POOLE HARBOUR COMMISSIONERS DRAFT MASTER PLAN – VERSION TWO

Contents

Page

Executive Summary 1

Section 1 Introduction 5

Section 2 Poole Harbour Today 17

Section 3 The Existing Port and Its Future 33

Section 4 Responsibilities, Challenges and Options 51

Section 5 Master Plan Strategy 55

Section 6 Master Plan Proposals 59

Section 7 Next Steps 73

Appendix A Consultation of the exposure draft Master Plan 2011 75

Following publication of the first draft of the Poole HarbourMaster Plan in September 2011, extensive consultationhas taken place with our stakeholders and statutoryconsultees. The process whereby the Master Plan isultimately adopted is subject to a Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment and, to that end, an Environmental Reporthas been prepared. This work and the initial consultationprocess has resulted in this second draft of the MasterPlan which, in conjunction with the Environmental Report,will be the subject of a further six weeks consultationperiod. The Commissioners will consider the results of thisconsultation before adopting a final version of the PooleHarbour 2012 Master Plan later in 2012.

This second version of the Master Plan explains thepurpose, content and process of Port Master Plans, settingout the key planning documents which Poole HarbourCommissioners need to take into account such as theNational Policy Statement for Ports and the NationalPlanning Policy Framework.

The Master Plan goes on to review Poole Harbour as itexists today, highlighting the key ecological andenvironmental issues.

Section 3 examines the existing Port and its currentactivities, providing a detailed SWOT analysis andconcluding that Poole Harbour Commissioners need topursue a strategy of commercial diversification if the TrustPort is to remain successful and sustainable in the yearsto come.

Sections 4 and 5 lay out the responsibilities, challengesand options which face Poole Harbour Commissioners,setting out the guiding principles and key master planobjectives of the Master Plan.

The next steps are encapsulated in Section 7, explainingthat no application for development consent will be madebefore Spring 2013. This would be considered by the

independent Marine Management Organisation and wouldresult in a further round of consultation on detailed plansand additional Environmental Impact studies.

Section 6 of the Master Plan sets out Poole HarbourCommissioners’ preferred Master Plan proposals whichwill be consulted upon over the next six weeks.

There is a clear rationale behind the need to proceed withthese preferred options.

Government continues to scrutinise the Trust Port sector,and in recent years has issued new Trust Port Guidelineswhich clearly state that “Trust Ports should be run ascommercial businesses, seeking to generate a surpluswhich should be ploughed back into the Port. TheGovernment expects Trust Ports to be operated efficientlyand effectively, and to generate a commercially acceptablerate of return.” Recent dialogue with the Department forTransport has again highlighted the Government’s desireto see Trust Ports maximising their commercial potential,and Poole Harbour Commissioners remain acutely awarethat Government retains the power to privatise any majorTrust Port that is not fulfilling its duties in this regard. PooleHarbour Commissioners believe that the right way forwardfor Poole is further commercialisation within the Trust Portmodel, ensuring that greater surpluses continue to be re-invested back into the Harbour for the benefits of ourstakeholders and the local community.

There are significant costs involved in managing thelargest natural harbour in Europe however Poole HarbourCommissioners as a Trust Port do not receive anyfinancial funding from either Central or Local Government,and must therefore generate funds from commercialactivities and harbour dues in order to carry out dredging,maintenance of navigational aids, harbour patrolling andmany other different roles for which it bears responsibility.

In recent years the mainstay of Poole HarbourCommissioners has been cross channel ferry activity,

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Executive Summary

however there has been a major reduction in ferryvolumes along the Western Channel, and there appearsto be absolutely no prospect of a return to the passengerand freight volumes that Poole has seen in the past.Indeed, new legislation relating to low-sulphur fuelsprovides even more uncertainty within this sector.

Poole Harbour continues to actively market its services asa commercial port and is always seeking to widen thePort’s cruise ship, container and bulk cargo activities,however the physical restrictions of Poole Harbour, thepaucity of Dorset road links, the lack of an industrialhinterland and the constrictions of the Port Estate willinevitably continue to impact the ability of the commercialport to expand its activities.

For these reasons, Poole Harbour Commissioners haveno choice other than to diversify into other commercialsectors. These additional revenue streams will increasethe viability of the Port as a whole, thereby helping tosecure its long-term future. This they have already donesuccessfully in the leisure sector with the creation of PooleQuay Boat Haven in 2002 and the Port of Poole Marina in2011. Both of these facilities received the highest possibleaccolade with The Yacht Harbour Association Five GoldenAnchor Award at the London Boat Show in 2012. Demandcontinues to be high for permanent berthing.

The preferred options are:

1. Redeveloping the existing Port of Poole Marinasite, resulting in the creation of a new southfacing multipurpose 9 metre quay, which could beused by a variety of vessels such as cruise ships,small container feeder vessels and bulk cargovessels. The redevelopment will also include theinfilling of part or all of this area, depending onfurther discussions with new port customersincluding Eneco;

2. The deepening of existing conventional Quays to7.5 metres, including Ballast Quay, BulwarkQuay, New Quay North, New Quay South andthe existing Oil Jetty (depending on the phasedredevelopment of the existing Port of PooleMarina);

3. The creation of a Poole Harbour Marine Centreextending from the existing Poole Quay BoatHaven which would provide a number of facilitiesincluding:

• an extended marina providing secure berths for power and sail boats

• facilities for major marine events including tall ships festivals and super yacht events

• new Harbour walkways for members of thepublic

• a Poole Harbour Visitor Attraction Centre providing a Poole Harbour Awareness Programme

• Harbour Access to local organisations including charities, RNLI and commercial organisations such as Sunseeker

Other facilities that would not be appropriately locatedwithin the Marine Centre, such as lift-out facilities forleisure and commercial vessels and the potentialdevelopment of a marine business park would be locatedon the main Port Estate, not within the Marine Centre.

The main rationale behind Poole Harbour Commissioners’preferred option for a Marine Centre extending from PooleQuay Boat Haven, rather than the Hamworthy optionmentioned in the initial draft, is that the EnvironmentalReport clearly concludes that the Hamworthy option wouldhave a greater environmental impact than the extensionoff Poole Quay.

Additionally, the consultation process which Poole HarbourCommissioners have undertaken since September 2011,has shown an overwhelming preference for the PooleQuay option. The Commissioners have listened toconcerns about the potential structure of the MarineCentre and will endeavour to ensure that any visual impactis minimised. Low-level external pontoons will be used,wherever possible, to ensure that views aren’tcompromised and the proposal to berth cruise ships at theouter end of the Marine Centre have been shelved. Cruiseships will now be accommodated on a new multipurposequay within the existing Port Estate. Lift-out facilities willalso be incorporated within the Port Estate, not within thenew Marine Centre.

Concerns about parking and traffic have been listened toand will be the subject of additional studies. In the eventof the Marine Centre being located adjacent to the PooleQuay Boat Haven, the Commissioners intend to constructa new car park on the Port Estate to accommodate MarineCentre users who will be transported by water taxis directlyfrom the car park. Marine Centre users will also havepedestrian access directly from Poole Quay to the MarineCentre.

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There are clear economic benefits for businesses in Poolewith the development of a Marine Centre on this site. Anumber of stakeholders believe that this will help toregenerate Poole Quay and boost tourism, therebyboosting revenues for local companies, such as shops,passenger boats, cafes and restaurants.

Poole Harbour Commissioners believe that the creation ofan exciting and innovative Marine Centre accommodatinghistoric vessels would assist the town in reconnecting withits maritime history, and would help to regenerate PooleQuay into a more dynamic, vibrant and economicallyactive area of Poole.

It is worth noting that other commercial marina operatorshave in the past, and could in the future, apply forpermission to develop a major new marina within theHarbour. The benefit to stakeholders from a Poole HarbourCommissioners’ scheme is that surpluses are reinvestedback into Poole Harbour for the overall benefit of itsstakeholders and the Poole community.

Poole Harbour Commissioners are the guardians of theHarbour and view the organisation as a community port.Poole Harbour Commissioners serve the interests of ourstakeholders without any financial support from local orcentral government and need to remain profitable in orderto survive. The recommendations within this Master Planwill ensure that this is the case and we trust that ourstakeholders will recognise the overall benefits for thecommunity and Poole Harbour.

Once the six week consultation period has ended, PooleHarbour Commissioners will consider all responses, bothfrom statutory consultees and the public, before decidingupon the projects that will be taken to the next stage.Those projects will then be the subject of a fullEnvironmental Impact Assessment, the results of whichwill be shared with our stakeholders, and prior to anyapplication for development consent, additional work willbe carried out to demonstrate the economic benefits of theMaster Plan to Poole and the wider economy.

Poole Harbour Commissioners strongly believe that Pooleneeds a successful and vibrant harbour, just as much asPoole Harbour needs a successful and vibrant Poole.

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This Document

1.1 This document is the main consultation versionof the draft Poole Harbour Port Master Plan originallypublished for comment as an initial, or ‘exposure’, draft inSeptember 2011 (“the exposure draft”). This latestversion has been updated and expanded to reflectparticularly the comments received from Stakeholders onthe initial draft Plan, subsequent studies of theenvironment and commerce of Poole Harbour (includinga Strategic Environmental Report) commissioned fromconsultants, and Government policy developments suchas the publication of the National Policy Statement forPorts (in January 2012) and the adoption of the NationalPlanning Policy Framework (in March 2012).

1.2 With the benefit of these additional inputs, thisdraft document sets out Poole Harbour Commissioners’vision for the next 25 to 30 years. Before they adopt afinal Master Plan, the Commissioners now invitecomments from individuals, groups and organisationsinterested in the future of the Harbour. Paragraph 1.6explains how this document fits into the master planpreparation process, and Chapter 7, “The Next Steps”,sets out how consultees can make their views known.

The Purpose and Content of Port MasterPlans

1.3 In preparing the Poole Harbour Port Master Plan,the Commissioners have applied the principles of the PortMaster Plan Guidance issued by the Department forTransport (‘the Guidance’). The Guidance, which as theDepartment points out is “not a fixed template” and hasbeen prepared “to assist ports not to dictate to them”,states that the three main purposes of a Port Master Planare to:

• clarify the port’s own strategic planning for themedium to long term;

• assist regional and local planning bodies, andtransport network providers, in preparing andrevising their own development strategies, and

• inform port users, employees and localcommunities as to how they can expect to seethe port develop over the coming years.

1.4 The Guidance advises that these purposes canbe achieved by setting out:

• how the port expects to grow and develop itsbusiness over time;

• why this is feasible in the context of widerpatterns of supply and demand;

• where changes of land-use are likely to berequired to support growth areas;

• what alternative ways of meeting demand havebeen and will be considered;

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Section 1Introduction

• what environmental measures will be taken toensure that not only are adverse effectsmitigated, but as far as possible the port makesa positive contribution to environment andamenity;

• when individual development proposals will beput forward;

• how people will be consulted – both within themaster planning process itself, and beyond; and

• how the port’s development plans integrate,support and inform the regional and localeconomic, transport and planning policy contextas the result of close liaison with local andregional planning bodies during the production ofthe Master Plan.

1.5 The Department warns against inflexibility. TheGuidance states “Ports operate in a dynamic commercialworld and it is essential that they should have the flexibilityto adapt to changing patterns of demand, and tocompetitive opportunities. The Master Plan shouldtherefore present a framework within which suchadaptation can occur without undue bureaucracy.”

1.6 The Guidance emphasises the importance (tothe port and its stakeholders) of full engagement withinterested parties. In circumstances such as at Poole,where the Harbour Commissioners intend significantdevelopment, a four-stage process of stakeholderengagement is suggested:

i. pre-consultation,ii. exposure draft publicised for comment iii. main consultation draft publicised for comment,

and iv. final Master Plan adopted and published.

1.7 As noted in paragraph 1.1, the version of theMaster Plan published in September 2011 is the exposuredraft (stage ii) and this document is the main consultationdraft (stage iii).

Key Inputs since Consultation on theExposure Draft

National Policy Statement for Ports

1.8 In January 2012, the Department for Transportpublished the National Policy Statement for Ports

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(‘NPSfP’). This is an importantdocument of direct relevance tothe Master Plan. Following itspresentation to Parliament inaccordance with section 5(9) ofthe Planning Act 2008, NPSfP hasbecome part of the nationalplanning system. It provides theframework for decisions onnationally significant infrastructureprojects (NSIPs) in the portssector, for which the Secretary ofState is the decision-maker, andis a relevant consideration for theMarine Management Organisationand local authorities when they deal with other portdevelopment proposals.

1.9 As summarised in paragraph 3.3.1 of NPSfP, theGovernment’s fundamental policy for ports is to seek to:

• encourage sustainable port development to caterfor long-term forecast growth in volumes ofimports and exports by sea with a competitiveand efficient port industry capable of meeting theneeds of the importers and exporters costeffectively and in a timely manner, thuscontributing to long-term economic growth andprosperity;

• allow judgements about when and where newdevelopments might be proposed to be made onthe basis of commercial factors by the port

industry or port developers operating with a freemarket environment, and

• ensure all proposed developments satisfy therelevant legal, environmental and socialconstraints and objectives, including those in therelevant European Directives and correspondingnational regulations.

1.10 NPSfP explains that whilst “this fundamentalpolicy enables the Government to meet its externalobligations, and at the same time reflects that the portsindustry has proved itself capable of responding todemand in this way, it is necessary also to pursue otheroutcomes, enhance the quality of those outcomes thatmight not be realised by market forces alone, and “help tomeet the requirements of the Government’s policies onsustainable development”.

1.11 To this end the Government believes new portinfrastructure should also:

• contribute to local employment, regeneration anddevelopment;

• ensure competition and security of supply; • preserve, protect and where possible improve

marine and terrestrial biodiversity; • minimise emissions of greenhouse gases from

port related development; • be well designed, functionally and

environmentally; • be adapted to the impacts of climate change; • minimise use of greenfield land; • provide high standards of protection for the

natural environment;

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• ensure that access to and condition of heritageassets are maintained and improved wherenecessary, and

• enhance access to ports and the jobs, servicesand social networks they create, including for themost disadvantaged.

1.12 Finally, NPSfP says the Government wishes tosee port development wherever possible:

• being an engine for economic growth; • supporting sustainable transport by offering more

efficient transport links • with lower external costs, and • supporting sustainable development by providing

additional capacity for the development ofrenewable energy.

National Planning Policy Framework

1.13 The Government published the NationalPlanning Policy Framework (NPPF) in March 2012, as akey part of the Government’s reforms “to make theplanning system less complex and more accessible, toprotect the environment and to promote sustainablegrowth”.

1.14 NPPF states “when planning for ports …. plansshould take account of their growth and role in servingbusiness, leisure, training and emergency service needs.Plans should take account of this Framework as well asthe principles set out in the relevant national policystatements …”. Whilst the reference to ‘plans’ in thiscontext is to the statutory documents prepared by localplanning authorities, it is of general application to portplanning.

1.15 The Framework confirms the legal status of thestatutory development plan as the starting point fordecision making, with proposals that do not accord withthe provisions of an up-to-date Local Plan being refusedunless other material considerations (one of which mightbe a port master plan) indicate otherwise. It introduces apresumption in favour of sustainable development,although this “does not apply where development requiringassessment under the Birds and Habitat Directives isbeing considered, planned or determined”.

1.16 NPPF sets out core planning principles, anumber of which are of particular relevance to thepreparation of a plan for a port such as Poole, wherecommercial port operations are a key element of theeconomy and character of a substantial urban area andwhere the Harbour includes within its boundaryenvironments of significant value. Thus, the actions theGovernment identifies as important to the delivery ofsustainable development include:

• building a strong, competitive economy,• promoting sustainable transport,• meeting the challenge of climate change,

flooding and coastal change,• conserving and enhancing the natural

environment, and • conserving and enhancing the historic

environment.

1.17 The Ministerial Foreword to the Frameworkemphasises that “sustainable development is aboutpositive growth – making economic, environmental andsocial progress for this and future generations”. NPPFexplains that planning has three roles in the promotion ofsustainable development: economic, social andenvironmental.

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1.18 The economic role involves “contributing tobuilding a strong, responsive and competitive economy,by ensuring that sufficient land of the right type is availablein the right places and at the right time to support growthand requirements, including the provision ofinfrastructure”.

1.19 The social role involves supporting strong,vibrant and healthy communities. The environmental roleinvolves “contributing to protecting and enhancing ournatural, built and historic environment; and, as part of this,helping to improve biodiversity, use natural resourcesprudently, minimise waste and pollution, and mitigate andadapt to climate change including moving to a low carboneconomy”. The Framework notes that these three roles“should not be undertaken in isolation, because they aremutually dependent”.

Other Planning Considerations

1.20 The statutory Port boundary falls within the localauthority areas of the Borough of Poole and PurbeckDistrict Council, while the commercial Port lies whollywithin Borough Of Poole. Each local planning authorityhas produced a Core Strategy, which has been consideredwith relevant legislation and national policy in preparingthe Master Plan. The Port Master Plan Guidance statesthat the Master Plan should “feed into the regional andlocal planning strategies”.

