The first, from Maritime UK, criticises the latest April Light Dues hike. Although it has been softened to a 2p rather than a 4p rise, according to Maritime UK this could still cause significant harm to UK trade.
The president of Maritime UK, Jesper Kjaedegaard, said: “‘It is very disappointing that Government has not withdrawn this increase altogether. All the dangers outlined by industry during consultation will remain, and today’s announcement sends out a message that our island nation is not open for business.”
Mr Kjaedegaard added that that this latest announced rise to Light Dues was “ill-advised” in its timing, coming just days before the publication of an in-depth report by consultancy firm Atkins. “As a result of its haste, government has now adopted a policy that could drive international business away from our country at a time when we need to be doing everything possible to attract it.”
The second rebuke came from the RTPI, the professional body that represents 22,000 planners, which has slammed the Government’s recently published draft planning policy on ports provision as “unfit for purpose” in a formal response to the consultation on a National Policy Statement for Ports. The Policy will will determine how proposals to build new port facilities are decided upon by the new Infrastructure Planning Commission.
Matt Thomson, acting director Policy & Partnerships at the RTPI, said: “The draft national policy statement on ports is not fit for purpose as it fails to justify the need for building any new ports, or give any guidance on how they should relate to road and rail networks or centres of industry or population.
“Instead it leaves decisions about where ports should be entirely for the market to determine, which offers no security for investors or for local communities that may be affected. Nor does it consider impacts on Britain’s existing ports, improvements to which may be a better option than building an entirely new port.
“There is no identified urgency to provide new ports in the UK, with a number of port developments already under construction. The RTPI therefore urges the Department for Transport to think again about the need for this ports policy, instead of rushing out a half-baked proposal.”