Marine Environment

As a responsible Harbour Authority, we apply best practice to ensure we minimise our impact on the environment and operate efficiently. We aim to mitigate potential environmental issues and ‘work with nature’ to deliver sustainable nature-based solutions to climate change impacts across some of our ports.

Peel Ports are progressive and proactive towards their marine environmental responsibilities. We achieve this through innovation, support, and the identification of cost-effective initiatives that deliver environmental improvements.

Marine Environmental Compliance

The Group Marine Team plays an integral role in allowing Peel Ports to fulfil their statutory responsibilities and comply with relevant marine environmental legislation to protect and maintain local marine environments across all of the Group’s Statutory Harbour Authorities.

Peel Ports are active members of the Environmental Groups coordinated by UK Major Ports Group and British Ports Association.

Who we work with

As part of our statutory duties and approach to responsible business, we work with a number of external stakeholders to deliver sustainable solutions and environmental benefits. Stakeholders include:

  • Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
  • Clyde Marine Planning Partnership
  • Environment Agency
  • Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCA)
  • Marine Management Organisation
  • Marine Scotland
  • Natural England
  • NatureScot
  • Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
  • Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
  • The Angling Trust
  • The Crown Estate

 
At a national level, we participate in the development of regional Marine Plans in both England and Scotland regularly liaising with regulatory bodies to ensure that the final plan policies are proportional with regards to social, economic and environmental activities.

Important Notice to Mariners

Clydeport(35)
CNTM Index 5Th December 2024(137KB)CNTM 01 24 Cancellation Of Clydeport Notices To Mariners Published During 2023(105KB)CNTM 02 24 General Directions Pilotage(368KB)CNTM 03 24 Firth Of Clyde Port Of Greenock Relocation Of Lateral Marks(285KB)CNTM 04 24 Russian Vessels Entering UK Ports(118KB)CNTM 05 24 River Clyde Former Bowling Terminal Temporary Discharge Pipeline(243KB)CNTM 06 24 River Clyde Glasgow Princes Dock Floating Garden(146KB)CNTM 13 24 Pilot Launch Fuel Surcharge(113KB)CNTM 25 24 Safety And Technology Surcharges Non Ferry Vessels(136KB)CNTM 68 23 Firth Of Clyde Hunterston Aton Extinguished(111KB)CNTM 75 24 Firth Of Clyde Millport Aids To Navigation Changes(485KB)CNTM 94 24 Govan Partick Bridge(482KB)CNTM 102 24 River Clyde Greenock Quay Wall Repairs(292KB)CNTM 106 24 River Clyde Renfrew Testing Of New Opening Roadbridge(291KB)CNTM 107 24 River Clyde Port Of Greenock Cruise Pontoon Maintenance(253KB)SNTM 01 V3 Contact Details Clyde Marine Managers(108KB)SNTM 02 V1 Passage Planning(107KB)SNTM 03 V1 Safe Speed(102KB)SNTM 04 V1 Testing Of Machinery Controls(88KB)SNTM 05 V1 Incident Reporting And Navigational Aids Defects(110KB)SNTM 06 V1 Naval Vessels And The Dockyard Port(97KB)SNTM 07 V3 Use Of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) In Clydeport Jurisdiction(122KB)SNTM 08 V1 Towage Operations(120KB)SNTM 09 V1 Diving(113KB)SNTM 10 V1 Port Waste Reception Facilities(124KB)SNTM 11 V1 Leisure Craft(188KB)SNTM 12 V1 Major Sailing Events(86KB)SNTM 13 V1 Bridges(182KB)SNTM 14 V1 Small Boat Pontoons Glasgow(109KB)SNTM 15 V1 Bowling Harbour(122KB)SNTM 16 V1 Fishing(214KB)SNTM 17 V1 Pilot Ladder Safety(135KB)SNTM 18 V1 Use Of Heaving Lines(141KB)SNTM 19 V1 Holy Loch Sandbank Draught Table(169KB)SNTM 20 V1 NAABSA BERTHS(108KB)
Great Yarmouth(2)
PPGY NTM 44 2024 WID River Berth 1(308KB)PPGY NTM 45 2024 WID River Berth 1 Updated(309KB)
Liverpool(2)
LNTM 2024-84 - Temporary Closure of Canada 90' Swing Bridge(198KB)LNTM 2024-86 - HMS Prince of Wales(210KB)
London Medway(3)
Ntom No 63 Of 2024 River Medway Salpan Reach LNG Jetty 10 Diving Operations(164KB)Ntom No 61 Of 2024 Sheerness Harbour North Kent Buoy Out Of Charted Position(285KB)NASBO No 7 Of 2024 Port Of Sheerness Ltd 2025 Schedule Of Charges(56KB)

BENEFICIAL RE-USE OF DREDGE MATERIAL.

Our Group Marine team regularly investigates opportunities for beneficial re-use of dredge material and have established local Sediment Stakeholder Groups in Liverpool and Clyde to discuss and deliver sustainable solutions.
 
Our beneficial re-use projects have allowed us to work with a variety of regulatory bodies and external stakeholders to develop and deliver nature-based solutions for the disposal of our maintenance dredge material.
 
In 2018, our beneficial re-use project in Liverpool won an international PIANC Working with Nature Certificate in recognition for the success of the project using the ‘Working with Nature’ philosophy.
 