1.21 The Port of Poole is an integral part of the urbanarea and natural environment of the Harbour. In terms ofeconomic activity, the importance of the Port and the roleof the Commissioners in managing differing interests ofthe Harbour is recognised by the statutory authorities. Bypreparing the Master Plan, the Commissioners areidentifying future requirements of the Port and Harbour

which can be taken into account in the relevant localdevelopment documents.

1.22 Like most ports, the Port of Poole operates withina complex regulatory framework, which reflects thedifferent legislative systems relating to development onland and in the marine environment. The remit of planninglegislation, in so far as it relates to the Poole HarbourCommissioners ownership on land, generally extendsdown to mean low water which includes the inter tidalarea. For the purposes of the Planning Acts, PooleHarbour Commissioners are a statutory undertaker. TheTown and Country Planning (General PermittedDevelopment) Order 1995 (GPDO) grants consent forworks by statutory undertakers on operational land tosupport shipping and to enable the Port to function.

1.23 As the statutory Harbour Authority theCommissioners’ jurisdiction covers the entire water area

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of the Harbour up to the mean high water springs markfrom the Haven entrance as far as the mouths of theRivers Frome and Piddle near Wareham including HolesBay and Lytchett Bay and the main approach channeloutside. The statutory duties and responsibilities of theCommissioners are included in the Poole HarbourRevision Order 2012 as shown on Figure 1.1 anddevelopment proposals affecting the Harbour requireconsent from the Commissioners.

1.24 Local planning policies are supportive of thedevelopment of the Port of Poole, recognising theimportant role it plays in the local economy as a ‘Principallocation for economic investment’, as a ferry port and fordealing with a range of freight commodities includingsafeguarding of port rail facilities and wharves for theexport of minerals. Other policies are aimed at improvingaccess to the port area as part of a strategically importantpackage of corridor improvements linking the A31, thewider conurbation, through increased use of the dedicatedfreight rail line, and ensuring the deep water frontage isnot prejudiced by inappropriate development in oradjacent to the Port.

1.25 Statutory policies protect the designated nationaland international nature conservation sites and landscapeof the Harbour, which together with the non statutoryAquatic Management Plan and AONB Management Planemphasise the special importance of the wider Harbourenvironment.

1.26 Poole Tourism’s ‘Strategy For Poole 2006 – 2015’emphasises the Port’s role in positively contributing to thelocal economy through attracting new cruise liner visits,increased berths for visiting yachts and the promotion ofwater based activities. Particular emphasis on developingand improving Poole Quay as a vibrant visitor destinationforms part of the local authority’s Strategy.

1.27 It is essential that the Master Plan incorporatesthe flexibility to work with the local authorities in adaptingto changes in the local economy and to incorporate newideas for the overall management and conservation of theHarbour.

Inputs from further studies

1.28 Following the preparation of the exposure draftof the Port Master Plan in September 2011, the HarbourCommissioners commissioned consultants experienced inenvironmental assessment, port development, and

application and consent procedures to advise on the wayforward. The results of the additional studies carried out,and the implications of the advice the commissioners havereceived for the Port Master Plan are summarised below.

Environmental report

1.29 EU Directive 2001/42/EC requires anenvironmental assessment to be carried out of certainplans and programmes that are likely to have significanteffects on the environment. In the context of the Directive,the term ‘environmental assessment’ refers to a processthat begins with the preparation of an EnvironmentalReport followed by consultation, leads to a decision-making process that takes account of both theEnvironmental Report and the results of consultations, andconcludes with the provision by the decision-maker ofinformation on the decision. This process is ofteninformally referred to as a ‘strategic environmentalassessment’, or ‘SEA’.

1.30 Whilst the Port Master Plan does not fall withinthe terms of the Directive, and there is therefore no legalduty on the Harbour Commissioners to prepare an SEA,the Commissioners have decided that it would be

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appropriate to undertake an SEA in accordance with theprocess set out in the Directive in order to demonstrateand test the environmental performance of the optionsconsidered in preparing the Master Plan.

1.31 Consultants Ramboll were thereforecommissioned to prepare an Environmental Report. Thisis published as a separate document, on which commentsare also invited. The Environmental Report examines theperformance of the proposals in the exposure draft MasterPlan version against a framework of objectives agreedwith the Environment Agency, Natural England, EnglishHeritage and the Borough of Poole.

1.32 The Environmental Report identifies andevaluates the significance of the potential environmentaleffects of developing the infrastructure that theCommissioners consider is likely to be required, tomaintain the commercial and environmental health of thePort and the activities it accommodates.

1.33 At this stage the Commissioners’ proposals arenecessarily conceptual and the assessment is at a

strategic level. If, and when, the Commissioners decideto prepare applications for consent for the works, detaileddesigns will be prepared following liaison with principalstakeholders and in parallel with environmental impactassessments. Environmental statements prepared underthe EIA Directives and Regulations, and information toenable decision-makers to carry out an assessment underthe Habitat Regulations will accompany applications.

1.34 The Environmental Report measures theperformance of the five potential development schemesidentified in the exposure draft Port Master Plan againstthe SEA objectives agreed with stakeholders. The fiveoptions (a wind farm base and either one or two new deepwater quays; deepening of existing quays and dredging ofLittle Channel, and a marine centre in either of twolocations) are not, in practice, stand-alone alternatives.Combinations of options have therefore also been tested.

1.35 The SEA objectives are comprehensive, coveringthe protection of the biodiversity, landscape character,heritage assets and water resources of the Harbour;residential amenity; the port-related economy and the

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Figure 1.1 Poole Harbour Revision Order 2012 Boundary

generation of employment opportunities; transport; coastprotection; marine safety, and greenhouse gas emissions.

1.36 In summary, the results of the appraisal by optionand objective suggest that:

a. The local economy could strongly benefit fromdevelopment that would enable the Port tohandle deeper draft vessels and act as a windfarm base, and establish a marine centre withadditional moorings. There could also bebenefits for coastal protection and flood riskmanagement, and, through the promotion of seatransport, for reducing greenhouse gases.

b. Additional activity associated with the provisionof infrastructure to enablethe Port to handle largercommercial vessels couldbe closely managed andcontrolled using the powersavailable to the HarbourAuthority, and if this weredone it would be unlikely tohave major adverseimplications for theenvironment.

c. The development of amarine centre, which wouldinclude additional leisuremoorings together withfacilities to improve

understanding of the Harbour’s environment,would have to be carefully designed andmanaged to ensure that it did not adversely affectthe designated areas and retained an acceptablebalance between environmental protection andeconomically valuable activities. As with theprovision of facilities for commercial vessels, theHarbour Authority would need to use its powersto ensure that additional leisure activity within theHarbour would not harm the interests protectedby the designations.

d. An eastern location for the marine centre (i.e., atPoole Quay) would be likely to be able to addressissues that would otherwise have potentiallyadverse implications for the designated areasand offer more economic benefits than a westernlocation (i.e., at Hamworthy). The Poole Quaylocation would also improve the visitorexperience to an area that is critical to thetourism industry in Poole, by providing enhancedpublic facilities and access.

Commercial Port development

Shipping

1.37 Commercial shipping is the backbone of thebusiness of the Port of Poole. Consultants FisherAssociates have analysed the position of the Port in achanging market, appraising the sectors potentiallycreating demand for additional and deeper berths. Theyhave identified the key issues and trends in these sectorsand have confirmed the economic desirability of

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Photo courtesy of Kevin Mitchell

developing additional berths and deeper berths, anddeepening the approach channel and concluded that astrong commercial need exists for schemes to be broughtforward.

1.38 Dry cargo trades (general cargo/break-bulk,bulks, and containers) are important activities within thePort of Poole. The overall picture in these trades is thatPoole is currently significantly constrained in its ability toaccommodate the larger vessels that are increasinglyused within the UK maritime sector. Without the provisionof additional and deeper berths, Fisher Associates saythere is a prospect that Poole will find itself with fewercustomers, left behind by the trend to increasing ship size.

1.39 There are opportunities in the cruise sector, withthe South West developing as a destination. Poole has agood opportunity to be part of this trend but is currentlyconstrained by a lack of facilities. Bigger and deeperberths are required in this trade as well.

1.40 Poole can also make a strong claim to act in boththe construction and operation support roles if the windfarm proposals off the Dorset coast are taken forward. Aswith cruise, it cannot however exploit this opportunitywithout additional and deeper berths with back-up land.

1.41 Fisher Associates conclude that a decision not toproceed with a scheme to provide either one, or preferablytwo, deeper berths and enable the passage of largervessels, would mean that the Port of Poole then become

increasingly outdated in its ability to handle dry cargotrades and remain unable to enter the cruise or wind farmsectors with any impact.

Roll on Roll off Ferries

1.42 In parallel with Fisher Associates, theCommissioners have reviewed the position in respect ofRo/Ro ferries, which are an important but declining part ofthe Port’s business. Since Poole began operating as aRo/Ro ferry port in 1973, the cross channel ferry trade hasseen many changes, including the construction of theChannel Tunnel, the growth of low cost airlines and theloss of duty free sales. Over the past 10/15 years all southcoast ferry ports have seen major reductions in passengernumbers. In 2010/11 Poole handled approximately288,000 passengers, compared to 805,000 in 1998.Freight traffic has also declined from a peak of 102,000 in1993 to 30,000 in 2010/2011.

1.43 Cross-channel ferry operators, especially thoseserving the western Channel routes, face more challengesin the years to come. Known uncertainties relate to thegeneral economic climate, fuel prices and amendedinternational requirements on the sulphur content of fuel,and sterling-euro exchange rates. The Commissionersremain committed to growing Ro/Ro activity wherepossible, and to maintaining high standards of service inthe sector. Whilst Poole will continue to be a strategicferry port, it is important to recognise that major increasesin volumes of traffic are highly unlikely in the foreseeablefuture.

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1.44 The Commissioners believe that the inescapableconclusion is that they must diversify into other areas ofport and port-related businesses such as liner businesses,wind farm maintenance, and marine leisure (see below).In addition a re-organisation of the use of port land couldfree up space for marine-related businesses.

Leisure

1.45 Marine leisure is another significant componentof the business of the Port of Poole. Consultants MarinaProjects have established the baseline for marine leisurerelated activity, assessed current demand and reviewedthe market at national/regional and local level.

1.46 Poole Harbour occupies a strategic location atthe western end of the prime central south coast market(centred on the sheltered waters of the Solent, extendingeastwards to Chichester and westwards to Poole) withlinks to the secondary south west market. The Harbour’snatural attractions for marine leisure, the existence of avariety of support services in the form of boatyard andmarina-related businesses, coupled with constraints ongrowth in berth numbers in the central south coast markethas encouraged a migration of demand towards the outerareas including the southwest.

1.47 Marina Projects conclude that strong demandexists for a significant increase in marina berthing in PooleHarbour, which could be met by a marine centre withstrong links with the town of Poole. A location at PooleQuay would offer opportunities to link to existing facilities,businesses, restaurants and tourist attractions in the Quayarea and be within walking distance of the town centre. Amarina here providing leisure and visitor berths could beserved by water taxi to a remote car park within the Port

area. The rationale for a marine centre and further detailsof what this could include, can be found in section 6.

Poole Harbour Commissioners and thePort Master Plan

1.48 Poole Harbour is a Trust Port. Since 1895 theHarbour Commissioners have been tasked with themanagement of the area shown on Figure 1.1. Trust Portsare statutory bodies established by local legislation; theyhave no shareholders but have responsibilities to the localcommunity and a wider group of stakeholders. Trust Portstatus has no direct implications for the planning andconsent processes, and confers no privileges in theconsenting process other than those enjoyed as statutoryundertakers for the purpose of the 1990 Planning Act.

1.49 Trust Port status does imply a close relationshipbetween a port and the community, and, as outlined in

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paragraph 1.3 and subsequent paragraphs, the HarbourCommissioners recognise that the preparation of a MasterPlan for Poole Harbour is an important opportunity fordialogue between the two.

1.50 Poole Harbour Commissioners are a statutorybody whose area overlaps terrestrial and marine planningsystems and local government boundaries. This makesfor an unavoidable element of administrative complexityand means that no single arm of local or centralgovernment is responsible for the control of developmentor activities within the Port. For a large part of its area andcertainly for matters concerned with navigation, theHarbour Authority, which operates on the basis of localstatutory powers backed by national legislation, has theprime responsibility.

1.51 As explained in more detail in later chapters, thePort of Poole covers an extensive area within which thereare complex economic, social and land use relationships,for example between the natural and man-madeenvironment; several international nature conservationdesignations, a nationally significant landscape, animportant commercial port and recreation industry. TheHarbour Commissioners have parallel responsibilities asconservators of the Harbour (with integral involvement inthe environmental stewardship of the Harbour andoperators of the commercial Port.

1.52 The Commissioners have additional, relatedresponsibilities that include ensuring Harbour safetythrough compliance with the Port Marine Safety Code,policing the Harbour to ensure compliance with ourlegislation, providing pilotage and towage services,ensuring that emergency planning and oil spill responseplans and facilities are in place, Port security, the

maintenance of navigation aids and Poole Quay, andresponsibility for moorings and licensing.

1.53 The Commissioners receive no funding fromcentral or local government and pay business rates andcorporation tax, just like most other businesses. Theygenerate revenue from a variety of different activities,including harbour dues for commercial and non-commercial vessels, charges for cargo handling andstevedoring services, rent for lease of land and other Portfacilities, pilotage and revenue from boat haven andmarina activities.

1.54 The Department for Transport’s “ModernisingTrust Ports” guidance advises that stakeholders include“port users, port employees, local and regionalbusinesses, the local community, related interest groups,local and regional economies and authorities, the nationaleconomy and Central Government.”

1.55 It says:

“Trust Port boards should transact Port business in theinterest of the whole community of stakeholders openly,accountably and with commercial prudence. Trust Portsshould be commercial businesses, seeking to generate asurplus which should be ploughed back into the Port, orotherwise directed towards the interest of the Port’sstakeholders. The Government expects Trust Ports to beoperated efficiently and effectively, and to generate acommercially acceptable rate of return.”

Additionally, the Minister for Shipping has clearly statedthat he wants to see Trust Ports maximising theircommercial potential.

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1.56 Poole Harbour Commissioners are governed bya board of twelve Commissioners, two drawn from theexecutive, one elected by the Unite trade union, and nineCommissioners appointed by independent selectionpanels. Commissioners are elected to serve a three-yearterm of office and are eligible to sit for up to three terms ofoffice, however there is no right to automatic re-appointment. Selection panels appoint threeCommissioners annually, based on merit and all newCommissioners receive an induction course to assist themwith their duties. The board currently elects the Chair ofPoole Harbour Commissioners every three years.

1.57 All Commissioners, including the Chairman andthe Chief Executive, undergo an annual appraisal toensure that they meet the standards set out in the latestModernising Trust Ports 2, Guide to Good Governance.Poole Harbour Commissioners operate four committees,the members of which are elected annually. Thecommittees are the Executive, Remuneration and AuditCommittee, the Harbour Committee, the LegislationCommittee and the Leisure Committee. AllCommissioners must make any relevant declarations ofinterest when the board or the committees examine ordiscuss any particular issues.

1.58 Poole Harbour Commissioners undertake regularliaison meetings with Harbour stakeholders throughout theyear and hold various stakeholder events including anAnnual Open Evening.

Conclusion

1.59 The Harbour Commissioners recognise the valueand importance of sharing their vision of the future ofPoole Harbour with stakeholders and wish to encouragewide participation in the content of the Port Master Plan.This revised consultation draft Master Plan has beencompiled through a process of analysing existing port,local and national port trends, examining future businessopportunities, incorporating stakeholder comments madeon the exposure draft Master Plan and consideringenvironmental issues to produce what the Commissionershope will be seen as a balanced strategy that enhancesthe commercial prospects of the Port whilst at the sametime takes full account of their responsibilities forenvironmental stewardship.

1.60 The Commissioners attach particular importanceto their desire to create employment opportunities and tomake additional contributions to the local and regionaleconomies. Current economic circumstances emphasisethe necessity of the Port continuing to pull its weight as animportant generator of employment and catalyst for wealthcreation.

1.61 The Master Plan will set the vision, but manydetails will remain to be debated and decided. It will beimportant to get the details right, because some of themwill be significant components of sustainable solutions.

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This Section

2.1 This section deals with the environment of PooleHarbour and immediately adjacent areas. It includesdescriptions of those parts of the Harbour that aredesignated for their nature conservation, landscape andcultural heritage value. Fishing activities are alsocovered. Section 3 explains the function and importanceof the Harbour in terms of the commercial Port of Poole,other marine industries and leisure and recreational use.

