The Port of London Authority (PLA) is reopening applications for new Standard Foreshore, or “Mudlark”, Permits, having reviewed and revised the scheme alongside the Crown Estate, Historic England and London Museum (formerly Museum of London Docklands).

Home to the UK’s largest port since Roman times, the tidal Thames and its foreshore represents London’s longest archaeological site. With finds dating back to 10,000 BCE, the PLA regulates searching on the foreshore to the west of the Thames Barrier, on both its own land and on behalf of the Crown Estate on its land. Applications for Foreshore Permits were suspended in 2022 due to the significant increase in demand for permits, the high number of permits already in circulation and the concerns over protection of this unique environment and its historic finds.

As James Trimmer, the PLA’s Director of Planning and Development, said:

“As owners and custodians of the tidal Thames foreshore, we have a duty to protect its integrity and archaeology for future generations. After an unprecedented increase in the application of Foreshore Permits, from about 200 foreshore permits issued in 2018/2019 to 5,000 in 2022, we undertook an extensive evaluation and revision of the scheme.  

“Our new scheme will enable people to get permits to search the foreshore safely, whilst continuing to preserve its unique history and heritage.”

The new Foreshore Permit scheme will limit the number of available Foreshore Permits to a maximum of 4,000, which will be valid for a year from the issue date. The autorenewal of permits has been removed to ensure that all who are interested will have the opportunity to apply for a permit. The cost of a standard, year-long Foreshore Permit will be £35.00. 

The waiting list for Standard Foreshore Permits will open at midday on Wednesday 2nd October 2024.

In response to feedback from stakeholders, the PLA will also launch a new Creative Foreshore Permit, to a maximum of 30 permits (at any one time), to allow the holders to use finds (of no monetary value and without any historical importance) in artworks or other creative endeavours, whether for sale, exhibition or for personal enjoyment. Anyone interested in obtaining this new permit should get in touch with the PLA via the email: [email protected]

The Terms and Conditions for permit holders and the PLA’s Code of Practice for searching the foreshore has also been updated, to provide guidance to ensure any activity is carried out in a safe and sustainable manner. As always, Foreshore Permit holders will be required to report any finds under the Portable Antiquities Scheme (www.finds.org.uk), which, in London, can be done through the London Museum.  

For detailed information, visit our webpage: https://pla.co.uk/thames-foreshore-permits 

For enquiries about Foreshore Permits, please email: [email protected]

Yesterday, 26 September 2024, at Westminster Magistrates Court, Daniel Davis, the Master of the vessel Emerald of London, was found fully culpable of navigating the vessel into Hammersmith Bridge.

With more than 100 passengers onboard travelling to attend a match at Fulham Football Club, the Emerald of London struck the underside of Hammersmith Bridge. Due to a combination of high tide and river water, there was insufficient clearance for the vessel to navigate safely under the bridge – something that Mr Davis should have anticipated and planned for.

Having previously made a partial admission of guilt to the charge of navigating the vessel “in a manner liable to injure or endanger persons, other vessels, the banks of the Thames (whether above or below mean high water level) or any structure or installation in or beside the Thames” under section 108(b) of the Port of London Act 1968 (as Amended), Mr Davis was fined £1,900 (reduced to £1,500 in light of his previous good character) and ordered to pay the Port of London Authority’s costs of £10,000 (reduced from £12,800).

Port of London Authority (PLA) Chief Harbour Master James Stride said: 

“With 100 people onboard, this had the potential to be a far more serious incident.

“Thankfully, no one was injured but the standard of Mr Davis’s navigation of his vessel fell significantly below the high standards we set for navigational safety on the tidal Thames. We will continue to take action against Masters who demonstrate insufficient care and attention on the river.

“I would like to thank the vessel’s owners, London Party Boats, for their co-operation with our investigation as well as the other agencies for their support.”

Notes to editors:

PORT OF LONDON ACT 1968 (as amended) - https://pla.co.uk/port-london-act 

The Port of London Authority (PLA) is working with Thames Water (TWUL) to reactivate Middle Wharf following the completion of the Thames Tideway Tunnel scheme and we are seeking written expressions of interest from cargo-handling operators to work towards the wharf’s return to cargo-handling uses.

Middle Wharf is a Safeguarded Wharf in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is owned by TWUL and has been used, together with the adjacent Heathwall Pumping Station site, to construct the Thames Tideway Tunnel Scheme. This work is ongoing and the wharf is not expected to be available for cargo-handling uses until mid-2025, by which time almost 55,000 tonnes of cargo will have be handled from the worksite of which it forms part.

Middle Wharf is one of the best placed wharves in the West London sub-region and it can contribute significantly to the modal shift of cargoes from road to water, consistent with London Plan policy. The PLA is working in partnership with TWUL to actively find the most appropriate approach to reactivating the wharf and want to develop proposals to reactivate the wharf with a suitable operator.

Middle Wharf extends to approximately 0.08 hectares and is located upstream of Vauxhall Bridge. The safeguarding direction and plan showing the extent of the wharf are attached. Access is from Nine Elms Lane. Navigational access to the wharf is indicated on the attached chart extract (from PLA Chart 315 – Nine Elms Reach) and tidal details are as follows: -

• Mean High Water Springs - +6.47 metres CD.
• Mean High Water - +5.87 metres CD.
• Mean High Water Neaps - +5.27 metres CD.
• Mean Low Water Neaps - +0.94 metres CD.
• Mean Low Water Springs - +0.32 metres CD.

