Over the past few months you will all be aware from our MSBA meetings that we have been in dialogue with Peel Ports to look at the reform of the structure of the conservancy licence, in particular the period it covers, to make it fairer and to encourage Peel Ports to be more transparent on how these funds are spent and the activities they undertake on the river, to encourage an increase in its take-up by local boat owners. As discussed at this week’s MSBA AGM, good progress has been made to date.
Peel Ports have acknowledged the need to make these changes and have today announced that dates that the conservancy fee covers will be changed to align with the typical boating season, i.e. 1st April to 31st March.
The letter from the Richard Goffin, Port Director, is shown below along with the new schedule of fees. The conservancy charge from 1st April 2023 will be £105.23 and the fee for yacht club moorings from 1st January will be £125.18. This is an increase of 14.2% (RPI to October) and 15% respectively.
However, at the same time Richard Goffin, Port Director London Medway, has decided to announce an above inflation increase in its port fees at a time when every marine business and private individual is struggling to deal with increased costs. The MSBA has been in dialogue with the owners of the larger marinas on the Medway over the past few weeks, all of whom are also being impacted by the increased costs of fuel, electricity and raw materials. However, they fully acknowledge the impact that general inflation is having on their berth holders and are doing everything in their power to keep annual increases in berthing costs to single figures.
MSBA Chairman, Peter Norris said “The proposed increases by Peel Ports are unacceptable and will have an adverse affect on the number of conservancy licences purchased in 2023. Not only that, but the announcement of this increase has also destroyed all of the hard work undertaken by Peel Ports’ own staff and that of MSBA to encourage the take-up of the conservancy fee over the past few months. The MSBA will be seeking an urgent meeting with the Port Director with a view to getting this unacceptable price increase reduced to a single figure.
If this cannot be achieved the MSBA will have no alternative but to engage with Government to seek an appropriate review of Peel Ports’ operations on the Medway.