2.2 The need to comprehensively manage PooleHarbour with its multitude of activities has long beenrecognised by Poole Harbour Commissioners. The key tounderstanding one of the largest harbours in Europe is thewide variety of species and habitats, many of which are ofinternational importance, which together make up a highlycomplex natural environment. This has to be balanced,on a day-to-day basis, with careful management of thecommercial, fishing and leisure activities that are crucialto the sustenance and improvement of the economy ofPoole and surrounding areas. Together these activitiesform an integral part of the Commissioners’ work andbusiness.

2.3 Poole Harbour Commissioners take their role asa responsible conservator and obligations to protect the

environment extremely seriously. Full details ofenvironmental management and policy initiatives alreadyin place can be found on their website and they aresummarised later in this Master Plan. The Commissionersare committed to the continuous improvement of theirenvironmental performance by fulfilling their duties relatingto conservation, regulation and enhancement of the Portand Harbour.

2.4 Poole Harbour has been a centre for maritimetrade since at least the Iron Age. Today the Port of Pooleis an important local and regional asset and makes asignificant contribution, around £53 million, to theeconomy of the town and wider area. Around 550 peopleare employed on the dock estate with many thousandsemployed indirectly in related industries. As the statutoryauthority for the Harbour, the Commissioners’ role is tomanage the Harbour in line with the Government’s broadpolicy aims in relation to ports. The provisions containedwithin the Poole Harbour Revision Order 2012 haveconsolidated and strengthened the Commissionerspowers in terms of management and control of PooleHarbour in line with guidance on Trust Ports from theDepartment for Transport.

2.5 In line with a number of UK ports, recent changesin market conditions have led to a reduction overall in

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Section 2Poole Harbour Today“Poole Harbour Commissioners' objective is to maintain the balance in the harbourbetween commercial, recreational and environmental interests, at the same timemaintaining a sustainable and commercially viable medium sized trust port.”

throughput of cargo and passenger traffic at the Port. Thelast 12 months have seen increased ferry operations atthe Port and additional services are being introducedduring 2013. However, as noted in the introduction, theoutlook for the ferry sector remains uncertain. TheCommissioners recognise the need to be flexible andintend to provide improved and replacement facilitieswithin the commercial Port of Poole in a sustainable wayto allow them to meet changing market economics andcommercial opportunities which arise. Several options forincreasing the length of the existing quays and providingmore berths have been considered and are explainedfurther in section 6.

2.6 Poole Quay Boat Haven on the northern side ofthe Harbour provides a base port for a commercial fishingand angling fleet of approximately 130 vessels. Dedicatedlanding facilities and separate car parking areas areprovided. The Port benefits from a central position on thesouth coast and with established land and seacommunications is the largest exporting port of liveshellfish in the UK to markets in France, Spain andPortugal. The Commissioners work closely with otheragencies to support this active inshore fishing fleet.

2.7 Poole Harbour is the centre of an establishedleisure market for recreational boating and other waterbased activities and is one of the busiest along the southcoast. The sheltered waters of Poole Harbour supportmotor and yacht clubs, sailing schools and windsurfingactivities and a variety of marine related industriesimportant to the local economy. It is estimated that around

5,000 yachts visit the Harbour each year and recreationalboating forms an integral part of the Commissioners’business. Evidence shows that demand for berthing andsupport services remains strong despite the recenteconomic downturn and improved levels of service andincreased levels of expectation within the marina leisurebusiness are predicted.

2.8 The need for careful management to enablethese diverse interests and activities to exist side by sidehas been recognised and articulated by the (voluntary)Poole Harbour Steering Group through the non statutoryAquatic Management Plan, last updated in February 2011(www.pooleharbouraqmp.co.uk). Formed in 1988following expansion of the Port of Poole, the initial SteeringGroup, comprising representatives from County andDistrict Council, Poole Harbour Commissioners, EnglishNature and other statutory bodies, produced the ‘PooleHarbour Management Policies’. In recognising the needfor integrated management of the whole Harbour,including the water areas and those areas below the lowwater mark, the Management Policies were transposedinto the first Aquatic Management Plan in 1994 and havebeen regularly reviewed, and will continue to be reviewed,to take account of changing demands and new legislation.The present Steering Group members include thosebodies actively involved in the planning and sustainablemanagement of the whole of the Harbour, who work

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together under a Memorandum of Agreement. Other localand national stakeholders and members of the public areconsulted on the work of the Steering Group as

2.9 One of the Steering Group’s principle roles is toact as an advisory group for the management of the PooleHarbour Special Protection Area (SPA) as a EuropeanMarine Site. Regular review of the Aquatic ManagementPlan will address the effectiveness and progress of thespecific management actions identified, with all interestswho use the Harbour for recreation, commercial reasonsor those with an interest in the environmental resources,encouraged to provide an input into the implementation ofthe Plan.

Biodiversity

2.10 Poole Harbour has long been recognised asimportant in terms of its biodiversity and significance fornature conservation. The Harbour is mostly shallow andcontains a high proportion of intertidal saltmarshes(around 300ha) and mudflats. These give way tofreshwater marshes, reedbeds (around 174ha,approximately 30% of total reedbed coverage in southwest England) and wet grasslands on low, poorly drainedland above the tidal level, and also transitions to heathlandon higher sandy ground and heathland mires in smalltributary valleys. Eelgrass beds within the Harbour arerestricted to two main swathes in the Whitley Lake areaand provide a resource for a variety of marine, aquatic andbird species.

2.11 The wetland habitats fringing the Harboursupport large numbers of wintering, migrating andbreeding birds along with many rare and uncommonplants and invertebrates. Areas of the Harbour bed areimportant for marine invertebrates such as sponges,tubeworms, sea squirts and sea mats, including some thatare rare around Britain’s shoreline. Areas of heathlandsupport invertebrates and reptiles, while pine woodland onsome of the Harbour’s islands are of national importancefor some of England’s last surviving populations of redsquirrel.

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Poole Harbour Commissioners

Borough of Poole

Dorset County Council

Natural England

Environment Agency

Purbeck District Council

Southern Inshore Fisheriesand Conservation Authority

Wessex Water Services Ltd

2.12 The majority of the Harbour, except for thecommercial Port of Poole, The Quay including the areaoccupied by the Poole Quay Boat Haven and pockets inthe Hamworthy and Sandbanks areas are designated asa Site of Special Scientific Interest and as a SpecialProtection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site of internationalimportance. Heathlands adjacent to the Harbour aredesignated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).SPAs and SACs are collectively known as Natura 2000sites, which represent a network of protected sitesestablished under the respective EU Birds and HabitatsDirectives.

2.13 Recognising the varied national and internationalmarine nature conservation sites within and around PooleHarbour, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee(JNCC) includes the Harbour as part of the non-statutoryPoole Bay and Isle of Purbeck Sensitive Marine Area.This area protects species and their habitats within thewider marine environment as ecological support to thestatutory sites. Some areas of the Harbour have alsobeen declared Local and National Nature Reserves.

2.14 There are also sites of local nature conservationimportance designated as Sites of Nature Conservation

Interest (SNCI) and four Local Geological Sites within oradjacent to the Harbour, one at Whitecliff adjacent toParkstone Bay, two on Brownsea Island and at ShipstalPoint on the Arne peninsula.

2.15 Detail of the designated sites in and adjacent tothe Harbour are shown in Table 2.1 below and on Figure2.1.

Poole Harbour European Marine Site

2.16 The marine areas protected under the ECDirectives as SPAs or SACs within Poole Harbour arereferred to as a European Marine Sites and are protectedunder Regulations 35 and 36 of the Habitats Regulations.The Poole Aquatic Management Plan provides an agreedmanagement scheme under Regulation 36 for theEuropean Marine Site component of Poole Harbour SPA.This scheme sets out the framework for resolvingmanagement issues and how activities are managed andthrough which the conservation objectives of the site areachieved.

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SitePoole Harbour SPA andRamsar site

Poole Harbour SSSI

Dorset Heaths SACDorset Heaths (Purbeckand Wareham) andStudland Dunes SACDorset Heathlands SPAand RamsarArne SSSI

Summary of Interest FeaturesBreeding: Mediterranean gull, common ternOver wintering: black tailed godwit, shelduckRegularly supports over 28,000 waterfowl including avocet, redshank, curlew, dunlin,lapwing, red-breasted merganser, goldeneye, pochard, shoveler, dar-bellied brent goose,cormorant and little egret.Sponge, hydroid, eelgrassRange of estuarine habitats, including intertidal mudflats, saltmarsh, swamp and fenhabitats. Coastal grazing marsh and lowland heathland.Heath, bogs, marshes, meadows, fens, woodland. Habitat supports southern damselfly.Coastal sand dunes, heath, bogs, marshes, meadows, fens, woodland. Habitat supportssouthern damselfly.

(to be added)

Heath, saltmarsh. Supports Dartford Warbler and Nightjar.

Notes: Special Protection Areas are designated under EC Directive 79/409/EEC as amended by the 2009 Directive 2009/147/EC on theConservation of Wild Birds (the Birds Directive)Ramsar sites are protected as European sites, as set out in the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (SI No.2010/490) and the UK legislation in ratifying the Convention, requires Ramsar sites to be designated SSSIs. Many Ramsar sites arealso Special Protection Areas.Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designated by under EC Directive 92/43/EEC as amended on the conservation of natural habitatsand of wild fauna and flora (the Habitats Directive).SSSIs are classified under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) for the protection of flora and fauna

Table 2.1 Poole Harbour National and International Nature Conservation Sites

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Figu

re 2.1 Poole Harbour SSS

I, SA

C, S

PA and

Ram

sar s

ites

Management of SPAs and Ramsar sites- Habitats Regulations

2.17 The Conservation of Habitats and SpeciesRegulations 2010 (the Habitats Regulations) transposethe EU Habitats and Birds directives into UK law. For thepurposes of considering development proposals or otheruses of land affecting them, the Government applies thesame procedures to Ramsar sites as it does to SPAs andunder UK legislation the Habitats Regulations form thebasis for establishing, protecting and managing SPAs.

2.18 In maintaining populations of all wild bird speciesacross their natural range Article 2 of EU Directive statesthat “Member States shall take the requisite measures tomaintain the population of the species referred to in Article1 at a level which corresponds in particular to ecological,scientific and cultural requirements, while taking accountof economic and recreational requirements, or to adapt thepopulation of these species to that level”.

2.19 Poole Harbour Commissioners must, within theirjurisdiction, have regard to both direct and indirect effectsof their statutory functions on the nature conservationinterests of Poole Harbour SPA as well as cumulativeeffects, and may need to modify the way in which theyexercise their functions so as to maintain the favourablecondition of interest features concerned in the long term.

2.20 Where a plan or project that is not primarilyconcerned with, or necessary to, the management of thesite is likely to have a significant effect on a European site,an appropriate assessment must be made of theimplications for the site in view of its conservationobjectives.

2.21 If this cannot conclude that there will be noadverse effect on the integrity of the site, alone and incombination with other plans and projects, permission forthe development can only be given having ascertainedthat there are no alternative solutions and that the projectis necessary for Imperative Reasons of Overriding PublicInterest (IROPI). In such cases, compensatory measuresmust be taken to ensure that the overall coherence of thenetwork of European sites is maintained.

Landscape

2.22 The Harbour lies within an area recognised forits landscape value and part of the Purbeck HeritageCoast and part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty(AONB). The AONB boundary follows the local authorityboundary of Purbeck District Council and includes all theislands of the Harbour as well as a large part of the waterarea. Designated under the National Parks and Accessto the Countryside Act (1949) there is a statutory duty toconserve and enhance the natural beauty of the site. It ishoped that future initiatives by the Commissioners will

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draw on objectives from both the statutory AONBManagement Plan and the Aquatic Management Plan topromote a more integrated approach to the managementof the Harbour and its hinterland.

2.23 Poole Quay lies opposite the commercial portand is a popular tourist area supporting a number ofshops, restaurants and businesses both land and marinebased, including the departure point for Harbour cruisesand fishing trips. Poole Quay Boat Haven has directaccess to the quay with facilities to accommodate vesselsup to 60m in length. Around 180 berths are provided, onethird of which are let on an annual basis and the remainderavailable for short-term lease or visitor berths.

Cultural Heritage

2.24 Elements of the original commercial port can stillbe seen at Poole Quay. This area is also the boundary of

the central conservation area and a number of significantlisted buildings associated with the historic quayside usesremain and lie opposite the modern commercial port. Thesetting of these listed buildings and the remaining historiclandscape form an integral part of the northern shore ofthe Harbour and the wider port environment.

2.25 Poole Harbour has been historically important asa commercial port since before Roman times andevidence of human activity has been identified which datesback to a pre Iron Age era. This long period of humanoccupation, along with the excellent preservation ofcoastal and marine structures and artefacts, submergedby rising sea levels, has led English Heritage to identifyPoole Harbour as one of the most important areas forcoastal archaeology in the country.

Zoning Scheme within the Harbour

2.26 The Harbour Commissioners are responsible formaintaining the Harbour for safe navigation for commercialand recreational users and work with other marineagencies to police the Harbour to ensure speed limits andother local byelaws are adhered to.

2.27 In acknowledging the environmental importanceof the Harbour, management initiatives are in place tobalance the requirements of many other commercial andrecreational activities. The Commissioners havedesignated activity zones for water sports to ensure thatrecreational activities are regulated, can take place safelyand cause minimum disturbance to areas of ecologicalimportance, wildlife and other users of the Harbour. Thesouth of the Harbour is designated as a quiet zone. Aswell as zoning, the use of personal watercraft and water-

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ski boats are also regulated through a permit scheme andaccess is restricted to specific launch points around theHarbour. Regular monitoring of the effectiveness of thisarrangement will continue.

Bird Sensitive Areas and AnchorageSensitive Zones

2.28 Defined Bird Sensitive Areas encourage Harbourusers to modify their activities in the overwintering birdsensitive areas between 1st November and 31st Marchand in the breeding bird sensitive areas between 15th Apriland 30th June. Potential conflicts between users and thebirdlife are also addressed through other measures, suchas codes of conduct and other management initiatives.

2.29 Figure 2.2 shows the shellfish lease beds; it alsoshows Anchorage Sensitive Zones which correspond toknown areas of eelgrass. There is a public right ofnavigation within these areas and initiatives focusawareness of their importance and location, as well ashighlighting potential damage which could be caused byanchoring within them. Shellfish lease beds are areaswhere mussels and oysters are commercially farmed.

Commercial Fisheries

2.30 Along with the commercial and recreationalactivities that take place, Poole Harbour also sustains asignificant fisheries resource. Mullet, bass, flounder, soleand plaice are caught commercially, and shellfish(primarily mussels, clams, oysters and cockles) areharvested from the Harbour, while the extensive mudflats

are home to several bait species which form a valuableeconomic and ecological resource. The Harbour fisheryis primarily regulated by the Southern Inshore Fisheriesand Conservation Authority who work to keep all stocks atsustainable levels through the enforcement of byelaws;however, management for eels and migratory species isoverseen by the Environment Agency which alsopossesses enforcement powers. The conditions andproductivity of the Harbour are such that shellfish, eels andsome fish species are found in much greater quantitieswithin the Harbour than on the open coast.

Non-commercial fishing activities

2.31 The charter fishing fleet is one of the largest inthe UK with around 35 boats in total. The flounder fisheryis one of the biggest in the country and a major attractionfor anglers around the UK between October and January.

2.32 The majority of bait digging in the Harbour takesplace on the more accessible north shore. Advice to raiseawareness of potential damage done by bait digging hasbeen drawn up and while there are currently no statutorycontrols to regulate the activity in the Harbour, responsiblebait draggers have expressed an interest in bringing insome form of regulation and/or a code of conduct. Levelsof bait digging are monitored and a bye-law to regulate theactivities in Holes Bay has been introduced.

Water quality

2.33 All activities have the capacity to impact thenatural environment. The water quality of the Harbour is

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Figu

re 2.2 P

oole Harbour Aquatic Managem

ent P

lan

Source: Poole Harbour Aquatic Managem

ent P

lan 2011

regularly monitored by the Environment Agency, which isresponsible for ensuring that standards set by EUDirectives are met. Initiatives to reduce nutrient inputs tothe Harbour focus on the improvement of sewagetreatment works and changes to farming practices, whilenew legislation has helped to regulate the input ofchemicals from antifouling paints and industry into themarine environment. As well as ongoing monitoring thereis also a contingency plan in place for the Harbour, whichprovides the management, control and communicationstructure for dealing with pollution incidents.

2.34 Aquatic ecology in freshwater bodies, transitionalwaters (estuaries) and coastal water bodies extending onenautical mile out to sea is protected by the EU WaterFramework Directive which requires “good ecological andchemical status” or the equivalent for designated waterbodies to be achieved by 2015.

Climate Change and Flood Risk

2.35 Probably the most significant long-term issuewhich will affect the future of shoreline management inPoole Harbour is sea level rise. Recent studies suggestthat the rate of rise of the sea levels will increaseaccording to the predicted climate change models. TheInter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)predictions suggest that global temperatures may increaseby between 1 degree Celsius to 3.5 degrees Celsius by2100, with sea level rise predictions for the south westcoast being as shown in Figure 2.3.

