The masterplans have been moulded after PIANC commissioned a workgroup in 2012 to analyse the best working practices at ports globally.  

A statement from PIANC states that by focussing on “key performance indicators for cargo handling systems and terminal operations [it] allows the preparation of reliable and responsive port masterplans.”

PIANC is a forum in which professionals from around the world join forces to provide expert advice on cost-effective, reliable and sustainable infrastructure to facilitate the growth of waterborne transport.

Members of PIANC include governments, public authorities, corporations and industry specialists.

PIANC feel a key factor of the report is the discussion surrounding the changes in the models of port management and the two conditioning factors that have a profound impact on the growth and development of ports: how port operations are carried out, and how investments in ports are made.

They find that: “planning for the future of a port by considering how port operations will be organised and how investments will be financed are the two key elements for success.”

“The principal objective of a port masterplan is to communicate a ‘vision’ for the port to a wide range of stakeholders” whilst “integrating economic, engineering, environmental and safety considerations in the overall plan; promote the orderly long-term development and growth.”

Read the original PIANC report “Masterplans for the development of existing ports”

Nearly 28 million passengers travelled by ferry in the eight months of 2014 to end August, with almost 15 million of these travelling in the three summer months of June, July and August. Of these summer ferry passengers, over 7 million chose continental ferry routes, nearly 5.9 million visited UK domestic destinations by ferry such as Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and Scottish Islands, and nearly 2 million took a ferry to Ireland.

The fastest growing ferry sector over the last three summer months to end August has been continental destinations, up 4.2% to 7.06m passengers, with 2.92m of these carried on continental ferry routes in August alone, up 5.7% on August 2013.

Cars and Coach Ferry Numbers also up

Over 6 million cars have been carried on UK ferry routes over the 8 months to the end of August, up 1.3% on the same period last year, with 2.77 million cars ferried on continental routes, 2.47 million on UK domestic island routes, and 816,000 cars carried on Irish ferry routes.

119,580 coaches carried passengers by ferry in the same 8 month period to end-August, up 3.6% on the same period last year overall, with 80,940 coaches carried on continental ferry routes, 22,140 coaches on domestic island routes, and 16,500 coaches carried on ferry routes to Ireland.

Ferry Popular

“Families taking their so important school holiday break have been increasingly attracted to the value, simplicity, no-hassle and free luggage proposition that UK ferries can offer for family travel by car” said Bill Gibbons, director of Discover Ferries. “The year-to-date growth of 2.6% in ferry passenger traffic to end-August continued a growth momentum started last year, when 38 million ferry passengers were carried in 2013 – up by a million on the previous year. There is a huge variety of destinations, and accommodation, easily reached using the 75+ ferry routes on offer, travelling in your own car, or by coach – and we welcome the increasing numbers coming aboard”, he added.

The twelve ferry members of Discover Ferries are Brittany Ferries, Cal Mac, Condor Ferries, DFDS Seaways, Irish Ferries, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, MyFerryLink, Northlink Ferries, P&O Ferries, Red Funnel, Stena Line and Wightlink, operating over 75 different ferry routes.

Discover Ferries website provides comprehensive details of ferry companies and routes from the UK to the near continent, the Channel Islands, the Scottish Islands, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, and Ireland. There are direct ferry routes to Belgium, Holland, France and Spain as well as easy access to Germany and beyond.

Visit http://www.discoverferries.com/– your one-stop-shop for up-to-date information and news about travelling by ferry.

-Ends-

*The Discover Ferries “Ferrystat” figures are independently collated by IRN Research (www.irn-research.com) from passengers figures supplied by each ferry operator

Before 2007, reaching Kent from the centre of London was swift and simple-and since Southeasterns High Speed train service opened seven years ago, access has been even quicker and easier. The fast-track journey makes the fascinating south-easternmost corner of Britain a joy to reach, and explore. Lose yourself in a green and pleasant land; explore some of the most intriguing stories of England’s historical mosaic; and eat and drink in style.

I started my most recent journey at Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the doomed second wife of Henry VIII. Around the end of the Victorian era, Hever was abandoned until an American millionaire, William Waldorf Astor, decided to make it his personal corner of Kent. Astor created a verdant venue for his collection of classical sculptures, adding a fresh dimension to Hever.

Across the River Eden, a tributary of the Medway, stands a stately home with another Henry and Anne connection. Their daughter, Queen Elizabeth, is known to have visited Penshurst Place-which has some heavenly horticulture in the original Italian Walled Garden.

Two miles south of the county town, Maidstone, you can find the archetypal country pub: The Chequers in the village of Loose (pronounced to rhyme with “mews”). The landlord, Shaw Cavill, sources everything he can from within the county of Kent-the beer and the beef has travelled only a handful of miles.

The southern extreme of Kent, Romney Marsh, is a land that should not really exist: the bare fields were reclaimed over centuries from the sea, creating a cul-de-sac for the nation. The main attractions are the churches, floating serenely above the marsh. My favourite is St Thomas à Becket in Fairfield.

