. I very much look forward to hear what they are and we will consider them carefully."
2 Comments
by Alexander, Dover
Saturday, March 12 2011, 3:42PM
“Latest reports that I know of state that the so-called people's port trust is not an idea of MP Charlie Elphicke, but was formulated prior to his being elected MP in May 2010, and then presented to him.
As we all know, Charlie Elphicke campaigned prior to the election for Dover Port remaining a national asset, then it seems he changed idea and went for this "people's port" project, that has been put up by private people without any public consultation from the Government.
The P/p are claiming all sorts of things, including that "the decision has already been reached to sell Dover Port oversees", hence "we must all vote for his P/p project".
He also claims that Dover would be sold oversees.
I don't know what the Government think of his way of depicting the public consultation, but fact is, the Secretary of State for Transport has been considering the representations that have been made, and has still to reach a decision.
Now Dover has to pay out 15,000 pounds for a referendum that would effectively lead people into voting for an end to the royal charter of Dover Harbour Board and a choice between two forms of privatisation: one of which that of MP Charlie Elphicke!”
by hsdeal.blogspot.com, Deal, Kent
Tuesday, December 14 2010, 1:09PM
“All peak rail fares from Deal in Kent will go up by 12.8% in January 2011 even though our services have been cut and journey times to London have actually increased. A year after the introduction of the highspeed service Deal a major Kent town has still not been included into the highspeed timetable even though Southeastern are operating empty highspeed trains through the station.
Charlie Elphicke has been prioritising on a "peoples port" but his largest constituency (Deal) has been poorly represented. It is vital that the highspeed service is extended to Deal station to encourage economic growth, tourism and jobs.”