2.36 The possible effects of climate change in theHarbour are:

• increased risks to life and property in thecommunity from flood events which can occurfrom the sea, the rivers and from surface waterrunoff;

• increased risks to communities from coastalerosion and landslips;

• loss of intertidal habitats within the Harbourincluding mudflat, saltmarsh and BrownseaLagoon;

• establishment of new intertidal habitats along thecoast and up the rivers as they are flooded byrising sea levels; and

• increased air and water temperatures which mayaffect the flora and fauna found in the Harbourcausing loss of some species and theintroduction of new ones.

2.37 The Commissioners work closely with theEnvironment Agency and the local authorities in assessingthe effectiveness of the flood defences within the Harbour.The Authorities recognise that defence development maybe more cost effective and enduring if, rather than fightingnature, they harness and enhance the natural coastalprocesses. Establishing a natural regime is thought tohave the added advantage of retaining the wildlife of thearea and enhancing the quality of the landscape.

Significant Industries in Poole Harbour

2.38 As well as commercial operations directlyassociated with the Port and the active fishing fleet, theHarbour and its shores also support many other industriesof differing scales. A number of local companies,boatyards, marinas and sail lofts are located around theHarbour and offer services to both commercial andrecreational mariners. Sunseeker, a builder of luxurymotor yachts for both domestic and international clients,

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0

3

6

9

12

15

2007 to2025

2025 to2055

2055 to2085

2085 to2115

Rat

e o

f R

ise

mm

/yea

r

Period

Figure 2.3 Predicted rate of rise of sea levels

operates from deep water quay frontages as well as froma number of factory sites around the area.

2.39 The Royal Marines have an established base atHamworthy and much of their assault craft training iscarried out in and around the Harbour, while the RNLI hasestablished its National Headquarters and TrainingCollege at a waterfront facility in Holes Bay. The completerange of operational lifeboats can be observed at Poole,both at evaluation trials and post refit trials and undergoingwork-up programmes with their operational crews, prior togoing on station at their appointed places.

2.40 Western Europe’s largest onshore oil field is alsosituated within the Harbour and its surrounds. Drillingplatforms on Furzey Island and Goathorn Peninsular useextended reach drilling techniques to exploit oil depositsunder Poole Bay which are distributed from the Harbourvia subterranean pipelines to Southampton Water.Production from the field peaked during the 1990s ataround 100,000 barrels per day but current productionstands at between 20-30,000 barrels per day. In order tosupport their operations a small, specialised terminaladjacent to the main Port is used to ferry materials andpersonnel to Furzey Island. The Dorset Minerals andWaste Local Plan, 1999, sets out policies relevant to theextraction of hydrocarbons in Dorset both for existing andpotential sites. They identify the need to minimise theimpact of such operations through sound environmentalmanagement and the use of existing infrastructure by newdevelopments.

2.41 Overall it is important that existing waterfrontsites are available for appropriate marine relatedindustries. These industries contribute towards theeconomic and social health of the Harbour but there is alsoa need to ensure that strategies, initiatives, project andplans are developed and implemented in accordance withdue planning process and the Habitat Regulations. TheHarbour and its hinterland also support an importanttourism industry, which brings substantial revenue to theregion and there is a need to maintain a balance betweenthe Harbour as a working area and its promotion as atourist destination, but also to preserve quiet, undisturbedareas.

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Other responsibilities

2.42 Poolspill is a contingency plan designed toprovide the management, control and communicationsstructure for dealing with oil and other hazardoussubstance release within Poole Harbour Commissionersarea of responsibility. Poolspill is administered inconjunction with Dorset County Council, Purbeck DistrictCouncil, Borough of Poole, Natural England, DEFRA andthe Environment Agency and approved by the Maritimeand Coastguard Agency.

2.43 The shoreline of the Harbour is a combination ofmany different habitats and substrates, from concretewalls and slipways to tidal mudflats and saltmarshes. Allof these respond differently to the various clean uptechniques that can be employed and the situation maybe further complicated by the time of year that the spilloccurs in. The Plan contains a clean-up options matrixwhich suggests the preferredmethod for different shore types.

2.44 Although chemical spillsare the focus of most of thecontingency planning within theHarbour, key organisations such asPHC, Perenco and Local Authoritiesalso produce emergency planswhich detail responses to otherpotential incidents. Events such asexplosions, fires and even terroristattacks, all need to be consideredand a contingency plan put in placeto ensure the safety of personneland members of the public. Theproduction of emergency

contingency plans demonstrates a proactive approach bythe key organisations involved which will minimise thepotential social, economic and environmental cost of anyincident in or around the Harbour.

Conservancy and Marine Safety

2.45 Poole Harbour Commissioners are responsiblefor ensuring that shipping channels are routinely surveyedand clearly marked, as well as for controlling themovement of commercial shipping. The Commissioners’powers to create, police and enforce byelaws such asthose for speed limits and safe navigation are included inthe 2012 Harbour Revision Order (HRO). It also gives theCommissioners the powers of General Direction underwhich the Harbour Master will have greater regulatorycontrol.

Harbour Control

2.46 Harbour Control is located at the Harbour Officeand is manned by a Harbour Control Officer (HCO) on a24-hour basis. The HCO controls the traffic entering andleaving and monitors all marine activity within the Harbourand its approaches. The office is the communicationscentre for the Harbour and the first point of contact incases of emergency. The HCO also disseminatesinformation on shipping movements as well as arrangingpilots and tugs.

Navigation

2.47 Poole Harbour Commissioners haveresponsibility for ensuring that navigational channels are

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clearly marked and that buoys and beacons aremaintained. They act as a Local Lighthouse Authority toTrinity House who carry out an annual, independentinspection of navigational aids within the Harbour. TheCommissioners’ commitment to the maintenance ofnavigational aids is detailed in the Navigational SafetyManagement Plan 2012.

Hydrographic Surveying

2.48 In order to maintain and establish channel depthsfor safe navigation, Poole Harbour Commissioners employthe services of a Hydrographer who manages the Harbourbathymetry. Regular surveys of the main channels areundertaken and the whole Harbour is surveyed on a 3 yearrolling programme of work. Data collected is supplied tothe Hydrographic Office who then use it to produce theAdmiralty Chart for the Harbour. The continuous surveyinformation collected easily allows for trends in depositionand erosion to be identified and is used to informenvironmental studies.

Maintenance Dredging

2.49 Maintenance dredging is carried out routinely byPoole Harbour Commissioners to maintain depths inexisting shipping channels and their own marinas. PHCand third party dredging contractors maintain depths inother boatyards, marinas and yacht clubs, including theiraccess channels. A Harbour Works Licence is requiredfor all third party dredging operations within the Harbourand is issued by the Commissioners under the PooleHarbour Act 1914. Poole Harbour Commissionerspresently hold 3 year licences from the MMO whichauthorise dredging and disposal of material at the

Swanage disposal ground east of Old Harry Rocks inPoole Bay, and also for limited in-harbour disposal east ofBrownsea Island.

2.50 The consent of The Crown Estate is howeverrequired for any Capital dredge and appropriate paymentsare sought in recognition of the improvements providedand for any beneficial use of the material. Poole HarbourCommissioners have an established MaintenanceDredging Policy and record the quantity of dredgedmaterial removed from the Harbour from all Capital andMaintenance dredging operations.

Sediment Management Plan

2.51 Intertidal mudflats and marshes within theHarbour are of significant ecological value and are thebasis for many of the habitat designations. Each yearseveral thousand cubic metres of fine sediment are lost

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Photo courtesy of Jenkins Marine

from the Harbour through natural processes and it isestimated that similar amounts of material are alsoremoved annually through Maintenance dredging. It isrecognised that the removal of fine silts and muds fromthe Harbour may be having a detrimental effect onintertidal habitats and Poole Harbour Commissioners havean evolving Sediment Management Plan as shown onFigure 2.4. An in-harbour disposal site east of BrownseaIsland has been established and is continuing to bemonitored closely. Approximately 30,000 m³ of suitablefine material dredged from marinas and channels isdispersed annually in the Harbour, allowing material torecirculate onto the mudflats. The Plan was developed asmitigation for major Capital dredge works and looks toevaluate different disposal techniques with the aim ofdeveloping best practice guidance for retaining finesediments within the Harbour system whilst keepingnavigational channels clear.

2.52 In order to meet the requirements of the HabitatsRegulations for maintenance dredging and to eliminate therequirement for an Appropriate Assessment, a joint

Maintenance Dredging Protocol has been produced withNatural England, designed to provide guidance toapplicants and regulators of marine licences.

Safety and Enforcement

2.53 Safety within the Harbour is the responsibility ofall users, however Poole Harbour Commissioners seek tomaintain safety with the use of guidance and byelaws.Byelaws have been created which pertain to certainrecreational activities while others relate to the safe andresponsible use of the whole Harbour.

2.54 The Commissioners have established a PooleNavigational Safety Management Plan for the purpose ofmeeting the standards set by, and the requirements of, theGovernment‘s Port Marine Safety Code in conjunction withtheir Guidance to Good Practice for Port MarineOperations and Competence Standards for Portpersonnel.

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Figure 2.4 Sediment Management Plan

2.55 The Harbour Master operates a number of patrolcraft within the Harbour limits at times of busy recreationalactivity. Their main roles are byelaw enforcement,escorting commercial vessels, and educating the userswho may not have sufficient knowledge of the regulations,or who are behaving irresponsibly. The Harbour Masterwill take further action in appropriate cases.

2.56 Dorset Police currently operate patrols aroundthe Harbour. Discussions are currently being heldregarding the future of the Dorset Marine Police division.There are also regular joint enforcement operations, onesuch being Operation Senator. These involve all theregular enforcement authorities including the SouthernInshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority as well asvolunteers from local yacht clubs and boatyards.

2.57 The Commissioners have recently been givenadditional powers under the 2012 Harbour Revision Orderto give general directions relating to the regulation ofvessels within the Harbour, as well as the appropriation ofparts of the harbour for particular uses. These aremandatory and enforceable, and will enable theCommissioners to regulate the Harbour so as to promotesafety and environmental considerations.

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Introduction

3.1 Poole Harbour has been a centre for maritimetrade since at least the Iron Age. Today the port of Pooleis an important local and regional asset and is recognisedas a strategically important south coast port. It is one ofthe major trust ports in the UK, both by volume of cargoand by revenue. The port has been designated as a EUTENS (Trans European Network) Port, therebyhighlighting its strategic importance. The Commissionersplay a major role in the British Ports Association with theChief Executive a main Council member. PHC are alsorepresented on the Ferry Ports, Harbour Masters,Environmental, and Access to Ports working groups ofBPA. The Port is also involved with European Sea PortsOrganisation (ESPO).

3.2 The Port of Poole is one of the few south coastUnited Kingdom ports to be rail connected and this link islikely to increase in importance as the Governmentencourages more freight traffic to be moved by rail ratherthan by the increasingly congested road system. Theconurbation of Poole has good rail links to London and

other parts of the country, making it accessible for bothtourists and freight operators. Government guidancestates that sites should be identified and protected wherethey could be critical in developing infrastructure to widenchoices for movement of rail freight.

3.3 The existing commercial Port is linked to thetown of Poole by the Lifting Bridge and the Twin SailsBridge which opened in April 2012. An improved port linkroad is a central strand to the redevelopment of the siteson the Hamworthy peninsula between the two bridges andwould further enhance traffic flows. The success of ferryports is strongly linked to connectivity to major nationalroad arteries and therefore the future success of the Portis, to a degree, dependent on improved local and regionalroad links. The general inadequacies of current road linkshave hampered the Port’s trading capability, and the Portis therefore operating at a disadvantage compared to othersouth coast ports which enjoy improved connectivity. Inconclusion, the new Twin Sails Bridge will assist the Portin attracting new business to the port, although improvedlinks to the A31 remain essential for the Port to achieve itsfull potential.

3.4 Notwithstanding thecommercial trade, the leisure andmarina business within PooleHarbour is a key component of theCommissioners’ work and isintegral to the overall business ofthe Port. Poole Harbour isundoubtedly one of the largestmarine leisure markets on thesouth coast and enjoys a strategiclocation, offering varied andextensive berthing for boat users.The safe and sheltered waters ofthe large Harbour attract around5,000 visiting yachts per year andthe eight yacht clubs situated

Page 33

Section 3The Existing Port and its Future“Poole Harbour Commissioners recognise that, as a self-financing trust port, itscommercial activities serve as the engine room that funds PHC’s management of theHarbour.”

within the Harbour have around 7,500 members in totalwho enjoy racing and cruising within the surroundingwaters. Poole Harbour Commissioners have jurisdictionover the various water based recreational pursuits thattake place within the Harbour and regulate these activitiesto ensure the safety of users.

3.5 The Commissioners themselves have beenoperating Poole Quay Boat Haven since 2001, acquiringfull control of the business in 2003, providing berthingfacilities for leisure vessels and fishing, angling and diveboats. The leisure berths have a very high occupancy ratein the summer months and accommodate longer staysduring the winter period. Poole Harbour Commissionersmanage the Poole Quay Boat Haven with the aim ofoffering improved facilities for visiting yachts as well aslocal fishermen.

3.6 In June 2011 Poole Harbour Commissionersopened the Port of Poole Marina in the redundant Ro/Ro1 berth, within the Port Estate. The facility, which hasbeen granted a temporary planning permission for fiveyears, can accommodate approximately 75 large yachtsand motorboats, besides a number of RIBs and jet skis,and is fully occupied. Both Poole Quay Boat Haven andthe Port of Poole Marina received a 5 Golden AnchorAward from the Yacht Harbour Association.

3.7 This section of the Master Plan considers the twomain aspects of the Commissioner’s responsibilities andbusiness at the heart of community of Poole, namely thecommercial port located at Hamworthy as shown onFigure 3.1 and the leisure and marina business within theHarbour. This section also considers the potential ofgrowth of the operational port, port related interests anddemand for facilities. There are a number of factors,

Page 34

Figure 3.1 Port Estate 2012

unique to the geographical location of Poole, within whichthese commercial activities must operate.

3.8 Most importantly, the commercial success of thePort is vital in ensuring that the organisation is able tomeet its conservancy and environmental obligations andthe overall management of the Harbour. Theseresponsibilities are explained in section 4.

The Port of Poole

3.9 Poole is one of three principal ports in Dorset, theothers being Weymouth and Portland. Its geographicallocation at the central point on the south coast of Englandresults in competition for port business from both the eastat Southampton, Portsmouth and Shoreham and from thewest, Weymouth/Portland, now better served by theWeymouth relief road, and Plymouth as a significantcompetitor for Ro/Ro cross-channel freight andpassengers.

3.10 Dorset is a largely rural county with limitedindustrial hinterland to support port activity and servicerequirements. The sustainability and growth of the Porttherefore lies in ensuring the Port is not left behind inseeking to retain existing uses and businesses and attractnew markets based on its unique strategic location on thesouth coast.

3.11 The Port of Poole is situated within a large,relatively shallow, natural harbour, which has a narrowmouth through which strong tidal currents flow. The mainshipping channel has a tight turn close to the harbourentrance and all vessels must negotiate the busySandbanks chain ferry. Unlike some other south coastports, Poole does not have deep-water access and atpresent port access is limited to 7.5 metres draft. Theexisting turning circle for larger commercial shippingrestricts vessel length to a maximum of 180 metres length.Without further improvements, the draft and widthrestrictions of the main channel mean that Poole is likelyto remain a short-sea shipping port, unlikely to be able toaccommodate vessels in excess of 200 metres.

3.12 As well as the marinas operated by theCommissioners; there are a number of private sailingclubs and public hards allowing access to the water. TheHarbour has extensive leisure and fishing boat activity andthere is a speed restricted approach to the commercialquays. It is necessary for the Port to offer a pilot service,Vessel Traffic Service (Harbour Control) and a towageservice available in poor weather.

3.13 The operational port lies close to Poole centralarea and opposite the historic quay, an important touristand leisure area, which forms the boundary of Poole towncentre and central conservation area. Poole Quay Boat

Page 35

Haven also lies adjacent to this conservation area withdirect access to the quay and facilities beyond. To thewest of the operational port lies Poole Yacht Club,providing around 380 berths, and the residential area ofHamworthy. Additional housing development proposedas part of the central regeneration areas will increase thenumber of people living close to the commercial port andalong its access routes.

3.14 At approximately 60 acres, the Port’s estate islimited spatially compared to some other South Coastports and there is little scope for additional reclamation ofland adjacent to the existing operational Port Estate.Extending the working berths to the south would bring thecommercial activities into the Wareham channel andcloser to the designated AONB, while to the west beyond

Poole Yacht Club lie areas used extensively for watersports. The foreshore at Hamworthy is designated asbeing of international nature conservation importance andis part of the Poole Harbour SPA. Areas to the east ofPoole Quay Boat Haven and fisherman’s berths also formpart of the Poole Harbour SPA. The Commissioners haveconcluded that the only realistic prospect of creatingadditional port land within the near future lies within theold Ro/Ro 1 berth, currently used as a marina and southof Poole quay Boat Haven.

