The Bristol Port Company

Bristol Deep Sea Container TerminalFinding Consensus & Win-Win Solutions

Jerry StanfordHaven Master

– Bristol Maritime History

Roman Port at Sea Mills (Portus Abonae)

By the Middle Ages Bristol City Docks was a major port

Hazards of navigation in the River Avon

Avonmouth Dock 1877

Royal Edward Dock 1908

Royal Portbury Dock 1977

The Evolution of Bristol Port

The Future

Bristol Deep Sea Container Terminal

The Bristol Deep Sea Container Terminal

• 1.5 million TEU per year (about 900,000 containers)

• Ultra large container ships

• 1.2 km long quay wall

• 15 x super post-Panamax gantry cranes

• 150 acre handling & storage area

• Excellent road & rail links

Approved March 2010

Capital Dredging and Disposal• Deepen navigation channel & create turning /berth area

• Channel: 14m deep (below chart datum)

• Berth pocket: 18m deep (below chart datum)

• 24 million cubic metres to be dredged

• Sands & gravels used in construction

• New disposal site in outer estuary

The Severn Estuary is designated for its internationally important marine habitats, birds & other wildlife SAC – Special Area of ConservationSPA – Special Protection AreaRamsar – Wetlands of International ImportanceSSSI – Site of Special Scientific Interest

BDSCT CompensationCompensate for temporary adverse affect on designated intertidal habitat & birds here (sediment deposition & smothering)

Compensate for loss of

designated intertidal habitat

here

COMPENSATION OBJECTIVES:Create 120ha of Intertidal habitat in Severn EstuarySupport over 3,000 birds over winterHabitat functioning before impact at Avonmouth

Compensation Scheme

• 192 ha site on Steart Peninsula

• Creation of over 130 ha of intertidal wetlands

• More sustainable approach to managing flood risk & improved defences

• Enhanced access network & education facilities

• Partnership with RSPB

• Together with Environment Agency’s project next-door, its one of largest created wetlands in UK (over 600ha) Approved April 2012

A Transformational Project• Provide deep-water container capacity for UK on

the West Coast

• Unrestricted access for deep-draft vessels

• Enable the efficient distribution of cargo, reducing road miles and emissions

• Maintain and improve Port’s standing, ensuring growth and providing new opportunities (creating about 1,500 new jobs)

• Generate additional regional GDP and support developing local distribution market

• Create new wetland habitat for both wildlife and people to enjoy long into the future

A full Environmental Impact Assessment was undertaken by a team of experts in 2007 and 2008. Including potential impacts on the following:

Environmental Impact Assessment

• Hydrodynamic & sediment regime

• Water, soil & sediment quality

• Marine/Coastal Ecology & Ornithology

• Nature Conservation

• Archaeology & Heritage

• Landscape & visual setting

• Ports & navigation

• Recreation & tourism

• Traffic & transport

• Noise & vibration

• Coastal protection & flood defence

• Other activities (aggregate dredging, fishing)

Environment

Key Issues & Concerns

Traffic & Transport Marine Aggregates Photo: British Marine Aggregate Producers Association

Archaeology & Heritage

Ports & navigationFishing and Angling Activities

Consultation & Agreement

• Regular meetings of sector interest groups throughout EIA process

• Pulling together regulators, statutory consultees, NGO’s and local interest groups

• Objectives: – to fully inform

– identify & address concerns each step of the way

– gradually reach consensus

(e.g from scoping & identifying potential impacts, to agreeing scale & consequence of impacts and finally developing proposed mitigation measures, monitoring programmes and where necessary required compensation measures)

Overall aim was that when the Environmental Statement was submitted there was NO SURPRISES for stakeholders or the port

• Port worked in partnership with Natural England, RSPB & EA to develop a Mitigation, Compensation & Monitoring Agreement

• In consultation with CCW, Cefas, Avon Wildlife Trust and Bristol City Council

– Legal agreement implementing Habitats Regulations

– Agreed statement of impacts on Severn Estuary

– Commitment to the implementation of:• an agreed outline mitigation plan• a compensation scheme with agreed objectives • an agreed outline monitoring plan• an Environmental Steering Group

