MPs review UK ports policy update
The UK’s House of Commons Transport Committee will question key figures from the maritime and ports sectors as part of its inquiry into the government’s draft revised National Policy Statement for Ports (NPSP).
The draft, published in June, proposes updates to the planning framework used to assess nationally significant infrastructure projects at ports. The current NPSP has been in effect since 2012.
The inquiry will assess how the revised policy might address the growing operational demands on UK ports, which handle over 95% of the UK’s imports by volume and employ around 118,000 people. With larger vessels entering service and freight demand projected to rise by 8% by 2050, MPs will examine whether the updated regulations adequately support capacity upgrades.
The Committee is also expected to explore concerns that the new policy may overly depend on freight forecasts, potentially deterring investment in green infrastructure and clean technologies essential for the sector’s decarbonisation.
Key issues under scrutiny include how the updated NPSP can support the UK ports sector’s transition to net zero. This includes infrastructure for fuel storage, shorepower and carbon capture, as well as how planning changes align with environmental protections, particularly in designated coastal landscapes.
The Committee will hear from maritime industry representatives and a planning expert on 16 September, and aims to publish its findings and recommendations in November.
Witnesses include Mark Simmonds (British Ports Association), Cathy Hall (UK Major Ports Group), Stephanie Kenyon (UK Chamber of Shipping) and Robbie Owen (Pinsent Masons).
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