The Commercial Port

3.15 UK ports play a critical role in the economy of theUnited Kingdom. Over 95% of all goods are exported andimported through the port network. A study by OxfordEconomics for Maritime UK assessed that in 2009, UKports directly employed 112,000 people, contributed £6.9billion to UK GDP and generated £2.3 billion for the UKExchequer. The structure of the UK economy is heavilyinfluenced by its lack of communal borders with mainlandEurope and, therefore, the importance of ports cannot beoveremphasised. The dependence of the economy of theUK on both manufactured and semi-manufactured goodsis clear, and ports will become increasingly important inmeeting the demands of British trade and industry overthe coming years.

3.16 Increasing levels of global containerisation willensure that there will be a growing demand for multi-modalshort sea ports capable of handling container feedertraffic, particularly ports such as Poole which are railconnected. These ports can distribute goods andcontainers through alternative transport channels to thealready congested road network. Trans-shipment andfeeder traffic are recognised as an increasingly importantcomponent of the container market and this sector has

Page 36

potential for significant expansionover the coming years.

3.17 Growth of short seashipping trade between Europeanports, often involving smallerregional hubs, is now becomingincreasingly recognised as anenvironmentally sustainablemeans of transporting goods.Rather than moving an increasingvolume of goods through largerand more congested ports, whichthen require increased utilisationof the UK road network, theconcept of utilising smallerregional ports via ‘motorways ofthe seas’ is recognised as a moreacceptable mode of transport froman environmental standpoint.

3.18 The Port of Poole is one of the major trust portsin the UK and makes a significant contribution to the localand regional economy. The Port directly employsapproximately 90 individuals and there are a further 450people employed on the Port Estate. Indirectly, the Port isresponsible for many thousands of additional jobs withinPoole, Dorset and the south west, as well as providing anessential link to industrial markets in other regions of theUnited Kingdom, such as the manufacturing sector in theWest Midlands. A report for the former RegionalDevelopment Agency (2007) estimated that Poole HarbourCommissioners and the commercial Port of Poole wereresponsible for 762 FTE jobs within Dorset with a further788 people being employed in local marinas. Thisgenerated a total of £52.9 Million Gross Value Added intothe local economy.

3.19 Poole Harbour Commissioners’ commercialactivities account for approximately 90% of its revenueand are crucial in ensuring that the organisation can meetits demanding legislative and fiduciary responsibilities. Asa self-financing commercial organisation, Trust Ports

receive no funds from either National or LocalGovernment. They have to generate revenueindependently in order to maintain and enhance theexisting port and facilities as well as funding newdevelopments.

3.20 Poole Harbour Commissioners lease sites andfacilities to various customers including Perenco, Cemexand Sunseeker. This activity has increased in recentyears, and is now a major revenue generator for theorganisation. The Commissioners remain committed tomarketing this aspect of the Port to interested customers,potentially providing for both covered and uncoveredfacilities. Where a use ceases, the site is activelymarketed for port related activities either for the expansionof existing customers or with the purpose of attracting newcompanies wishing to locate within the Port Estate. TheCommissioners remain committed to increasingconventional and bulk activity within the Port. Table 3.1shows the existing quays within the Port.

3.21 As noted in the Introduction regarding the futureof Ro/Ro ferry traffic, a Master Plan Strategy cannot bebased solely on one particular project or trade andreducing the Commissioner’s over-reliance on a single

Page 37

+ +

+

Constructed Length m Actual depth m (a) New Quay 1930 146 5.0 Bulwark Quay 1980 100 6.0 Ballast Quay 2000 100 6.0 (a) Measured at chart datum, which can be thought of as a very low Low Water tide

+ + +

+ + +

Table 3.1 Existing quays within the Port Estate

Photo courtesy of Kevin Mitchell

trade remains a major objective. The ability of the Port toremain sufficiently flexible to handle existing business andfuture opportunities involving conventional cargoes and tomeet changing market demands is a key aspect ofensuring a sustainable port for the future. It is importantthat Poole continues to provide high levels of service inthe Ro/Ro sector whilst developing other income streamsthat collectively will fund future projects as well as themaintenance of ageing assets that are fundamental to portactivities. Investment in new handling equipment hasimproved facilities and the Commissioners will continue tofind new and innovative channels to market the facilitiesat the Port.

Conventional Cargo Trade

3.22 Poole is a major destination for bulk cargoimports and the Port receives imports of steel, timber,bricks, fertiliser, animal feedstuffs, aggregates andpalletised traffic. Export cargoes include clay, sand andgrain. Poole Harbour Commissioners employ a team ofstevedores who handle up to 500,000 metric tonnes ofconventional cargo over the quays each year.Improvements to facilities over the years mean that avariety of different cargoes can now be handled and storedas shown in Figure 3.2.

3.23 As well as cargo operations managed by theCommissioners, Yard Quay is currently utilised by Cemex,an independent marine aggregate dredging operationwhich discharges cargoes of sand and gravel.

3.24 However, economic security for the future of thePort and it’s dependent economy, is based on Poole’sability to ‘move with the market’, and remain competitiveby accommodating larger vessels than can currently usethe Port. Detailed studies by Fisher Associates (2012)highlight the long-term trend towards increasing ship sizeas shipping companies seek greater economies of scale.While demands for the Port to accommodate small shipsis likely to continue in the immediate future, in the longerterm the benefits from the capability of handling larger

Page 38

Average dwt for different ship drafts (2011)

+ + + + + +

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Figure 3.2 Distribution of Vessel Drafts at Poole Harbour (2011)

Source: Poole Harbour Masters Department

ships forms part of the Master Plan proposals will enablethe Commissioners to meet the future demands of currentand potential new customers. This is considered infurther detail below.

Areas of potential business growth

3.25 In considering future demands at the Port, arobust analysis of different types of traffic using the Porthas been undertaken by Fisher Associates and thepotential for increasing traffic should additional quays with7.5m depth of water be provided. This demand andsupply work has focused on the ability of Poole to remaincompetitive with neighbouring ports along the south coastin considering:

• the need to accommodate larger ships forgeneral cargo;

• the ability to accommodate deeper draft vessels,including cruise ships;

• the potential for servicing the proposed wind parkdevelopment at Navitus Bay.

3.26 There is no intention to deepen the main accesschannel (Middle Ship Channel), the charted depth willremain at 7.5m, with unconstrained access over all tidespossible with a draft up to 6.1m.

3.27 An analysis of trends in ship size shows that, ingeneral, shipping companies are seeking economies ofscale and there have been consistent increases in theaverage length and draft of vessels for the dry cargo, smallbulk and small container ships trade. At present, themajority of general cargo and small bulk ships calling atSouthampton and a significant minority of ships calling atShoreham, where draft restrictions are less onerous,would be constrained from accessing Poole due toinsufficient draft on the berths over low water.

3.28 In 2007 the Port started to handle small containervessels, partly as a result of congestion withinSouthampton. The economic recession greatly reducedthe volume of containers coming through ports along theSouth Coast but through the EU Proposse project andorganisations such as Coastlink, Poole HarbourCommissioners are in contact with a number of container

Page 39

Increase in ship availability resulting from higher maximum drafts Increase inship draft from World fleet European fleet UK & German

operators5.5m to 7.0m 74% 146% 79%5.5m to 8.0m 110% 207% 132%

% increase in no. of vessels available

The relationship between ship draft and ship length is

s

(a) Figures relate to the world fleet of general cargo and dry bulk ships of under 8.0m draft S

Table 3.2 Increase in ship availability resulting from higher maximum drafts

Source: Sea Web, Fairplay Shipping Directory 2011-12

operators and continues to market the Port as a feederport. In considering small container ships calling atSouthampton and the ability of Poole to fulfil its role as afeeder port, studies have concluded that all the currentgeneration of feeder ships serving Southampton are atpresent constrained from using Poole Harbour.

3.29 By increasing the maximum vessel draft at Poolefrom 5.5m to 7.0m could see at least a 79% increase invessels used in the European short sea trade being ableto access Poole Port. An increase in the maximumpermitted draft to 8.0m would increase the number ofvessels able to use the Port by over 130% as shown inTable 3.2. The position would also be reversed in the caseof the small container ships calling at Southampton, andmost vessels would be able to access Poole if deeperberths were provided (subject to increased tidalconstraints for deeper ships).

3.30 Studies have also considered the likely trends inthe Port’s existing trades and the estimated proportion offuture potential cargo which would benefit from usinglarger ships, and the amount of additional traffic that mightbe captured as a result of providing deeper water access.

Animal feedstuffs

3.31 During 2010-2011 Poole imported around 9,000tonnes of animal feedstuffs per year. The market in thePoole catchment area is relatively small, and the Port’scurrent customer has a preference for using ships up to2,000 dwt to reduce storage requirements. At present andin the foreseeable future, the traffic in animal feedstuffscan be accommodated at existing berths.

Fertilisers

3.32 Poole handles relatively small quantities offertilisers at present although the increase in UK importsis likely to increase in the future following the closure ofseveral UK manufacturing plants. Increasing the depth ofwater available at Poole’s berths would represent a goodlong-term investment as UK fertiliser imports continue togrow.

Steel

3.33 The south west region imports around 50 –80,000 tonnes of steel per year, of which over 70% isthrough the short sea trade from Spain, France and theBenelux countries using ships on average 2,000 dwt.

Page 40

Smaller ports are favoured by importers to minimiseonward land transport distances. Should the Port of Poolebe able to attract some of the steel market formanufacturing companies based in the West Midlands,this would lead to a requirement for ships up to 7,000 dwtand would substantially increase the steel traffic handledby the Port.

Timber

3.34 Timber remains one of Poole’s main trades; thePort handled 47,000 tonnes during 2010 – 2011 and thereare opportunities to increase this traffic in the future. TheUK trade is handled through a large number of smallimporters, generally based on the east coast and Thames/Medway areas which has generated a liner shippingservice. Should local importers be persuaded to grouptogether to charter vessels, Poole could benefit from

regular calls by one of the liner services. In the longerterm, the use of larger ships requiring greater depth ofwater is forecast.

Roadstone

3.35 Roadstone was first imported into Poole in 2000and has increased steadily since this time. During theperiod 2010 – 2011, the Port handled 47,000 tonnes andfurther increases to 60-70,000 tonnes per year areanticipated in the next 3-5 years. A recent increasein on-site storage within the Port may lead to increaseddemand for larger ships in the future that could notcurrently be accommodated at the Port.

Grain

3.36 UK grain exports have remained steady overrecent years with over 90% going to destinations inEurope and the Mediterranean, which favours the use ofrelatively small short sea ships. The grain exportingcompanies who have expressed an interest in using Poolehave all indicated the need for greater depth of water inthe long term and the ability to accommodate ships up to7,000 dwt. This is one of the key areas for potential growthfor the Port.

Ball clay

3.37 Ball clay, produced in Wareham, is one of thePort’s largest and longest established exports, and isshipped mainly to Spain and Portugal. Over 200,000tonnes were exported during 2010 -2011 and it is

Page 41

anticipated that traffic levels will remain stable. Thedemand for larger ships is a possibility but by no meanscertain and is likely to be accompanied by a request foradditional on dock storage facilities.

New dry cargo trades

3.38 The studies also considered the potential for thePort to accommodate new dry cargo trades, namely theexport of woodchips and recycled waste. Woodchips arenot currently handled at the Port in any significant

Page 42

Cargo Cargo (‘000 tons) Ship size (dwt) Impact

on cargo volumes

Comment 2010-11 Potential

additional 2010-11 Potential

future IMPORTS Animal feed 9 20-40 -a 2,000-

5,000 x

Fertilisers 6 29-30 2,700-3,700

3,000-7,000

! Larger ships will only be required for urea, not ammonium nitrate or NPK

Steel 24 20-80 2,500-4,500

3,000-7,000

! Use of larger ships depends on capturing West Midlands cargo

Timber 47 30-50 2,500-3,000

2,500-4,500

! Ships vary in size between different liner companies

Roadstone 47 10-20 2,500-5,000

4,000-7,000

x Increase in ship size uncertain

Bricks 6 - 1,500 1,500 x EXPORTS Grain 31 50-80 2,500-

5,000 3,000-7,000

!

Ball clay 203 - 4,500-5,000

4,500-6,000

x Increase in ship size uncertain

Sand 20 - 2,500-3,500

2,500-3,500

x

Woodchips - 20-40 - 2,000-3,000

x

Recycled waste - 20-40 - 2,000-3,000

x

Note: (a) Arrived by road S

N (a) figures are for the world fleet as a whole S

Table 3.3 Summary of potential use of larger ships at Poole

Source: Poole Harbour Commissioners, Fisher Associates Opportunities for Increasing Bulk and Break Bulk Cargo, January 2012

quantities at present, but this trafficcould become important in thefuture based on UK trends. One ofthe largest woodchips exporters inthe UK have indicated theirpreference for small ships, allowingthem to use ports as close aspossible to chipping plantsminimising land transport costs.

3.39 The local authorities in theDorset, Bournemouth and Poolearea have independent strategiesfor municipal waste managementand do not currently ship municipalwaste. A review of the current waste strategy is underwayand should the potential for recyclable municipal waste tobe handled by the Port in the future arise, an increase inwater depth would allow vessels currently employed in thisbusiness to make full use of the Port. The best prospectfor the Port may therefore be the handling of commercialwaste.

3.40 In conclusion, at least four trades, animal feed,fertilisers, steel and grain would benefit from Poole beingable to accommodate larger vessels now based on currenttrade levels. Other traffic would also benefit in the mediumterm. This applies also to the long-term strategic view forthe Port. Table 3.3 provides a summary of the potentialuse of larger ships using Poole Port.

3.41 In strategic terms, the overall picture is one ofsignificant current constraints for Poole to accommodatelarger dry cargo vessels, with the prospect of beingincreasingly left behind due to the overall trend toincreasing size of ships.

Ro/Ro and Ferry Trade

3.42 Putting more detail around the brief outline givenin the Introduction, Poole has been operating as a Ro/Roferry Port since 1973 and since this time there have beensubstantial changes both within the industry and the Portof Poole. In 2011 the Port handled approximately 40,000freight units, 120,000 cars and 400,000 passengerscompared to 805,000 passengers in 1998. The Ro/Rofreight traffic is split between Cherbourg and Santanderwhilst the cars and passengers are split between theFrench and Channel Islands markets. Two modern Ro/Roberths are fully operational and recent upgrading of thefacilities to accommodate the latest vessels (and themajority of the ferries operating in the Western Channel)has taken place.

3.43 In order to ensure that the Port is accessible forlarger ferries, the Commissioners completed a CapitalDredge of Middle Ship and Swash Channels in 2006 inorder to increase their depth to 7.5m below Chart Datum.Around 1.8 million m3 of material was removed with over

Page 43

half of this being used beneficially for beach replenishmentat Poole, Bournemouth and Swanage. In line with theShoreline Management Plan (SMP2) any suitable materialthat needs to be maintenance dredged from the ApproachChannel to the Port continues, where possible, to be usedto replenish the beaches.

3.44 The deepening of the channel allows BrittanyFerries to operate their recently constructed freight ferryM/V Cotentin to Cherbourg and Santander and alsoprovides the opportunity for the Port to attract largervessels, although existing quay depth continues to be anissue. At present, the company also operates a seasonalfast craft service to Cherbourg and intends to return theBarfleur ferry service to Poole in March 2013 providingfreight and passenger service. Condor Ferries operate aseasonal fast craft service from the Port to the ChannelIslands and St Malo. Due to on-going problems with thequay at Weymouth, additional Condor Ferries services arecurrently operating from Poole until March 2013. TheCompany’s intentions for 2013 and beyond are not known.In terms of freight ferry traffic, Channel Seaways operatea twice weekly service from Poole to mainland Europe andthe Channel Islands.

3.45 Recent years have seen the Cross Channel ferrysector encountering major challenges relating to thegeneral economic climate, current fuel prices and thesterling-euro exchange rate. There have been significant

reductions in passenger numbers in all cross channel ferrythrough competition from Eurotunnel and low cost airlines,high fuel prices and the loss of duty free sales. All ofthese factors have prompted rationalisations within thesector generally and at present there is only a finitenumber of major ferry companies operating from southcoast ports.

3.46 Additionally, the introduction of new EU SulphurRegulations in 2016 requiring the use of marine fuels withsubstantially reduced sulphur content will dramaticallyincrease fuel costs for conventional ferries. Theimplementation of these changes continues to causeuncertainty within the ferry industry and the longer seacrossing routes in particular.

3.47 The new generation of ferries being developedby the main cross channel companies continues toincrease in size. Vessels up to approximately 180m -200m in length could potentially be accommodated at thePort although safety measures would need to be put inplace. Consideration of safe navigation at North Haven atthe harbour entrance and increasing the depth of thechannel at Chapman’s Peak would need to be considered.