Environmental Issues & Concerns

Summary of Harbour Revision Order Approval Process

2006-2008 – Design & Environmental Assessment

2008• Harbour Revision Order and Environmental

Statement submitted to DfT - July

• 42 day statutory consultation period

• Addressing concerns and objections

• Agreements reached & all objections removed by end of year

2009 - Public Inquiry planned for January cancelled

2010 - HRO granted – March

Very rare for a Major Port Development not to have a

Public Inquiry

HRO ApprovalIn granting the HRO the Secretary of State

(SoS) concluded that:

• There is an economic need for container port expansion at Bristol to help meet national need

• Assisting market flexibility & resilience by providing capacity outside SE England and closer to main inland freight destinations

• Reducing inland journey miles and saving fuel and carbon emissions

• Global economic downturn has deferred (but not removed) need for additional capacity

Habitats Regulations Assessment

In considering impacts on European sites SoS concluded:

• impacts agreed by Applicant, Natural England & RSPB

• it cannot be ascertained there will not be an adverse impact

• there are imperative reasons of overriding public interest why the works should be permitted

• no other alternative within the Applicant’s control is more suitable for meeting the identified need

• adequate compensation measures can be secured to offset the adverse impact on European and international sites of conservation importance

Summary of TBPC approach to developing in a designated estuary

• Consult extensively throughout EIA process, setting up an Environmental Steering Group (ESG) of regulators and key NGOs at the start

• Try to design a project and mitigation measures to avoid/reduce adverse affects wherever possible

• Accept from onset that mitigation for loss of designated intertidal habitat is probably not possible and requirement for compensation is likely

• Start to investigate possible compensation schemes early in process• Develop a Mitigation, Compensation and Monitoring Agreement to

formalise the process in partnership with key environmental regulators and NGO’s

• Investigate opportunities for a partnership approach in designing, delivering and managing the compensation schemes

Habitat Creation Partnerships• TBPC & RSPB - design & deliver habitat creation together

– RSPB’s extensive experience of planning, designing, delivering & managing wetland creation projects throughout the UK

– Optimisation of ecological design for birds and other wildlife

– Providing enhanced access and observation areas, whilst minimising visitor disturbance

– Long-term site management & maintenance (including opportunities for sustainable farming, education and training)

– Win-win: for Port, wildlife and local communities

• TBPC & EA – cooperation over 2 compensation schemes – Masterplan for consistency and integration between two projects,

enabling delivery of schemes in a phased approach

– Additional joint mitigation e.g. New sea wall protecting road to village

– Joint surveys/assessments e.g. ecology, archaeology & visitors

– Developing mutually beneficial solutions to shared problems

Assess development impacts and agree compensation requirement 2007-2008

Select compensation site, secure land options & scoping/feasibility 2008-2009

Design Scheme, Environmental Impact Assessment & Consultation 2010-2011

Secure planning permissions 2012-2013

Secure funding for BDSCT and associated Compensation Scheme ?

Compensation construction (1 to 2 years) Indicative* 2015/2016?

Created habitat develops to provide functioning habitat (2 winters) Indicative* 2016/2017?

Compensation Timescales

Planning and delivering compensation schemes take long periods of timeImplications for other large development proposals in the Severn Estuary?

* Indicative dates depend on construction start – earliest dates shown – currently delayed pending funding of BDSCT and recovery of global container market

We are here

Around 8-10 year process for 130ha compensation scheme on a site where consultation had been taking place for many years in advance and land owners & stakeholders generally supportive

The Way Forward? • Timing for progressing proposals is uncertain• Container shipping market yet to recover from global recession & need

improvement to secure funding• Construction at Steart & Avonmouth unlikely to start within next few years• Construction consents valid until 2020 • As soon as there is a definitive view on when we will proceed, TBPC will

write to all stakeholders & publicise in the local media• Once decision is made to proceed much work has to be done prior to

construction:– Detailed construction planning and programmes – Obtaining further consents and licences– Agreeing details of mitigation & monitoring plans

• We trust we can count on your continued co-operation when the time comes

Conclusions • Effective consultation pays off – but takes

some effort for all concerned• Gradual building of consensus and trust - no

surprises• Challenges of limited resources & consultation

overload• Partnership approaches between developers,

regulators & NGOs work:– negotiating agreements to address concerns – in planning and delivering compensation

schemes – delivering real benefits & better

environmental and socio-economic outcomes (win-win)

– avoiding expensive public inquiries is in everyone’s interests – if possible

Thank you

jerry.stanford@bristolport.co.uk

http://www.bristolport.co.uk/