Harbour Revision Order (HRO) Statement

The Port of London (PLA), the UK’s biggest port and busiest inland waterway, welcomes the world’s most modern vessels, is a hub for environmental innovation and home to river communities, and is investing in future technology and resilience, yet we are covered by legislation last significantly updated nearly 60 years ago.  

In 2019, the PLA proposed a Harbour Revision Order (HRO), the mechanism through which we can modernise the Port of London Act (1968). The HRO includes a range of updates, from a definition for autonomous vessels and adding email as a form of communication, to removing references to customs roles and responsibilities that haven’t been performed by the PLA for many years. We’ve also refined definitions around river works licenses, charting and dredging, and included references to more recent environmental legislation and agencies. 

In response to an informal consultation on the proposed HRO, we heard from 50 stakeholders with a wide range of interests, including residents and houseboat owners, terminal operators and other port businesses. Their feedback was reflected in the next iteration of the HRO which the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), the body appointed by the Department for Transport to oversee HROs, consulted on in 2021. We were pleased that, through this extensive process of engagement and consultation, the vast majority of questions were resolved. In 2024, the MMO decided to hold a public inquiry, starting this week, to make sure any remaining concerns could be heard and fully considered before the HRO is finally signed off. Over the next few weeks, the inquiry will have an opportunity to hear from PLA colleagues and interested parties on a range of different matters.  

We know – through our public meetings, stakeholder fora and regular correspondence – that the tidal Thames is incredibly important in so many people’s lives, and I’m always impressed by the time, energy and commitment our stakeholders put into representing the variety of interests associated with the river. I’m glad that during the inquiry they will be able to represent their views directly to the MMO. Through this, we can arrive at a final HRO that protects and improves the tidal Thames for all, enabling us to build resilience, as modern operations and cutting-edge technology accelerate the changes in trade and traffic, as well as the energy transition in the UK.