3.48 The Port works closely with the unitary authorityof Poole and Dorset County Council and is representedon a number of bodies such as the Dorset Local EnterprisePartnership, Poole Harbour Steering Group and Poole

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Tourism. The opening of the Twin Sails Bridge is a crucialelement in connectivity between the Port and town butsmooth and efficient road links to the national main roadinfrastructure continue to be a key element in promotingferry ports. Poole Harbour Commissioners and its ferrycustomers will continue to lobby for future roadimprovements.

Cruise Sector

3.49 The cruise market is one of the fastest growingsectors in the UK. Unlike most of its competing ports,Poole currently handles only a small number of cruiseships due, mainly, to the lack of a suitable berth.

3.50 Poole Harbour Commissioners are involved inDestination South West, which acts as a marketingorganisation for cruise ships in the South West of England.Poole Harbour has received a great deal of interest fromcruise companies which are interested in utilising the Port,both as a call port and a turn-around port for commencingand finishing cruises. The Port has been advised byexperts within the industry that it could potentially attract30-40 cruise calls per annum, however this is dependenton the construction of new berthing facilities and the abilityto provide deep water access to the berths.

3.51 Studies have revealed that a lack of a suitableberth at Poole and poor marketing of the area, are majorfactors in the lack of cruise business in the current Port. Ifa berth could be made available, around 11 ships making36 calls to south west ports could access Poole, and anadditional 12 ships making 26 calls to south west portscould access the Port if additional quay length and depthof water could be provided. The south west region isdeveloping as a destination in response to the desire fornew and attractive destinations with shorter distancesbetween them, and to meet a sustained increase in theUK cruise market. Government funds have been allocatedto the creation of a National Coastal Tourism Academybased in Bournemouth through the Coastal CommunitiesFund (August 2012) with the intention to provide supportfor coastal tourism business and research anddevelopment of the coastal tourism market. PooleHarbour has a good opportunity to be part of this growingmarket and a strategy of close working with local tourismbodies is proposed.

Navitus Bay Wind Park

3.52 Poole Harbour Commissioners have been indiscussions with Eneco/EDF the developers of the NavitusBay wind park project, proposed to be locatedapproximately ten miles from Poole Harbour entrance.

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The wind park has yet to receive development consentfrom Government however if the application is successful,the wind park developers will require port facilities forturbine assembly and maintenance of the wind farm site.The support and maintenance element will requiresubstantial facilities for at least 35 years and the Port iscommitted to working with the wind park developers inorder that Poole can be considered as a potential site forthe project. There are significant economic benefits whichwould accrue to the local economy should the Port ofPoole be selected as the location for construction and/oroperational support phases of this project.

Marina and Leisure

3.53 The UK marina industry enjoyed a steadyincrease in demand for the letting of marina berths forleisure craft over the period 1994-2008 with the 6 yearsleading up to the middle part of 2008 being particularlystrong. The more recent economic downturn hasrestricted physical developments and growth but berthingand associated support services remain strong in manyareas.

3.54 A report on the ‘Economic Benefits of CoastalMarinas’ by British Marine Federation (2007) shows thatfor the period 2005/6 the UK leisure marine sectorgenerated an annual turnover of £2.8 billion, directlycontributing over £1 billion to the UK economy. Since1997, this market has been consistently growing at atypical rate of 8% per annum. The report goes on to saythat tourism spend linked to the UK leisure boatingindustry represents a further £2.2 billion contributing torelated employment of a further 63,000 full time staff. TheUK industry in the south accounts for 60% of total revenueand 53% full time employment.

3.55 Studies by Marina Projects suggest that duringthe period 1994 to 2008 the supply of new marina berths,

through new developments or expansion projects withinexisting facilities has failed to keep pace with marketdemand. The central south coast berthing market(including Poole at the western end of this area) with itsextensive range of facilities and boating opportunitiesexperienced unprecedented demand for berthing over thisperiod, with very little growth in overall berth numbers.

3.56 The studies conclude that there are very clearindicators of the underlying strong levels of demand forberthing in the region. This demand could be met by asignificant increase in marina berthing in Poole Harbour,comprising a marine centre at Town Quay with strong linkswith the central area of Poole. The Commissioners arecurrently considering further details of the facilities whichcould potentially be provided by a marine centre includingcar parking and access arrangements.

3.57 Poole Harbour and the widerDorset coast offers extensiveopportunities for recreational boatingand other water sports includingwind surfing, kite surfing, waterskiing, rowing, canoeing and diving.With jurisdiction over the wholeHarbour, the Commissioners are wellplaced to regulate recreationalactivities and ensure sensitive areasare protected. The use of zonesassists in the reduction of

Page 46

disturbance to ecologically sensitive areas and inminimising the dangers associated with the mixing ofpowered and non-powered craft. Since its introduction in1995 the zoning scheme as defined by the AquaticManagement Plan and shown in Figure 3.3, has provedvery successful in managing the various recreationalactivities within the Harbour and the majority of users arenow aware of, and restrict their activities to, the relevantareas.

3.58 There is also an existing quiet area, to the southof a line from Patchin’s Point to South Haven Point, wherethere is an advisory speed limit of 6 Knots. This allowsyachtsmen and other recreationalists a quiet anchoragein which to enjoy the beauty of the southern Harbour. Theprovision of this quiet zone has helped to reduce adverseimpacts on the flora and fauna of the undevelopedmudflats and shallow inlets that characterise much of thesouthern shores. The area helps to provide a safe havenfor birds and wildlife as well as for humans and it isintended to maintain the current policy against changes inland use and excessive recreational activity.

3.59 It is estimated that around 5,000 yachts visitPoole each year and the eight yacht clubs situated within

the Harbour have around 7,500 members in total whoenjoy racing and cruising within the surrounding waters.There are also several boatyards within the Harbour,which along with the yacht clubs provide facilities forlaunching, storage and maintenance. Many also offerreceptacles for the disposal of litter and waste and somealso have pump out facilities for marine holding tanks, andboat owners are encouraged to use them. Three publichards are also available along the north shore of theHarbour with Baiter slipway generally considered to be themost popular. A further 13 private slipways are alsoavailable. Table 3.4 shows the facilities available atberthing sites within Poole Harbour.

3.60 Poole Harbour Commissioners have beenoperating Poole Quay Boat Haven since 2001, acquiringfull control of the business in 2003. The Boat Havenprovides berthing facilities for approximately 120 leisurevessels and approximately 130 fishing, angling and diveboats. The leisure berths have a very high occupancy ratein the summer months and accommodate longer staysduring the winter period. The Poole HarbourCommissioners manage the Poole Quay Boat Haven withthe aim of offering improved facilities for visiting yachts aswell as local fishermen.

Page 47

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

OVERALL 10 KNOTSPEED LIMIT

THROUGHOUTHARBOUR AND 6 KNOTS IN THE

RED HORIZONTALLYSTRIPED AREAS

4 KNOTS IN RIVER FROME

Arne PeninsularQUIET ZONE

ADVISORY 6 KNOTIN THE RED

HORIZONTALLYSTRIPED AREASPlease keep noise

to a minimum

Brownsea Island

RoundIsland

HavenChannelChain Ferry

North HavenPoint

R.M.Y.C.

East DorsetSailing Club

Saltern’sBoatyard& Marina

Lilliput Sailing Club

NorthHavenY.C.

BaiterSlipway

PooleQuayBoat

Haven ParkstoneYacht Club

PooleQuay

PooleYachtClub

Lake Yard

Rockley Boat ParkRockley Sailing SchoolHolton Point

Redclyffe Y.C. &Ridge Wharf

Yachting Centre

Harbour AuthorityWestern Limit

Red area ofRiver

Frome hasa 4 knot

speed limit

RiverPiddle

Patchin’sPoint

Wych Channel

North Channel

Small Boat Channel

Wareham Channel

PURBECK

SITES OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST (SSSI)Virtually all of the intertidal mud areas are Sites of SpecialScientific Interest and Special Protection Areas for Birds

StudlandHeath

NewtonHeath

Studland

Harbour AuthorityLimit of Juristriction

StudlandBay

Boat Channel

Swash Channel

HOOKSANDS

SouthHook

Holes Bay6 knot speedlimit in HolesBay & Little

Channel

Hamworthy

Town Centre

Lychett Bay

RockleyPoint

NewQuay

Training Bank

Seawardlimit of 10

knotspeedlimit

RempstoneHeathWych

Heath

MiddleberePeninsular

WATERSKI A

REA

RNLI Beach StationsSlipwaysMarinasBoatyardsYacht ClubsPW AreaWaterski AreaWind & Kite SurfingFuelAnchorage Sensitive ZoneNo Personal WatercraftBird Sensitive Area

baldyjohngraphics 2011

Stakes

BellBuoy

Aunt Betty

Fuel Barge

Little Channel

Cobb’s QuayDavis’s Boatyard

LongIsland

FurzeyIsland

GreenIsland

South HavenPoint

CleavalPoint

NewtonBay

Jerry’sPoint

Shell BayMarine

No PWs Allowed

No PWsAllowed

Blood Alley

Poole lifting BridgeWill open: 07.30 Sat, Sun &

Bank Holidays only.09.30, 10.30, 12.30, 14.30,

16.30, 18.30 & 21.30 every day19.30 (May to Sept only)

23.45 (By request)

ParkstoneBay

©

River fromeGigger’s

Island

Wareham

Channel

WychLake

MiddlebereLake

BrandsBay

OwerBay Goathorn

Point

ShipstallPoint Upper Wych Channel

BrownseaLight

RedhornPoint

KeysworthPoint

SandbanksBoatyard

Middle Ship Channel

East LooeChannel

Spee

d Li

mit

of 8

kno

ts

within

200

m o

f bea

ch

Pottery Pier

Measured Half-Mile

PERSONALWATERCRAFT AREA

WhitleyLake

WINDSURFING

ZONE

Lim

it of

Bas

sN

urse

ry A

rea

Parkstone Bay MarinaLathams Boatyard

Port of PooleMarina

Ro-Ro BerthsTurning Basin

PooleBridges

Figure 3.3 Zones with Poole Harbour

Source: Aquatic Management Plan

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Table 3.4 Matrix of general facilities available at berthing sites in Poole Harbour

Table 3.5 Assessment of existing Traditional Moorings

3.61 As mentioned above, in June 2011 PooleHarbour Commissioners opened the Port of Poole Marinain the redundant Ro/Ro 1 berth, within the Port Estate.This facility can accommodate approximately 75 largeyachts and motorboats, besides a number of RIBs and jetskis, and remains fully occupied.

3.62 Moorings within the Harbour are managed andregulated by Poole Harbour Commissioners. Data from2010 shows there are 2,488 traditional moorings within theHarbour as well as 446 private swing moorings and afurther 279 along the River Frome which are managedindependently to those that fall within the jurisdiction of theCommissioners. It is the Commissioners’ policy tominimise the number of swinging moorings within theHarbour in environmentally sensitive and recreationallybusy areas and to maximise the areas of open water forsafe navigation. Swinging moorings continue to bepopular due to their affordability compared with marinaberths, however there are disadvantages such as lack ofsecurity, access to boats from the shore and the need toremove craft from more exposed locations during thewinter months. Table 3.5 shows the traditional mooringavailable within the Harbour.

Conclusions

3.63 The principal conclusion is that Poole HarbourCommissioners cannot base their strategy for the Port onone particular project, activity or trade.

3.64 Studies have identified the key issues and trendsin commercial shipping at the Port and have confirmed theeconomic desirability of developing additional berths anddeeper berths and that a strong commercial need existsfor schemes to be brought forward.

3.65 Dry cargo trades (general cargo/break-bulk,bulks, and short sea containers) are the principal users ofthe Port of Poole. The overall picture in these trades isthat Poole is currently significantly constrained in its abilityto accommodate the larger vessels that are increasinglyused by shipping companies seeking economies of scale.Without the provision of additional and deeper berths,facilities at Poole will become outdated to shippingcompanies and the Port is likely to be left behind by thetrend to increasing ship size. Increases in volumes ofthese trades are predicted if depths are increased at theberths.

3.66 Poole Harbour Commissioners are committed togrowing Ro/Ro activity at the Port and will continue toprovide good quality ferry facilities, and market the Port toexisting and potential operators. It is envisaged that Poolewill continue to be a busy strategic ferry port but it isunlikely that it will see a major increase in volumes offreight or passenger traffic.

3.67 There are opportunities in the cruise sector, withthe South West developing as a destination. Poole has agood opportunity to be part of this trend but is currentlyconstrained by a lack of facilities. Bigger and deeperberths are required to allow Poole to be part of thisgrowing market.

3.68 Poole can also make a strong claim to act in boththe construction and operation support roles if the Navituswind park proposals off the Dorset coast are takenforward. Additional and deeper berths and back upfacilities behind are required to exploit this opportunity.

3.69 Poole Harbour’s natural attractions for marineleisure, the existence of a variety of support services inthe form of boatyard and marina-related businesses,coupled with constraints on growth in berth numbers in thecentral south coast market has encouraged a migration ofdemand towards Poole and the southwest.

3.70 Marina Projects conclude that strong demandexists for a significant increase in marina berthing in PooleHarbour, which could be met by a marine centre withstrong links with town of Poole. A location at Town Quaycould be served by a remote car park within the Port area.

3.71 The Commissioners recognise the need todevelop other income streams, including leisure and portrelated activities in order to meet its statutory duties andstructure the future of the Port on a broader and morestable base.

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Responsibilities

4.1 Poole Harbour Commissioners combine the rolesof harbour conservancy and port operator. The PooleHarbour Revision Order 2012 requires the Commissionersto

“take such steps as they may consider necessary ordesirable from time to time for the conservancy,protection, regulation, maintenance, operation,management and improvement of –

(a) the harbour and its approaches; and(b) the harbour facilities.”

4.2 In fulfilling these duties the Commissioners mustmaintain the Port of Poole, a medium sized commercialport of regional significance, against and within thebackground of an internationally significant natural coastalenvironment and a landscape of national importance (forwhose conservation the Commissioners are one of severalbodies with statutory responsibilities).

4.3 In addition, the physical and operationalrelationships between commercial port operations andother activities within the Harbour and those that takeplace on the land around it, make it important that theCommissioners’ strategy is compatible with the policies inthe statutory development plan and with the marine plansthat the Marine Management Organisation proposes tobring forward over the next few years.

4.4 The value of the Harbour’s natural environmentand its economic significance thus inherently require theCommissioners to strike a balance between key interests,notably those of commerce, shipping and the economygenerally; nature conservation and biodiversity; theprotection of the landscape and heritage assets; tourismand recreation, and the amenity of surrounding areas.

4.5 In defining the appropriate strategic balance, therequirements of the Habitats Regulations have legalweight and therefore precedence in relevantcircumstances. Whilst the regulations do not precludedevelopment that might have a significant effect on theconservation objectives of designated sites, such casesare exceptional and it would be necessary to prove a lackof alternative solutions, identify imperative reasons ofoverriding public interest (IROPI) to justify the proposal,and put in place adequate compensatory measures.

4.6 The Commissioners do not foresee a need topromote proposals that would require an IROPIjustification. It will, nonetheless, be necessary in duecourse to ensure that any development brought forward inaccordance with the Port Master Plan is not likely to havea significant adverse effect on European Sites, having hadregard to all necessary mitigation measures and thatwhere there are alternatives, the choice which has leastimpact has been selected.

4.7 In a similar vein, it will also be necessary to giveappropriate weight to the other national designations

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Section 4Responsibilities, Challenges and Options

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SWOT ANALYSIS

1 Environmental Management2 Experienced, motivated and flexible work force and high quality levels of service3 Strong financial position4 Extensive experience in cargo, passengers and in the marine leisure sector5 Unique qualities of Poole Harbour6 Modern cargo handling equipment7 Good safety record

Strengths

1 Draft, length and beam restrictions2 Restricted industrial hinterland3 Distance from the national motorway structure and congestion on port access roads4 Restricted port estate area5 Proximity to residential areas6 Recent over-dependence on Ro-Ro activities7 Need to re-pile existing port quays and Town Quay

Weaknesses

1 Further reductions of Ro-Ro activities2 Increased competition from other ports3 Increased environmental legislation which could potentially restrict commercial growth opportunities4 Increased use of larger ships to carry UK trade5 Introduction of larger ferries unable to access Poole Harbour6 Continuing economic uncertainty7 Sea level rise

Threats

1 Increased diversification in future business mix2 Navitus Wind Park potential3 Renewable energy opportunities including woodchip cargo4 Potential to attract additional port customers with deepening of quays5 Short sea shipping container opportunities6 Marine Centre including, harbour awareness programme and additional benefits7 Marine business park8 Cruise Ship growth9 Reclamation to provide additional and deeper quays and land behind10 Port rail link11 Multi-storey car for port estate12 Growth of ferry service13 Reorganise port estate

Opportunities

affecting the Harbour and the surrounding area, notablythe Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and localdesignations. These considerations will be important inpreparing the assessments required by the EU directiveson Environmental Impact Assessment.