For more superlatives, keep going to Dover-the closest point that Britain gets to the Continent. The White Cliffs offer some of the finest views in England, while Dover Castle is a magnificent compendium of fortifications-and these days, only 66 minutes from London.

To find out more and plan your trip visitkent.co.uk

Thanet councillor Ian Driver obtained figures through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the port, which is owned by Thanet council.

He said the fall in income followed the council’s support for TransEuropa ferry firm, which ceased trading last year.

Thanet District Council said the port had lost income but reports that it was near bankruptcy were not true.

Figures provided by the port said it generated £2,301,613 in financial year 2012-13, and £570,570 in the year 2013-14.
 

‘No new ferry’

Mr Driver, a Green Party councillor, said: “This extraordinary drop in income is explained by the 2013 TransEuropa Ferries scandal.

“More than year later, and despite having hired a specialist maritime industry consultant, the council has failed to attract a new ferry operator or significant alternative business for the port. “I would be surprised if the £570,000 income generated by the port in the last financial year, came anywhere close to covering its day-to-day operating costs.”

The Port of Ramsgate is owned and operated by the council.

‘Ambitious plans set out

Councillor Mike Harrison, Labour cabinet member for operational services, said the port saw a significant loss of income after the termination of the Transeuropa ferry service.

He said: “The council was very clear from the start that the loss of this service – the largest income generator for the port – would leave a significant gap in the budget.”

The council took steps to reduce the running costs of the port and worked hard to manage the loss of income, he added.

“In short, we put steps in place to cover the costs and budgeted for the anticipated loss,” he said.

Mr Harrison said action was being taken to secure a viable future for the port and the council was actively marketing it to attract a future ferry operator, as well as seeking other income-generating opportunities.

A draft Ramsgate maritime plan had set out an ambitious scheme and would be shared with the council’s cabinet in July, he added.

“This is a challenging time but let’s be clear, we still have a working port and successful marina,” he said.

The heads of 19 major maritime organisations say in a letter to The Telegraph that they will be forced to switch to low-sulphur fuel on routes to Europe and Scandinavia after new restrictions come into force in January.

The result will be a rise in the cost of low-sulphur fuel, including diesel sold on forecourts, as well as increased carbon emissions due to more freight on roads.

Another option for the industry would be to retrofit engines with new sulphur-extracting technology, but it would be impossible to upgrade a substantial proportion of the UK fleet before the deadline.

The signatories, including senior executives at the UK Chamber of Shipping, P&O Ferries, Brittany Ferries, Stena Line UK and Associated British Ports, call for a grace period to allow the technology, known as scrubbers, to be fitted across the fleet.

“When European shipping shifts to low sulphur fuel, costs will rise by up to 30% for passengers and freight,” they say.

“The impetus is to reduce sulphur by use of technology that is only just ready, and which could take two years to fit to all our ships. But, the EU’s new regulations come into force in January 2015.”

They claim that switching to low sulphur fuel could lead to the loss of 2,000 jobs in Britain and £300 million in additional costs to shipping operators, as well as the arrival of thousands more lorries on Britain’s roads and 12 million tonnes of additional CO2 emissions.

“We urge the government to undertake urgent action to prevent these damaging consequences by insisting that the EU allow pragmatic transitional arrangements,” the letter states.

The new regulations are based on measures agreed by the United Nations International Maritime Organisation to cut sulphur emissions, but the deadline of January 2015 has been imposed by the EU.

Passenger ferries and shorter freight routes stand to be worst hit by the rules, which only apply in specified waters around Europe, including those off the eastern and southern coasts of the UK.

Any increase in operating costs would likely be passed on, resulting in higher prices for ferry passengers and businesses exporting goods to the continent.

The Consumer Prices Index fell to 1.5% in May compared with 1.8% in April, according to the Office for National Statistics.

It is the sixth consecutive month that inflation has been below the Bank of England’s 2% target.

A fall in food prices also helped drive down the rate of inflation.

The ONS said the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages fell by 0.6% year-on-year in May, the sharpest fall in a decade.

Falls in the price of everyday basics such as bread, cereals and vegetables drove the drop.

The rate of inflation, as measured by the Retail Prices Index (RPI) fell to 2.4% in May from 2.5% in April.

Prices, however, are still increasing faster than average earnings, which rose 0.7% in the three months to April.

The ONS said the timing of Easter, which fell in April this year, was likely to have had an impact on the rate of inflation, particularly on travel costs, which rose sharply to coincide with the Easter holiday.

Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that UK house prices leapt by 9.9% in the 12 months to April to reach a new high of £260,000.

‘Feeling the squeeze’

Jeremy Cook, chief economist at the currency company, World First, said the bigger-than-expected fall in the rate of inflation meant there was no rush for the Bank of England to raise interest rates.

