Agenda and minutes

Members held a short silence in respect of a body that was recovered from the Port’s waters.  The Port Manager and Team were thanked for the work undertaken to assist the emergency services in this matter.

To receive any apologies for absence

An apology for absence was received from Mr M Johnson.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the Agenda

RESOLVED,that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Agenda Item 9 – Port Manager’s report and Agenda Item No 10 – Presentation of the Port’s Draft Five Year Business Plan on the grounds that they contain exempt information as defined under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person including the authority holding that information.

Members are invited to disclose any non pecuniary interest not already registered, and any disclosable pecuniary interest they have in any item on the agenda which comprises

1          Details of any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for       profit or gain.

2          Details of any payment or provision of any other financial benefit (other than from the authority) made or provided within the relevant period in respect of any expenses incurred by you in carrying out duties as a member, or towards your election expenses.  (This includes any payment or financial benefit from a trade union within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

3          Details of any contract which is made between you (or a body in which you have a beneficial interest) and the authority

(a)       Under which goods or services are to be provided or works are to be           executed; and

            (b)       Which has not been fully discharged.

4          Details of any beneficial interest in land which is within the area of the authority. 

5          Details of any licence (alone or jointly with others) to occupy land in the area of the authority for a month or longer. 

6          Details of any tenancy where (to your knowledge)

            (a)       The landlord is the authority; and

            (b)       The tenant is a body in which you have a beneficial                                                     interest.

7          Details of any beneficial interest in securities of a body where

(a)       That body (to your knowledge) has a place of business or land in the          area of the authority; and

(b)       Either –

(i)      The total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one        hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body; or

(ii)     If that share capital of that body is of more than one class, the total nominal value of the shares of any one class in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest exceeds one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class.

In addition, you must also disclose other non-pecuniary interests set out in the Code of Conduct where these have not already been registered.

Note

A “disclosable pecuniary interest” is an interest of a councillor or their partner (which means spouse or civil partner, a person with whom they are living as husband or wife, or a person with whom they are living as if they are civil partners).

There were no declarations of interest for this meeting.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Workington Harbour Management Committee meeting held on 15 October 2021 (copy enclosed).

RESOLVED,that the minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2021 be confirmed as an accurate record.

To report any changes in membership

There were no changes to membership to note.

To consider a report from the Executive Director – Economy and Infrastructure (copy enclosed).

Members received the recommendations and action plan for Workington Harbour Management Committee from the Port Manager.  A presentation of the Port’s Draft Business Plan had been arranged for later in the meeting.  The Port Manager welcomed ideas from members for future recommendations/actions.

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

To consider a report from the Executive Director – Economy and Infrastructure (copy enclosed).

Members welcomed the change in the presentation of the accounts and noted that there had been a downturn in Port revenue.  The Port Manager outlined actions taken to increase Port trade.  The difficult trading times was acknowledged.

Proposed key performance indicators were appended to the report and the Port Manager welcomed members’ feedback on these.  A discussion ensued around near miss reporting, the importance of having a positive health and safety culture, stakeholder engagement and benchmarking.  The Executive Director – Economy and Infrastructure confirmed collaborative working took place with the directorate’s Health and Safety Officer.  Members were informed that a new Health and Safety Officer had been appointed at the Port, who in the first couple of weeks was assessing the Port’s health and safety procedures and practices.  It was agreed that the Health and Safety Officer be invited to give a presentation at a future meeting of the Committee.  It was recognised that realistic targets needed to be established

RESOLVED,that the report be noted.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled for 8 April 2022 at 10.00am at the Port of Workington.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Committee will be held on 8 April 2022 at 10 am in the Conference Centre, Port of Workington.

To consider a report by the Executive Director – Economy and Infrastructure (copy enclosed).

The Committee received a report from the Port Manager on the general commercial activities that were on going and anticipated. 

Members were informed of an incident that had taken place and where significant amount of learnings had come from the investigation.  These learnings included a change in the decision making process in adverse weather conditions and the addition of a formalised dynamic risk assessment.  A further report on this would be presented to members at the next meeting.

Members received a Covid 19 Update on response and recovery as well as a summary of the Port’s commercial and business activities from 1 April 2021 to 31 December 2021.  The Port’s Health and Safety matters were outlined by the Port Manager. 

Committee members were informed that the Port’s Masterplan had been approved by Cabinet in September 2021 and in support of the Masterplan, the Workington Town Deal Board had defined the Port as a key asset for the town and its clean growth credentials.  The Programme Director updated members on the latest position of the Workington Town Deal.  Infrastructure surveys of the Port’s key assets had been commissioned.  It was noted that the completion of the new warehouse was scheduled for the end of February and a formal opening was planned for this.  The Port’s key assets and promotion of these were discussed together with future business opportunities. 

The Port Manager informed members that from 1 January 2022 the Port had been operating under the new border arrangements with no significant issues causing delays. The Ports Marine Safety System had undergone an annual audit and the Port’s action tracker had been updated with actions arising from this.

The Port Manager outlined maintenance dredging and Port recruitment.  Opportunities to utilise apprentices at the Port were discussed.

It was agreed that an update on an existing customer at the Port be received at the next meeting of the Committee.  The Executive Director – Economy and Infrastructure gave an update on Local Government Reform and the impact of this on the Port. 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

To receive on the day a presentation by the Executive Director – Economy and Infrastructure (copy enclosed).

Members received a short presentation on the draft Business Plan which had been developed aligning to the Port’s Masterplan.  The Port Manager highlighted the Plan’s key points. 

RESOLVED,that the presentation be noted.