Challenges

4.8. The most important and urgent challenge facingthe Harbour Commissioners is to ensure that thecommercial port remains competitive in the face ofchanging markets and to meet the Government’srequirements that Trust Ports should be run as commercialbusinesses (Modernising Trust Ports Second Edition2009). In order that this objective can be achieved andmaintained throughout the Master Plan period, it isnecessary to strengthen and broaden the Port’scapabilities to adapt to market trends.

4.9 If investment is not made in additional anddeeper berths and additional land behind the quays, thereis a significant danger that the Port will be left behind asthe trend towards larger vessels leads to a shrinkingmarket for its services. In addition to these improvements,it is necessary to broaden the basis of the Port’s marketoffer including the need to move with the times in theleisure market, and make and take opportunities tostrengthen links between the Port and the local economy,both generally and specifically as a part of the significantcluster of marine related industries in the area.

4.10 Protection and conservation of the Harbourenvironment presents challenges. The HarbourCommissioners, who have considerable experience of

managing marine actives to this end, have for many yearstaken a leading role in the developing and implementingmanagement policies, using their powers to regulateactivities. They have done so in consultation with a widerange of interests, calling on specialist advice, fromnational, local, governmental and non-governmentalbodies, as appropriate.

4.11 Challenges inherent in ensuring that the Harbourenvironment continues to be monitored through jointworking, and the results put to use in regulating activitieswithin the Harbour, will doubtless emerge. TheCommissioners will continue to work with others with astake in the future of Poole Harbour, to ensure that suchchallenges are met.

Options

4.12 As noted earlier, the Harbour Commissioners’responsibilities for different elements of the Harbourrequire a balance between port and port-related activities,including marine leisure, and other interests, particularlythe protection and conservation of natural and culturalresources. The Commissioners consider that, in principle,the development required to ensure Poole’s survival as aregionally significant port can be accomplished withoutcompromising their obligations in respect of the naturaland man-made environments. It is likely that detaileddesign will identify additional mitigation measures as wellas add economic value.

4.13 Since the likely consequence of failure to investin new Port infrastructure would be a potentially seriousdecline in the Port’s commercial prospects, which would

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have likely ramifications for the regional economy, ‘doingnothing’ is not an option open to the Commissioners.Future market uncertainty also points to an urgent needfor the Port to diversify and strengthen other revenuestreams, including the marine leisure market.

4.14 There are self-evidently no practical alternativesto the location of new commercial quays and channeldeepening. The environmental report that considered theoptions for new moorings and a marine centre hasindicated that they would be best located at Poole Quay,with access and parking principally through and on thePort. No final conclusion will however be reached until theCommissioners have considered the outcome of itsconsultation process. That conclusion will in any eventreflect two principal considerations; firstly the locationwhich would have the least environmental impact onEuropean sites, and secondly which option is best relatedto the urban area, where careful design could maximiseits economic benefits.

4.15 Monitoring and management of Harbouractivities will remain fundamental to the implementation ofthe Master Plan’s proposals. The Poole Harbour Revision

Order 2012 extends the purposes for which theCommissioners may make byelaws and they are confidentthat any increased activity arising from the Master Planproposals can be satisfactorily managed. No alternativeshave been considered to the continuation and wherepossible improvement of current monitoring andmanagement practice. A similar approach has been takento consultation and joint working arrangements withstatutory and non-governmental bodies and the broadrange of Harbour interests.

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Overall Objective

5.1 In discharging their statutory responsibilities(which were summarised in paragraph 4.1) Poole HarbourCommissioners’ overall objective, and their MissionStatement, is:

“to promote the safe and sustainable use of PooleHarbour, balance the demands on its natural resources,develop strategic infrastructure, work closely with ourstakeholders, support the safe management ofappropriate activities within the Harbour, and workstrategically with key agencies in order to manage theHarbour in a sustainable and responsible manner.”

Guiding Principles

5.2 The Commissioners reaffirm their support for theGuiding Principles of the Poole Harbour AquaticManagement Plan:

Conservancy and protection of the Harbour

1. to support initiatives that encourage theresponsible and sustainable use of the Harbourand which seek to educate and raise awarenessamongst users;

2. to support the protection and enhancement of thenature conservation interests of Poole Harbourand the coastal zone;

3. to encourage the development of policies,strategies and plans in accordance with the aimsof the conservation objectives for the EuropeanMarine Site;

4. to support projects and initiatives that aim toenhance public understanding of the habitats andwildlife of the Harbour;

5. to ensure that all development activities, plansand projects comply with relevant legislationrequirements and that the nature conservationinterest of the SPA, Ramsar and SSSI sites aremaintained or restored to favourable condition;

Water quality

6. to support initiatives that are necessary tomaintain and improve water quality for allappropriate uses;

Air quality and noise

7. to support initiatives that are necessary toimprove air quality and the reduction of noiselevels at source within the Harbour;

Monitoring

8. to support the establishment of a co-ordinatedenvironmental monitoring programme toinvestigate sediment movements in PooleHarbour;

Climate Change

9. to support initiatives that raise awareness ofclimate change and coastal processes andaddress their implication for the Harbour andcoastal zone;

Coastal Management

10. to support the provision of sustainable coastalmanagement works that take account of potentialenvironmental impacts and effects on naturalprocesses;

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Section 5Master Plan Strategy

Fisheries

11. to support the protection and enhancement of thehigh quality fisheries associated with PooleHarbour, now and for future generations, (withdue regard to Guiding Principle 5);.

12. to support initiatives aimed at maintaining andimproving appropriate facilities for the fishingindustry, (with due regard to Guiding Principle 5);

Marine Safety

13. to support initiatives to improve the marine safetymanagement of Poole Harbour to the benefit ofits stakeholders, (with due regard to GuidingPrinciple 5);

14. to support initiatives to maintain nationallyagreed standards for safe marine operations;

Recreation and tourism

15. to support the safe and enjoyable use of theHarbour for recreational activity, which will bemanaged in accordance with the NavigationalSafety Management Plan, Poole HarbourByelaws and the Poole Harbour AquaticManagement Plan, (with due regard to GuidingPrinciple 5);

16. to support and encourage sustainabledevelopment for tourism and recreation which willcontribute to regeneration and/or the extensionof the tourist season, (with due regard to GuidingPrinciple 5);

17. to support measures that maintain or improvepublic access to the water’s edge, and facilities

and services for marine recreation, (with dueregard to Guiding Principle 5);

Commercial Port and marine related industries

18. to support the needs of the commercial port andmarine related industries to the benefit of thelocal, regional and national economies, (with dueregard to Guiding Principle 5);

19. to support Port related development proposalswithin the commercial port and maintain thePort’s ability to provide sites with deep waterfrontage, (with due regard to Guiding Principle 5);

Transport

20. to support improvements to the transport networkto mitigate any adverse impact of road trafficwithout unnecessary constraint, (with due regardto Guiding Principle 5);

21. to support a range of transportation modes forthe movement of people and goods, (with dueregard to Guiding Principle 5);

Pollution

22. to support the provision, exercising anddevelopment of contingency plans foremergencies and pollution incidents in andaround the Harbour;

Cultural Heritage

23. to support the protection, promotion andunderstanding of the historic environment andassets of Poole Harbour;

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24. to encourage best practice to protectarchaeological material in situ and if investigationis required in support of any proposeddevelopment, that appropriate professionalstandards are adopted, (with due regard toGuiding Principle 5).

Key Master Plan Objectives

5.3 Within the umbrella of the overarching OverallObjective and the Guiding Principles, the HarbourCommissioners’ key objectives for the period of the MasterPlan are:

1. to improve the facilities and resources availablein the Port to ensure that it remains a competitiveand commercially viable operation able toaccommodate a range of shipping and marineactivities including Ro/Ro ferry, conventionalcargo, container feeder services, project cargo,cruise, and marine leisure;

2. in pursuit of Master Plan objective 1, to bringforward schemes to provide:

a. additional capacity for bulk cargo activities;

b. additional capacity for cruise ship activities;

c. a Marine Centre including additional marinaberths, a Harbour Education Centre andcommunity facilities for local Harbour users;

d. facilities for marine businesses, and

e. port infrastructure to support a renewableenergy maintenance and support base.

3. to continue to promote efficiency savings withinthe port organisation and to carry out any

necessary adjustments to the internal Port Estatelayout (in circumstances where these might haveenvironmental or amenity consequences, beyondthe Port doing so in consultation with the localauthorities, service providers, local residents andother stakeholders);

4. to strengthen relationships with local authoritiesand local stakeholders, generally and particularlyin the context of the development proposals setout in this Master Plan, encouraging a culture ofdialogue and communications and an awarenessof the need to balance the needs of the manyinterests using the Harbour;

5. to explore with the local authorities and with otherstakeholders opportunities to maintain andexpand the Port’s role as an important source ofdirect and indirect employment opportunities;

6. as part of objective 2c and generally to continueto explore and implement initiatives to educateand promote amongst Harbour users the safe,sustainable and wise use of the Harbour forcommerce, recreation and amenity, and

7. to continue to develop protocols with governmentagencies, non-governmental organisations andother stakeholders intended to protect andmaintain the special natural features of theHarbour.

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Business Planning

6.1 Several new projects are outlined in the draftMaster Plan and are currently being explored in moredetail. If they prove to be viable and sustainable they maybe approved as the basis of the business plan. Certainprojects can potentially be commenced within the next fiveyears, however other projects will be phased in over alonger period. Longer-term aspects of the Plan areunlikely to change, in terms of their desirability, but thepracticality of their implementation is obviously materiallydependent on the success of the near term plans. TheCommissioners have engaged specialist consultants toundertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment of theproposals in the Master Plan.

6.2 The draft Master Plan identifies the potential todevelop a series of new facilities within and adjacent tothe existing Port area to take advantage of commercialoperations open to the Poole Harbour Commissioners inthe foreseeable future. In addition, the draft Master Planseeks to maintain a degree of flexibility such that theCommissioners can respond to future commercialopportunities that may become available, where thesemeet the Master Plan objectives. The commercialopportunities currently available to the Port comprise theprovision of improved facilities to maintain the ability tocontinue to support current operations as the commercialpressures on shipping companies to use larger vesselsoccur.

6.3 Studies by the Commissioners, FisherAssociates and Marina Projects show that potential newopportunities exist within the Port of Poole for the provisionof facilities for visiting cruise liners, new commercialshipping lines, for the development of an off-shore windfarm operation and maintenance /construction facilities,and a marine centre. To take advantage of theseopportunities, The Commissioners developed a number of

schematic options. These were subject to extensive publicand stakeholder consultation and comments receivedhave been analysed.

6.4 The proposals described below represent arefined set of proposals which the Commissioners nowwish to take forward to a further round of consultation withthe objective of developing these proposals in greaterdetail. It should be noted that the level of detail availableat present is at strategic level only.

6.5 Additional work is being carried out on theeconomic impact of the various projects. However it isestimated that all of the Master Plan projects combinedcould potentially deliver 300/400 full time jobs (throughdirect and indirect employment) within Poole and Dorset.Additionally, the combined projects have the potential ofinjecting up to £25 million annually into the local economy.

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Section 6Master Plan Proposals

6.6 Should any of these proposals be taken forwardthrough to planning, then a detailed design will beprepared and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)undertaken. The Environmental Statement (ES) will besubmitted, along with a Statement to Inform theAppropriate Assessment if required, with any applicationsfor consent required through the planning and marineconsenting processes. The EIA will explore a range ofdifferent issues including, but not limited to, transport, airquality, noise, landscape, visual considerations,archaeology, geomorphology, hydrodynamics, ecology,birdlife and fisheries issues.

6.7 In drawing up these proposals, theCommissioners have had due regard to their statutoryduties as set out in articles 5, 8 and 18 of the PooleHarbour Revision Order 2012.

Proposals for the Conservation andManagement of Poole Harbour

6.8 As outlined in section 2 and detailed in the PooleHarbour Aquatic Management Plan, there are areas ofinternational nature conservation and landscapeimportance within Poole Harbour, and the Commissionersremain committed to working with other agencies andorganisations in order to protect the sensitive areas of theHarbour. The Aquatic Management Plan will be reviewedand updated periodically and the concept of zoning, whichhas worked well to date, within the Harbour will continue.The Commissioners also produce an Environmental PolicyStatement which is regularly reviewed and updated.

Proposals for the Harbour Approaches -Middle Ship Channel and SwashChannel

6.9 These channels were deepened in 2006 to 7.5metres below Chart Datum, principally to accommodateBrittany Ferries’ new ferry, M/V Cotentin. There are nocurrent plans to further deepen the main channels.

Proposals for the operational Port Estate

Port Rail Link

6.10 The Commissioners, in line with Governmentpolicy, are committed to making increased use of the Portrail link in the future, and propose to safeguard this facilityand any land necessary to bring the rail link back intooperational use.

Yard Quay - Cemex Site

6.11 There are no plans to redevelop this site as it iscurrently occupied by Cemex on a long term lease,however depending on customer needs this will bereviewed in the future.

Conventional quays – Ballast Quay – BulwarkQuay – New Quay North - New Quay South

6.12 These quays are currently utilised to handle bulkcargoes. They will require re-piling within the next tenyears, due to a combination of raising the coping level tocombat sea level rises, excessive corrosion at low waterlevel and the need to deepen the berths to account for

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larger cargo ships. The Commissioners propose that theybe deepened to 7.5 metres to be compatible with theapproach channels.

Former Chevron - Texaco Site

6.13 Extensive decontamination works have recentlybeen undertaken on this vacant site with the intention toutilise the area for Port use. The site has been partiallyredeveloped to accommodate Channel Shipping with theremainder currently being marketed to new Portcustomers. There is also the possibility of using the areato accommodate existing cargo flows.

6.14 The Commissioners are currently engaged on amajor marketing initiative to attract short sea containertraffic to the Port and this sitecould be a suitable area for thisnew stream of cargo handling.Discussions have also takenplace with new and existingcustomers who requirewarehousing facilities and thepossibility of using this site todevelop covered storage facilitiesis being explored. Some newfacilities have already been built.

Ro/Ro 1 Berth (Options 1 and 2)

6.15 This berth has recently been developed toaccommodate the Port of Poole Marina. All of the marinaberths are fully occupied, despite the current economicconditions. Temporary consent for the marina (and itsextension) totalling approximately 75 deeper berths hasbeen granted for a period of five years. The intention isthat these facilities, will in time, be relocated to a new siteat Poole Quay where the larger Marine Centre can beconstructed.

6.16 It is proposed that this area be reclaimed in theshort term to provide an initial deep water quay dredgedto 9 metres (Option 1), with further reclamation in thelonger term to provide a second deep water quay dredgedto 7.5 metres and two hectares of land behind (Option 2).This flexible proposal would provide suitable quays andland to support Eneco’s/EDF’s proposed Navitus BayWind Park for which development consent is being sought.At this stage it is not known whether Poole will offer aconstruction and/or a maintenance site for the proposedwind park. The new quays would also accommodatelarger conventional cargo vessels, short sea containervessels or cruise ships.

Ro/Ro Berth 2

6.17 This berth is principally utilised by Condor Ferriesfor their fast craft operation. It is also used for bulk andproject cargo operations. The current intention is tocontinue this mix of operations, however in view of theincreasing size of ferries, Ro/Ro Berth 2 only retains thepotential to handle fast craft besides smaller conventionalcargo vessels. It is possible that long term realignmentdeepening and extension of this quay will add to the

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Options 1 and 2 development proposals described in theRo/Ro 1 Berth development.

Ro/Ro Berth 3

6.18 Although there is no exclusivity agreement withBrittany Ferries, this berth is predominantly utilised byBrittany Ferries for M/V Cotentin, M/V Barfleur and BrittanyFerries replacement ships. It was dredged to 7.5 metresin 2006 in order to accommodate M/V Cotentin. There areno current plans to make further modifications to the berthin the short term, however this remains a possibilitydepending on the requirements of existing and future ferrycustomers.

Deepening of Existing Conventional Quays(Option 3)

6.19 This would involve the dredging of part of theLittle Channel and the formation of a new deeper andlonger quay structure along the eastern side of the PortEstate. A new piled wall formed in front of the existingquay walls at New Quay North and New Quay South isproposed. At the southern end, (the location of the formeroil jetty), the quay would be extended by the installation ofa number of dolphin structures formed from either cellularstructures or tubular piles. Alternatively the southernextension could be formed from a sheet piled finger jettywhich would create some back up area. Consideration isbeing given to this Option in conjunction with Options 1and 2 described above.

Reorganisation of the Port Estate

6.20 The Ferry Terminal is currently utilised to facilitatethe Ro/Ro freight traffic, providing facilities for hauliers topark up before and after ferry crossings and to permitgovernment agencies to complete checks on incomingvehicles. It also houses the passenger terminal buildingwhich will require some refurbishment within the next 10to 15 years. Due to the growth of bulk cargoes, the areais also used to store cargo such as timber.