Following the successful implementation of our beneficial re-use program on the Mersey, Peel Ports have agreed on a site in Clydeport for a trial placement of dredge material and are working with Regulators to obtain a Marine License for the project, we are also discussing opportunities for beneficial re-use in Medway with RSPB.

In February 2021 Peel Ports participated in a joint SedNet-Navigating a Changing Climate virtual workshop to discuss the role of sediment management in meeting the climate change challenge.  During the Workshop, Peel Ports’ Marine Team’s beneficial use of dredged material initiatives were presented.  More information about the presentations at this workshop, as well as its conclusions regarding both opportunities and challenges of climate change, can be found in the workshop report.

To see our progress since signing the pledge click here.

During COP26 Peel Ports signed the SedNet Sediment management pledge to demonstrate our commitment to assessing sustainable long term solutions for sediment management across each of our ports.

View PIANC certificate here

Click to find out more about the Liverpool beneficial re-use initiative here.

SharePoint Sites have are available for each of our Beneficial Re-Use Stakeholder Group Members:

Clyde - https://peelports0.sharepoint.com/sites/ClydeSedimentStakeholders/

Great Yarmouth - https://peelports0.sharepoint.com/sites/GreatYarmouthBeneficialRe-UseStakeholderGroup?e=1%3A522eacb7d43a4d938eb11c8b673ac5e9

Liverpool - https://peelports0.sharepoint.com/sites/LiverpoolSedimentStakeholderGroup

Medway - https://peelports0.sharepoint.com/sites/MedwaySedimentStakeholders/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx

BIOSECURITY.

Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) pose a potential risk to the environment and our port operations. To help to minimise this risk and protect local environments from Invasive Non-Native Species, the Marine Team has developed several guidance documents to assist with the formulation of port-specific marine biosecurity plans.

Our Marine Team has held biosecurity workshops across our ports with external stakeholders to help understand the practical measures to control the spread of INNS within marine environments. We also risk assess internal projects to identify practical measures  to reduce the risk of introducing INNS into our ports.

Peel Ports have collaborated with the Angling Trust to install ‘check-clean-dry’ signs around entrance and exit points across the Manchester Ship Canal to raise awareness of INNS presence amongst the Angling community and reduce their transfer during recreational activities.

Additional information on how we work to reduce biosecurity risks from marine activities in our ports:

Reducing the biosecurity risk from PPE, clothing and equipment

Reducing the biosecurity risk from recreational activities and organised events

Reducing the biosecurity risk from aquaculture

Reducing the biosecurity risk from hull cleaning

CLIMATE CHANGE.

Climate change is a growing business risk to the functionality of transport networks, including ports. The Marine Team are looking at possible climate change adaptation strategies in response to the latest climate change scenarios.

We regularly look for opportunities to reduce carbon emissions during our operational activities. Our Statutory Harbour Authority duty to maintain safe navigable depths means that we have a regular requirement for maintenance dredging.

Our beneficial re-use projects seek to reduce carbon emissions by reducing the distance dredged material is transported to licenced offshore disposal sites. 

During COP26 Peel Ports hosted a joint workshop with British Ports Association, UK Major Ports Group and Maritime UK.  The workshop discussed practical climate change adaptation challenges and good practice solutions for ports. If you would like to find out more, slides and recorded versions of the presentations can be viewed here

In response to an invitation from Defra to participate in the 3rd round of Climate Change Adaptation Reporting for the Ports of Liverpool and Sheerness, we submitted a Climate Change Adaptation Report to Defra for these ports in December 2021.  The report can be downloaded here

SPECIES PROTECTION.

Peel Ports recognises the importance of operating sustainably whilst seeking to protect and enhance local habitats in our Ports.

Peel Ports have been working with RSPB in Medway to help protect one of the largest colonies of nesting Sandwich Terns on the East Coast of England at Burntwick Island.

During the 2020 summer lockdown, the island experienced an influx of visitors. Sandwich Terns are ground-nesting species and therefore are highly vulnerable to disturbance from human activity, which in some cases can cause adults to abandon their nests and leave their chicks and eggs behind.
 
During April 2021, Peel Ports worked with the RSPB to install signs on Burntwick Island to ask visitors not to land on the island to protect nesting birds. Reports in May 2021 show that the campaign has been hugely successful with 400 Sandwich Terns recorded at Burntwick Island so far.

Some recreational activities can also present a risk to protected species.  Peel Ports have developed a poster and flyer that can be downloaded for guidance on how to operate a jet ski responsibly to protect the local environment in Medway and The Swale.

Peel Ports have also collaborated with the Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust on their Orchid Management Project.  You can read more about the project here.

Dredging

As a Statutory Harbour Authority we have a duty to maintain safe navigational access into our Ports, this is achieved through maintenance dredging.

We regularly assess our dredging activities to assess their impacts on locally designated sites and species as well as water quality and have developed Maintenance Dredge Protocol Documents (MDP) for the Port of Liverpool and the Port of Sheerness.

The MDP is a baseline document that collates all dredge activity in the port (both Peel Ports and third party) to assess any potential effects of maintenance dredging on the features of European sites.

Our up to date MDPs for the Port of Liverpool and the Port of Sheerness and their supporting Water Framework Directive (WFD) Assessments can be accessed below: