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NEWS


VOSA, the Government body that supervises the safety of trucks on roads in Great Britain, has signed an agreement with the British Ports Association and the UK Major Ports Group on enforcement activities at ports. The principles are that,


where there is no reasonable alternative to carrying out checks at ports, VOSA should be given access to suitable areas; that vehicle checks carried out within or close to ports should be coordinated and carried out so that fair competition is maintained and that the level of checks carried out at competing ports and inland checkpoints is proportionate; and that checking of vehicles is carried out so as to minimise disruption to traffic. A report published by the


House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee on 3 March (FBJ 1, p11) said that some ports had barred VOSA inspectors from their premises, either because of lack of suitable space or because they feared that the inspectors’ presence was seen as a deterrent to customers. Dover’s director of operations,


Robin Dodridge said that he believed that VOSA inspectors had in the past tended to concentrate their activities on the port rather than the rival Eurotunnel terminal. But now, he said: “The agreement creates a sound basis for ensuring that VOSA has sufficient access to carry out its vital work of protecting the public from unsafe lorries, whether foreign or UK, whilst at the same time ensuring that port users are not unduly delayed or hassled and that port operators can be assured of the all-important, yet so often elusive, level playing field.” A VOSA spokesman added


that the agency now had arrangements for the inspection of heavy vehicles at Coquelles - the French side of the tunnel. “In addition we still have the means to target Eurotunnel traffic on the M20 - and therefore can ensure that we are proportionate in our enforcement between Dover and Eurotunnel.” Under the new agreement, detailed arrangements of how checks will be conducted to be the subject of local agreements between port authorities and


VOSA’s operational managers. The VOSA spokesman added: “We currently have informal arrangements to access the majority of GB ports. With the signing of the MOA we will jointly look, with port managers, at whether there would be benefits in formalising some of these arrangements. Where current arrangements work well, we will not necessarily move from the informal approach.” VOSA’s chief executive Alastair


Peoples said: “VOSA has been working at ports for many years but today’s agreement signals a greater commitment than ever before from ports and terminals to help VOSA carry out its vital work in making Britain’s roads safer.” The Committee report also


called for VOSA to be given access to HM Revenue & Customs’ Freight Targeting Database. VOSA said it had “successfully trialled joint working of this sort with UKBA - including access to this database - and this has demonstrated improvements in how we can deal with traffic passing through the GB entry points - in particular helping us target the highest risk traffic.”


Wider and deeper in Southampton


DP World’s Port of Southampton completed dredging and widening work on 6 January. Berth no. 205 has been deepened from 13m to 14m, 206 berth from 13.6m to 14.6m while 207 berth has been deepened to 15.0m and widened to 55.0m. Completion of the work means that almost 80% of the terminal’s quays now provide a minimum depth of 14.0m alongside. Managing director, DP World Southampton,


Chris Lewis said: “These improvements will provide us with a far greater flexibility on where we can position ships that call at the terminal, enabling us to provide a high level of service to our customers as well as maximise the utilisation of all our resources.” Two super post-panamax cranes, each with an outreach of 22 containers wide, will be delivered during the first quarter of 2011.


ISSUE 1 2011 VOSA signs ports deal Hull bids for green port status


The port of Hull has launched a bid to become the UK capital for green energy. Associated British Ports (ABP), Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the University of Hull have formed the Green Port Hull partnership to redevelop the 250-acre Alexandra Dock at a cost of £100 million. It points out that three of the largest off shore windfarm zones - Dogger Bank, Hornsea and Norfolk - are within 12 hours’ sailing time of Hull. Further advantages are that the port offers an existing facility – which ironically was used to export coal – with planning permission for development. Alexandra Dock forms part of the operational Port of Hull and is ideally suited for a wind turbine manufacturing facility, say the promoters. Green Port Hull will also make use of the already-consented Quay 2005 site immediately adjacent to Alexandra Dock, which provides direct access to the adjacent deep water channel. Port director for Hull & Goole, Matt Jukes, said: “The development is already consented, completely environmentally compensated for and can be delivered by 2014. We have the land and the location to offer potential manufacturers an excellent opportunity.” He added: that a further “massive advantage” was that Alexandra dock was part of a wider port complex, “which will be of great benefit to both manufacturers and the wider supply chain.”


The Barfleur is back


Brittany Ferries Freight is returning its Barfleur to service on the Cherbourg/Poole route from 27 February in ‘freight-friendly’ mode. Schedules will be tailored for hauliers to meet peak overnight demand from France and passenger capacity will be reduced to provide more comfort for freight drivers.


Brittany says that the route will also offer


ample parking and capacity for unaccompanied trailers, acceptance of which has become more


restricted on other English Channel services. There will be a late-morning departure in the return direction from Poole to Cherbourg. Reintroduction of the Barfleur on Cherbourg will


also free the freight-only vessel Cotentin to operate a second weekly departure from Poole to Santander in Northern Spain. Brittany Ferries will, from the end of March 2011, offer over seven weekly return crossings to Spain – four from Portsmouth, two from Poole and one from Plymouth.


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