The selected operator will be expected to work fully with the PLA and TW in pursuit of the wharf’s reactivation for waterborne cargo-handling in accordance with the policies in the London Plan and the future operational requirements of the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

Cargo-handling operations at the wharf will be subject to ongoing Tideway and TWUL maintenance requirements, as shown on the attached drawing, in terms of both area and frequency. The areas required to accommodate this activity must be made available by agreement with the operator when required in accordance with the planned maintenance schedule and operators may want to consider the location and permanency of any plant and equipment on this basis. Unplanned/emergency access may be required, and a protocol governing access in the event of an emergency will need to be agreed with TWUL. Any commercial agreement between TWUL and the operator for the wharf will reflect the need to access the site during these maintenance activities. A new Thames Path at the riverward end of the site was also part of the Tideway scheme, but the path will be closed during any cargo-handling operations from vessels to the wharf itself. Notwithstanding these constraints, the Mayor of London has confirmed, following a submission by Tideway, that the wharf continues to be viable for cargo-handling.

The PLA and TW are seeking details of cargo-handling operators’ initial technical and functional requirements and will look to explore with potential operators how these can best be accommodated at Middle Wharf to achieve a responsive, design approach which reduces as far as possible any harm to the surrounding area, including the amenity of surrounding uses and seeking to accommodate the Thames Tideway Tunnel operation and maintenance constraints. Accordingly, any outline proposals for new marine infrastructure, including jetties and dredging the operator expects to require at Middle Wharf should be submitted with any expression of interest.

The preferred operator will be selected on the basis of best compatibility with a range of selection criteria. Accordingly, submissions should focus on how the proposed operations at the wharf best comply with these selection criteria. In addition, the company’s recent financial and trading details should be provided, together with any further information the operator considers relevant to the consideration of their expression of interest.

Selection Criteria

Cargo-Handling Proposals

Details – or assumptions - of the operations proposed at the Wharf should be provided. Specifically, details on the type and nature of proposed operations, both on the Wharf and at the berth (or any proposed new marine infrastructure); vessels to be utilised (including likely dimensions and arrivals/departures from the berth); cargo sources and destinations from the Wharf, including those any added value processes proposed to be undertaken; total land area required for the proposed operations (if use of the whole site is not required); best estimate (if known) of cargo volumes to/from the Wharf, including splits between waterborne and road modes for materials to and from the Wharf; and details of any other infrastructure required to facilitate the proposed operations.

Planning permission for reactivation will need to be secured in due course. In promoting a planning application, the selected operator will need to be prepared to consider design flexibility when determining scale, layout and arrangement of elements. The PLA and TW would wish to explore and agree design guidelines and requirements for the Wharf, together with the selected operator and the Local Planning Authority so as to achieve an acceptable design approach to accommodate reactivation, having regard to the operational and maintenance constraints of the Thames Tideway Tunnel scheme, the surrounding area, land uses and other relevant planning considerations.

Financial Proposals

Details of the operator’s financial position and previous trading are – as noted above – required. Annual reports and other financial information are welcome and will be treated as confidential if requested.

Viability

Information – or assumptions underpinning the expression of interest – as to the current and future viability of the proposed operations at the Wharf should be provided. Specifically, details on target markets and products; opportunities to develop new waterborne trade at or in the vicinity of the wharf; the creation of synergies with existing cargo-handling operations within the Port of London.

Written submissions addressing all these issues should be made to me no later than 14 October 2024. Any questions should be directed to myself or to Lucy Owen, the Deputy Director of Planning and Development ([email protected]) in the first instance. Please note that the PLA and TWUL are under no obligation to accept any submitted response and retain the right to discontinue the procurement of an operator should the wharf be reactivated by other means or detailed feasibility assessments reveal that the use of the Wharf is not viable for use in the manner proposed by the selected operator.

The PLA hopes that this represents an interesting opportunity to operators within and new to the Port of London and we look forward to hearing from operators accordingly.

At a naming ceremony in Ramsgate today attended, HRH The Princess Royal officially named Estuary Elise, a state-of-the-art pilot boat to join Estuary Service Limited’s fleet of six vessels.

Estuary Elise is an ORC171 built by Norfolk-based family boat builders, Goodchild Marine Services Ltd. It uses a modern, fuel-efficient hull form, providing both greater service resilience and comfort, whilst supporting ESL’s customers. The vessel design also includes additional accommodation and extra capacity for customers.

Quote from ESL Managing Director, Robert Brown:
“We were delighted to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to Ramsgate today to name our new pilot boat, Estuary Elise. This is the latest addition to supplement our fleet and will provide greater resilience, an even better service to our port customers, and – through improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions - supports our ongoing commitment to improving our environmental performance.” 

Quote from Goodchild Marine Services Limited General Manager, Stephen Pierce:
“Estuary Services Limited had the first ORC pilot boat built by us, and over the next twelve years those numbers have increased to over 30 in total for ports around the UK and Europe. This would not have been possible without the vision and commitment of ESL back then to be innovative in their approach to the next generation of pilot boats. It is with great pride that we see another ORC pilot boat enter service with ESL and our continued working relationship.”

Quote from PLA Chief Executive, Robin Mortimer:
“This British-built boat joins the ESL fleet as we approach one of the busiest times of year for the Port of London in the run-up to Christmas. Estuary Elise is designed specifically to meet the needs of the Port of London and ESL’s other customers, ensuring our pilots can reach our customers’ ships in the Thames Estuary and Medway in all weathers. Already the UK’s biggest port, we’re planning for a further 50% growth by 2050. This new cutter will both support our extensive pilot recruitment and training programme, and help us meet and exceed our 98% service commitment to our customers.

“The whole ESL team, our PLA pilots and colleagues from other ports, join me in thanking HRH The Princess Royal for naming the Estuary Elise today and for her ongoing support and commitment to the UK’s maritime sector.”