TRANSPORT IN THE SOUTH WEST

 

RESPONSE TO SELECT COMMITTEE

 

Introduction

 

Falmouth Harbour Commissioners is a Board of Trustees set up by a statutory process to administer Falmouth Harbour in the best interests of its stakeholders. As a statutory port authority, FHC has responsibility for the Inner Harbour at Falmouth (excluding Falmouth Docks), the Penryn River up as far as Boyers Cellars, the southern part of the Carrick Roads and a large part of Falmouth Bay.

 

FHC's aim is to administer the harbour in a manner which is both open to public scrutiny and accountable to their stakeholders. In addition, FHC aims to operate in all respects to the standards laid down in Modernising Port Trusts - A Guide to Good Governance (DfT, 2000) and any subsequent updates, where the Government's broad policies for port trusts include:

 

· promotion of UK and regional competitiveness by encouraging reliable and efficient distribution and access to markets; and

· enhancement of environmental and operational performance by encouraging the provision of multi model access to markets.

 

 

 

Ports and Transport.

 

 

1. Transport Provision

 

FHC believes that the increased utilization of ports has the potential to assist in the future provision of transport solutions in the South West region. The increased use of shipping can be used to reduce traffic (particularly goods traffic) on the roads and therefore reduce congestion.

 

In order to exploit the potential of small ports for the transport of goods and passengers, a strategic view needs to be taken relating to improving the connection of ports to road and rail networks. The diversification of transport opportunities that would result from the strategic enhancement of distribution through local ports would enhance the resilience of critical supply chains.

 

 

Short Sea Shipping

 

There are many examples on mainland Europe of short sea shipping facilities being used successfully to reduce road transport of goods. Whilst a cornerstone of EU maritime policy, little has been done to encourage greater use of short sea shipping within the UK. There is an urgent need to identify ports and facilities capable of being used as part of a strategic regional short sea shipping plan and to ensure that they are appropriately developed or, at least their potential for development preserved.

There are good examples of shipping being used to transport large quantities of glass and scrap metal for re-cycling using the ports of Falmouth and Truro. The use of waterways for moving waste to disposal sites which has been pioneered on the Thames demonstrates the potential for water transport to be used strategically to tackle major transport issues.

 

2. Priorities for Improvement

 

Port Road and Rail Links

 

Many small ports in the South West Region have poor inland connections. This limits the potential of ports to be used in the transportation of goods and skews competition in favour of ports with less peripheral locations.

 

Incentives for Short Sea Shipping Initiatives

 

Short Sea Shipping has the potential to substantially reduce goods traffic on arterial routes and to reduce carbon emissions associated with road transport. It is unlikely to grow organically in the UK without incentives due to the transport pricing structure. It is currently much more cost effective to put goods on to the road at their first landing point within the Country than to trans-ship them and deliver them to a port closer to their final destination.

 

Low Carbon Agenda

 

The Government's stated aims of developing the low carbon economy of the South West region will require infrastructure capable of transporting and deploying large generating devices into the near shore environment. Strategic transport and port infrastructure development will be essential if the Region is to capture any significant economic benefit from these developments.

 

Falmouth is ideally placed to support development of the wave hub and the subsequent generation of large scale wave generators that will be deployed in the South West Approaches. Strategic investment is required to realize this opportunity.

 

 

3. Reflection in Strategy

 

Regional Spatial Strategy

 

The consideration of ports potential in the regional spatial strategy is cursory and does little to encourage diversification of transport despite the obvious potential benefits. It is particularly baffling why Falmouth with its major ship repair and ship fuelling operations which are economically significant within the region and its significant potential for cruise ships has been removed in the latest version of the RSS (despite a mention in the draft document).

 

Regional Economic Strategy

 

The Regional Economic Strategy mentions sustainability and the need to reduce carbon emissions and the importance of the marine sector in economy but makes no link between ports and transport other than specific plans for Bristol.

Low Carbon Investment Strategy

 

The Government's new document "Investing in a Low Carbon Britain" specifically mentions the plans for the development of wave hub and recognizes that central investment in port infrastructure would be beneficial for deployment of energy infrastructure.

 

4. Costs of Development

 

There are examples where relatively modest investment in port infrastructure has potential to deliver long term benefits to transport. Whilst it is accepted that transport infrastructure such as road and rail should be paid for from the public purse, the UK policy requires ports generally to fund their own investments.

 

The current DfT policy on funding for ports is an impediment to developments aimed at improvements in ports in support of strategic transport or low carbon agenda initiatives. Whilst not explicitly prohibiting public investment in ports, there is a presumption that all investment will be market led. This disregards the diversity of the functions of the small and medium ports sector and the problems caused by their peripherality in the South West.

 

There would seem to be potential for public / private funding partnerships to achieve strategic aims.

 

5. Promotion of Environmentally Friendly Transport

 

Ports have significant potential to facilitate environmentally friendly transport. There is no obvious effort to utilize or even recognize this potential and the disposal of port land into for residential purposes (whilst conforming to "market led" principles) threatens to reduce or even nullify this potential.

6. Role and effectiveness of RDA and Local Councils in identifying transport issues

 

Falmouth Harbour Commissioners would welcome more structured approach relating to strategic regional transport issues including ports. The Port of Falmouth Development Initiative which has involved local authorities, the SWRDA and the private sector is a good example of co-operation at a local level. National and regional strategies currently fail to encourage a wider application of this model.

 

7. The ability of government to influence private sector transport providers.

 

Government policy of maintaining artificially low road pricing is deterring the development of other transport solutions that may relieve congestion and be more environmentally friendly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusions

 

It is recognized that increasing congestion on the South West arterial routes will be one of the major challenges facing the Region in the next twenty year period. Strategic port development offers an opportunity to make an impact on goods traffic using the roads as well as offering significant benefits in terms of carbon emissions. The potential is inadequately recognized in current strategic thinking. At the same time the increase in land values on water front sites for housing is causing port land to be lost and the potential benefits to be steadily reduced. Unless urgent action is taken a major opportunity to address pressing problems will be lost permanently.