21 Mar Port of London Authority – new powers resisted by Shad Thames residents
Shad Thames Residents Association contributed to a three-week inquiry set up by the Department of transport into the role of the Port of London Authority (PLA). Under legislation from 1900, The PLA is a self-governing trust, and “legal owner” of the 95-mile long river bed of the tidal Thames, from when the Thames was the hub of international trade. That gives the PLA the right to demand fees of anyone who passes over the riverbed and if necessary prosecute. The hearing ended with calls for reform.
It all began with an attempt by the PLA to increase its powers through a seemingly-innocuous Harbour Revision Order. For residents along the river, it become a rare opportunity to shine a spotlight on the PLA. Their objections forced a wider inquiry and attracted media attention. The PLA’s record on pollution was challenged since it is the body that licences the enormous, noisy and heavily polluting cruise ships that moor at Greenwich, by HMS Belfast and elsewhere on the river. Also under attack were the fees levied on owners of flats with balconies protruding even a little over the river – fees traditionally justified as they “impede public navigation”. One barrister described the PLA as “effectively unaccountable”. Others called for the PLA’s too-many roles as navigation authority, landowner and landlord to be split up.
The results of the inquiry are expected by the end of June.