Dover District Council is welcoming the Secretary of State for Transport’s decision on the criteria for the sale of major trust ports, which was announced yesterday.

The announcement follows the launch of a consultation in May, which DDC responded to raising a number of issues.

Cllr Paul Watkins, Leader of Dover District Council, said: “We welcome this decision, and are pleased to see that the Secretary of State has recognised many of the issues we have raised consistently, both in our earlier representations in response to the proposed sale of the Port of Dover, and directly in our response to this consultation.”

The criteria include a number of essential requirements including community participation, future investment in and development of the port, fair price, and fair competition. There are also highly desirable criteria around matters relating to transport networks and the sale process, with desirable criteria relating to employee involvement.

The Secretary of State has given Dover Harbour Board an opportunity to consider their proposal in the light of the revised criteria and submit additional material if they choose to do so. If this happens, there will be a further opportunity for consultation and representations to be made on the basis of the new criteria.

Cllr Paul Watkins said: “We are pleased to see this recognition of the importance of community participation, including people’s ability to influence the port’s development. We are also heartened to see that there is a recognised need to ensure that strategic transport networks are protected. We will continue to work with our partners, and we look forward to continuing to move forwards for the future of district. It is essential that, given the position with Pfizer, a timely decision is reached at the earliest opportunity in this matter.”
 

Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 2011©