“There is pressure on Mark Carney and the rest of the MPC to hike rates on the back of growth and housing market concerns, but given their central mandate of price stability, there is little cause to alter the current policy as it stands,” he said.

Howard Archer, chief UK and European Economist at IHS Global Insight, said he expected inflation to remain below 2% for the rest of the year and “very possibly beyond”.

“This is very good news for consumers’ purchasing power and it also affords the Bank of England flexibility, as it toys with the idea of raising interest rates before the end of 2014,” he added.

The chancellor, George Osborne, said the fall in the inflation rate was “good news”.

“Another sign that our long term economic plan is working, but lots more to do,” he added.

Labour’s shadow Treasury minister Catherine McKinnell also welcomed the fall in the inflation rate, but said that “most people are still feeling the squeeze”.

“Wages after inflation have now fallen by over £1,600 a year under David Cameron and the link between the wealth of the nation and family finances is broken,” she said.

The cruise industry’s direct contribution to the UK economy, including items such as goods and services purchased by the cruise lines, and the salaries of their employees, grew by 6.5% to £2.54 billion (€3.125 billion) in 2013 from £2.38 billion (€2.935 billion) the year before.

The cruise industry’s direct contribution to the combined economies of Europe grew by 4.7% to £13.2 billion (€16.2 billion) in 2013 with the UK economy the second highest beneficiary after Italy. The overall contribution of the cruise industry, including indirect items such as spending by cruise line suppliers, to the economies of Europe jumped 22% to £32.03 billion (€39.4 billion).

The number of British jobs supported by the cruise industry also grew strongly to 70,241 in 2013 – a growth of more than 4,000 jobs or 6.3%. More than a fifth of all the jobs the industry supports across Europe are now to be found in the UK, which is also home to more cruise line employees than any other European nation, being the country of residence of over a third (37.8%) of them. The UK remains Europe’s biggest cruise market, with a 27.2% share of passenger numbers in 2013 – a year in which 1.72 million British passengers took an ocean cruise – an increase of 25,000 from 2012. The number of British and overseas passengers joining their cruise at a UK port passed the one million mark for the first time in 2013, jumping 8% to 1,062,000, while the number of passengers on day visits to one of the UK’s 51 cruise ports jumped by 20% to 866,000.

The number of Europeans who took a cruise last year was 6.36 million, while the worldwide passenger figure was 21.3 million. Pierfrancesco Vago, CLIA Europe’s Chairman, said: “The positive results achieved this year reaffirm Europe’s position as a dynamic hub at the core of the global cruise industry. The cruise industry keeps generating great economic benefits for Europe during this crucial period of recovery, producing much-needed employment for European citizens as well as new business for its industries and revenue for its states.” Jo Rzymowska, Chair of CLIA UK & Ireland, said: “The cruise industry’s multi-billion pound investment in UK plc is paying ever-increasing dividends for the British economy.

The UK leads the field, accounting for more passengers and more jobs than any other European country and we are confident this growth in cruise travel will continue as we see new cruise ships dedicated to the UK market being introduced in 2015.” The trend of more holidaymakers starting their cruises from UK ports saw Southampton retain its position as Europe’s largest embarkation and disembarkation port, with total passenger numbers including ‘day visits’ climbing 7.5% to 1.64 million in 2013. Dover too welcomed many more cruise passengers in 2013, leaping 22.7% to 255,137.

Andy Harmer, Director of CLIA UK & Ireland, adds: “The cruise industry’s continued drive to offer even greater choice and quality of service is reflected in the growing number of British consumers who opt to take a cruise every year, and the contribution it makes to our economy.”

As the only port member of the Discover Ferries industry body, the Port of Dover is committed to supporting its major ferry customers – P&O Ferries, DFDS Seaways and MyFerryLink – and helping to promote the great consumer choice and benefits of ferry travel available from Europe’s busiest international ferry port.

This year’s theme is raising awareness of how family friendly ferry travel is with no hidden costs, stress free crossings and great facilities for children and families.

Sean Chaffey, Marketing and Customer Relations Manager, Port of Dover, said: “It is great to get behind a campaign that really highlights why the Port, together with its ferry partners, represents the number one way of crossing the Channel. I am sure that there will be some great offers to further entice customers to return to Dover once again.”

One big advantage of travelling by ferry from the Port of Dover is that you can take as much baggage as you can fit in your car and it is at no extra cost.

Bill Gibbons, Discover Ferries Director, said: “Free baggage is one of the great family competitive advantages of ferry travel – others include the freedom to walk around enjoying the ship’s facilities and restaurants, great family value on fares, and the simplicity of driving on and then straight off at a port such as Dover which itself offers great facilities such as free customer Wifi and excellent customer service.”

 ENDS

Issued by Port of Dover External and Corporate Affairs on 01304 240400 (ext 4410 from 8.30 – 17.00)