6.21 Possible reorganisation of the ferry terminal isbeing considered. This would bring substantial long termbenefits and free up space within the Port Estate tofacilitate a number of different developments. These couldinclude:

• additional space for the Wind Park facility;

• the creation of a new purpose built enhancedadministration block, centralising existing officebased employees and providing an enhancedHarbour Control office;

• the construction of a multi-story car parkproviding parking capacity for port companies,ferry customers, Sunseeker employees andpotentially customers of a Poole Harbour MarineCentre;

• the creation of a Marine Business park, to includebusinesses and operations compatible with aMarine Centre;

• the construction of new sheds/warehouses forexisting and new port customers.

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Perenco Site

6.22 A new 10 year contract has recently been signedfor this site, providing Perenco with an oil spill responsebase and a facility to move equipment from the mainlandto the Wytch Farm oil operation site on Furzey Island.Should the site become available for development theCommissioners would wish to utilise the site for marineactivities.

6.23 Poole Harbour Commissioners have recentlyconcluded an agreement with Jenkins Marine Ltd for a siteadjacent to Perenco to provide the company with both landand waterside facilities, thereby ensuring that JenkinsMarine, an established Poole marine business, remainswithin Poole Harbour.

Proposals for the Poole Quay Area

6.24 Poole Harbour Commissioners retain ownershipof Poole Quay. The Commissioners have responsibility formaintaining the quay and a recent structural surveyhighlights the need for significant remedial works to bothquay fendering and the structure itself.

Proposals for the North Side of PooleHarbour

6.25 International and national environmentaldesignations protect the sensitive areas of the north sideof the Harbour. In the view of the Commissioners, thereappears to be only two viable potential sites for thedevelopment of a Marine Centre within Poole Harbour.These are to the west of Poole Yacht Club in front ofHamworthy Park, or directly south of the existing PooleQuay Boat Haven shown as options 4 and 5 in theexposure draft Master Plan.

6.26 Following extensive consultation withstakeholders, local organisations and members of thepublic, the Commissioners have carefully analysed thecomments received and have given detailed considerationto both options. Appendix A provides details of theconsultation undertaken and main issues raised. Basedon the information currently available and the workundertaken on the SEA, while both options are consideredfeasible, they have decided to undertake furtherinvestigations of the site south of Poole Quay Boat Haven,Option 5, with the objective of developing a marine centrein this location. At this stage it is considered that Option5 offers marginal benefits in terms of less impact on thedesignated nature conservation sites and areas used forwater recreation activities in the Harbour. The opportunity

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to consider the benefits of Option 5, including thoseassociated with the local economy, the links to the existingPort, the links to existing activities and businesses onPoole Quay and Poole town centre and the opportunity tocreate a visitor attraction as part of a Marine Centre at thislocation will form part of further work.

Proposals for Poole Harbour MarineCentre at Poole Quay

6.27 Poole Harbour Commissioners have beeninvolved in pre-consultation discussions since the summerof 2010, regarding the potential for developing a PooleHarbour Marine Centre. The rationale behind thisproposal is as follows:

1. following the Borough of Poole’s decision toproceed with the Twin Sails Bridge, there is anincreased demand from sail and motor boatusers for leisure berths within the main Harbourto the South of the existing lifting bridge, therebyavoiding potential delays in entering and exitingHoles Bay. This demand is evidenced by the fulltake-up of berths in the newly constructed Port ofPoole Marina;

2. a Marine Centre could include facilities forhosting major marine leisure events in Poole.Poole Harbour is already recognised as a majorsailing location, however the Commissionersbelieve that with the construction of new facilitiesand the right marketing campaign Poole Harbourcould play host to a number of national andinternational sailing events which wouldsignificantly enhance the town’s reputation in thissector. By developing a Poole Marine Vision,

Poole Harbour has the potential to be recognisedas a major centre for marine excellence, therebyattracting a number of marine businesses into thearea. This could provide an opportunity for thetown to re-engage more strongly with its marineheritage;

3. there would be an opportunity to create a visitorattraction as part of the Marine Centre proposals;

4. the creation of a Marine Centre would act as acatalyst for the creation of a marine businesspark within the Port Estate;

5. there would be substantial economic benefits tothe local area, with job creation opportunities andan increase of GVA in to the local economy;

6. the Marine Centre would provide real benefits tolocal organisations and stakeholders, and wouldassist local residents in accessing the water, witha particular emphasis on young people in Poole.The Commissioners have held discussions withlocal organisations such as Poole Sea Scouts,the RNLI and disabled sailing charities in orderto understand how they could potentially benefitfrom a Marine Centre;

7. A Poole Harbour Awareness Programme wouldbe developed as part of a Marine Centredevelopment to share Poole HarbourCommissioners’ knowledge and experience toincrease public awareness of all aspects of thePort and Harbour. The Awareness Programmewould be developed in conjunction withstakeholders and organisations such as Natural

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England and the Dorset Wildlife Trust withinnovative mechanisms used to impart theinformation.

8. The objectives of the Poole Harbour AwarenessProgramme would be:

i. to create greater understanding of theissues associated with balancing thenatural environment and the many activitieswithin the Harbour and the role of PooleHarbour Commissioners in managing amulti-use aquatic area;

ii. to stimulate public interest in theenvironment of Poole Harbour and topromote conservation of the Harbour’swildlife habitats and foster in the localcommunity a lifelong appreciation andsense of pride and ownership of theHarbour;

iii. to conduct research that will enable greaterunderstanding of Harbour ecosystems andto disseminate this information throughscientific publications, conferences andmeetings; and

iv. to be a local, regional, national andinternational source of information on PooleHarbour for researchers, educators,students and policy makers;

v. to create a greater understanding of Poole’smarine heritage;

vi. to provide an information source regardingnavigational safety in Poole Harbour.

9. the provision of lift out vessel facilities andmaintenance area for Poole boat owners andbusinesses. Currently many local commercialboat operators and fishermen have to usefacilities in other ports, resulting in increasedcosts and a loss of revenue to the local economy.This facility would be on the main Port Estate.

10. additional benefits for local residents. Dependingon detailed design these could include thecreation of new footpaths, pedestrian accessalong Marine Centre breakwaters, the creation ofshower and toilet facilities for harbour users anddinghy sailing facilities for local youthorganisations and facilities for local organisationsand charities;

11. the re-location of boats to the developmentwould reduce marine traffic through the bridges,thereby reducing congestion of road traffic withinthe two-bridge operation;

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12. a current safety issue within the Harbour is thenumbers of boats which exit and enter theHarbour en masse, correlating directly withexisting bridge lift timings: this proposal couldgreatly reduce the rate of flow of boats whichsimultaneously transit the Harbour entrance;

13. further rationalisation of Harbour moorings couldhelp to improve navigation within the Harbour,benefit Harbour users and protectenvironmentally sensitive locations within theHarbour, and

14. the opportunity to create a sustainabledevelopment, which meets current environmentalregulations and the Commissioners ownenvironmental management policies.

6.28 Poole Harbour Commissioners recognise thattraffic and parking considerations may arise in the PooleQuay area and the proposal therefore could include theconstruction of a multi storey car park on the Port Estatewhich would be linked to the Marine Centre by a shortwater taxi trip.

6.29 Poole Quay Boat Haven currently providesfacilities for the Poole fishing and charter boat fleet throughan agreement between Poole Harbour Commissionersand the Poole and District Fishermen’s’ Association.Poole Harbour Commissioners recognise that the needsof this Association need to be catered for in anydevelopment and there are no plans to diminish or reduce

any of the facilities currently enjoyed by these importantstakeholders.

6.30 The Commissioners consider that the potentialfeatures of a Marine Centre which could be providedinclude, but are not limited to:

• provision of a significant number of long termleisure berths;

• provision of increased number of visiting berths;

• the creation of a public walkway as part of theMarine Centre to a viewing point across theHarbour;

• facilities for major marine events both inside andoutside the Marine Centre, including berths fortourism events such as the Louis Vuitton Cup, JClass, super yacht events, Americas Cup seriesand Tall Ships events;

• Increasing the provision for small commercialvessels.

• New boat repair and maintenance facilities.

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Making your views known

7.1 As explained in the Introduction, Poole HarbourCommissioners welcome comments on this draft PortMaster Plan. Comments should be sent to:

The Chief ExecutivePoole Harbour Commissioners

20 New Quay RoadPoole BH15 4AF

Email: chiefexecutive@phc.co.uk

To arrive before 6th November 2012

In the light of comments received from the public and fromthe statutory consultees, the Commissioners will thendecide on the necessary amendments to the Master Planbefore making it available as a final version, which theyhope to do by the end of 2012.

Reviewing the Plan

7.2 The final Master Plan will remain a ‘livedocument’; the Commissioners will monitor its efficacy andupdate individual elements if necessary. They willformally review the Plan as and when circumstancessuggest a review is called for, but at least after five years.

Implementing the Master Plan’s majorproposals

7.3 The proposals for new quays, channeldeepening and a marine centre will be subject to further,more detailed study in order to identify viable andsustainable schemes. In drawing up proposals, theCommissioners will carry out further consultations withstatutory consultees including Borough of Poole, NaturalEngland, the Environment Agency and the MarineManagement Organisation, and other key stakeholderssuch as residents and Harbour users.

7.4 When the Commissioners are satisfied thatsustainable schemes can be promoted the proposals willbe subject to Environmental Impact Assessment, aprocess that incorporates consultation, and often leads toiterative refinement of the proposals. The applications willbe accompanied by an overarching EnvironmentalStatement. A single Environmental Statement will beprepared even if the marine centre and commercialproposals are processed separately, in order to ensurethat cumulative effects are covered.

7.5 The Commissioners recognise that it will beparticularly important to fit the proposals into land use andtransport policies for the urban area and the overallmanagement of the Harbour environment. TheCommissioners will work with Borough of Poole to ensurethe proposals comply with and are supported by planningpolicies, with Natural England to ensure that designatedareas are protected and with the Marine ManagementOrganisation, especially when it prepares a Marine Planfor the area.

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Section 7Next Steps

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Consultation Events and Presentations

This Appendix explains the consultation exerciseundertaken by Poole Harbour Commissioners on the‘exposure draft’ Port Master Plan which was launched ata special event held on the 5th September 2011 at theThistle Hotel, Poole Quay, Poole.

Over 50 meetings and presentations were given to a widevariety of government and local authorities, statutorybodies and both public and private organisations includingthe Department for Transport, Borough of Poole, PurbeckDistrict Council, Local Councillors, residentsorganisations, Poole Harbour Steering Group, DorsetCoast Forum, yacht clubs, Natural England, EnvironmentAgency, Dorset Wildlife Trust, RNLI, boatyard and mooringcontractors, Poole fishermen, passenger boat operators,Poole businesses, Dorset Chamber of Commerce, PooleMaritime Trust, ferry companies, port related companies,Poole Youth Forum, local schools, Friends of PooleMuseum, Poole Sea Scouts and Poole Sea Rangers, PHCemployees and Society of Poole Men.

Permanent displays and tours of exhibition boardssummarising the exposure draft Port Master Plan were onshow at venues throughout Poole during Autumn andWinter 2011/2012. Exhibitions were staged at theWindfest event in Sandbanks and the PSP SouthamptonBoat Show during September 2011. The HarbourCommissioners put up a stand in the Dolphin Centre,Poole town centre on three separate occasions; the firsttwo events attracted over 180 enquiries. Other exhibitionswere held in both Poole and Hamworthy Libraries and atthe Poole Tourist Information Centre during October 2011.A further drop-in session primarily for businesses in thePoole Quay area was held in December 2011.

Two open days were held, on the 3rd and 4th November2011, in the North Lounge of the Passenger Terminal inthe Port of Poole when around 400 members of the publiccame to talk to Poole Harbour Commissioners Officers.The Annual PHC Open Evening also discussed the MasterPlan.

Press articles featured the draft Master Plan in the DailyEcho on several occasions.

The exposure draft Master Plan was and still is on thePoole Harbour Commissioners website and is alsopromoted on the PHC Facebook page. The completion offeedback forms at the public events and on the websitewas encouraged. All letters and comments received onthe exposure draft Master Plan are held on file in theHarbour Office.

Main Issues Raised

The focus of the responses revolved heavily around thesiting of the proposed Marine Centre, with very fewresponses on the main Port Estate plans. Generallyspeaking, there was a strong consensus that if a MarineCentre was to be constructed it should form part of anextension to Poole Quay Boat Haven on Poole Quay,rather than building a new facility at Hamworthy. SomeHamworthy residents were in favour of a HamworthyMarine Centre, however the majority of responsesreceived were very negative about the construction of aMarine Centre in front of Hamworthy Park, which manyrespondents felt would destroy views across to BrownseaIsland. There were also fears that the integrity of the parkmight be threatened by roads being built on existing parkspace, although this was never intended.

Concerns were also expressed by some windsurfers whoregularly use Hamworthy Park and Beach. There wereconcerns that windsurfing would become difficult orimpossible in this part of the Harbour should thedevelopment go ahead. There were additional concernsregarding how the development might alter thehydrography of Wareham Channel, causing potentialsiltation around Hamworthy Park.

A web site campaign and on-line petition signed by over3,000 people (including some as far afield as Vancouver)was launched by opponents to the Hamworthydevelopment and this petition and a written petition wasdelivered to the Commissioners stating that theHamworthy project should not go ahead.

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Appendix A Consultation on the Draft Master Plan 2011

Some Hamworthy respondents felt that the scheme wouldbring jobs to the area and help to regenerate Hamworthy.

The proposed Hamworthy scheme would have involved adeal being struck with Poole Yacht Club, whereby PooleHarbour Commissioners would have taken over theexisting Poole Yacht Club and new facilities beingconstructed for Poole Yacht Club to the west of theircurrent site. This deal would have necessitated an internalPoole Yacht Club vote. Poole Harbour Commissionersreceived many responses from Yacht Club members,some in favour of the scheme because of the new facilitieswhich Poole Yacht Club would benefit from and someagainst because of a number of reasons includingpotential disturbance whilst the new facility was being built,concerns about loss of current sailing space within theHarbour, and some who did not want to see any furtherdevelopment of Poole Harbour.

A number of respondents from Poole Harbour ActionGroup were against a Poole Quay development. Theirprincipal concerns were visual impact, noise, parking andtraffic congestion. Concerns were raised about mooring acruise ship at the end of the Marine Centre and theconstruction of high concrete quays which could impactviews from the Quay.

Other possible locations for a marine centre weresuggested by respondents including land at Baiter, offWhitecliff Park and in Holes Bay.

A recurrent theme from a number of Poole Town residentswho supported an extension of the Boat Haven, was thatthe Quay was dying and needed a catalyst to bring backvisitors to the Quay and restore vitality to businesseswhich were struggling. It was felt that walkways out intothe Harbour through the Marine Centre would be animportant feature. It was felt that Poole Quay needsanother attraction on the Quay following the closure of theAquarium. There was also strong support for marineevents such as Tall Ships and major yachting events inPoole Harbour, which could be major tourism events.Some respondents felt that Poole Quay could be openedup for better access for pedestrians.

Responses from the fishing community were very positiveabout siting the Marine Centre at Poole Quay but werenegative about Hamworthy. There were requests for a newentrance at Poole Quay Boat Haven for fishing boats.

Poole Quay businesses were very supportive ofdevelopment and many stated that Tourism would benefit,particularly if a new attraction was incorporated within theMarine Centre.

Poole Passenger boat operators were very much in favourof Poole Quay development, as were the ferry companiesand Port of Poole businesses, who recognised the needto diversify. Fishermen and Passenger Boat Operatorsstrongly supported the provision of lift-out facilities formaintenance.

Some marina operators were not in favour of developmenton either site, as they believed that Poole HarbourCommissioners should remain purely in conventional portactivities and not get involved in marina operations, raisingconcerns about competition issues. Concerns were alsoraised about the needs case and whether additionalmarina berths were required in the current economicsituation.

Poole Tourism, Poole Town Centre Management Groupand individuals and organisations involved with retail,hotels and catering, and tourism were very supportiveabout a new development. New cruise ship activity wasparticularly welcomed. It was felt that a resurgent PooleQuay could help links to Poole town centre, regeneratingthe Poole Town, Poole High Street and boosting the localeconomy.

Presentations to Schools and the Poole YouthEngagement Forum resulted in requests for more eventson the Quay and better access to the water for localyoungsters.

Poole Maritime Trust was very supportive about a newMarine Centre, particularly if it could house historicalboats.

Other concerns were raised about the possible impact onthe local ecology of the Harbour, and increased boatcongestion within Poole Harbour, particularly at theHarbour entrance and around Poole Quay with potentialsafety risks with larger commercial craft. Other concernswere raised about the financial viability of the proposals inthe Master Plan.

The majority of respondents recognised the advantagesof Poole remaining a Trust Port and the need for PooleHarbour Commissioners to diversify into new revenuestreams.

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Harbour Offi ce, 20 New Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 4AF

Tel. 01202 440200 | Fax. 01202 440212

www.phc.co.ukwww.phc.co.uk/masterplan