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PLA Sports Clubs Discounts
PLA River Works Licenses: Charges and Discounts for Sports Clubs
The Port of London Authority (PLA) has introduced a refreshed approach to how sports clubs on the tidal Thames are charged for River Works Licenses (RWLs). Our new discount structure supports clubs in making the river more accessible for sport and leisure, while keeping costs as low as possible.
All sports clubs will receive a 45% discount on their river works licences as standard. All sports clubs are eligible to apply for an additional discount, of up to 55%, if they meet the criteria specified below. Some clubs, such as charities, are eligible for a 100% discount.
About the Port of London Authority
As a trust port, the Port of London Authority (PLA) has no shareholders and operates for the benefit of customers and stakeholders now and in the future. Our operations cover 95 miles of the River Thames, from Teddington to the North Sea. We work to keep commercial and leisure users safe, protect and enhance the environment, and promote the use of the river for trade and travel.
The PLA receives no government funding and has no shareholders - all income is reinvested in the river. A trust port is defined by the Department of Transport as ‘a valuable asset presently safeguarded by the existing Board, whose duty it is to hand it on in the same or better condition to succeeding generations. This remains the ultimate responsibility of the Board, and future generations remain the ultimate stakeholder.’
As the Statutory Harbour Authority, the PLA has a key role to play in providing core safety, environmental and commercial services to a huge range of customers and we seek to do that in the most cost-effective way possible. We also have a duty to maintain our assets in resilient condition, to facilitate a wide range of stakeholders using the river and to enable the port and river to continue to play its role sustainably, long into the future.
All of this is brought together in Thames Vision 2050, published in 2022, and available on the PLA website.
Active Thames
The PLA is committed to promoting use of the river for sport and, in 2021, established the Active Thames programme as a key part of the Thames Vision. Active Thames supports the development of water sports and walking on the tidal Thames and inland waterways in London, Kent and Essex with the objectives of increasing the sporting offer, supporting the growth and development of the workforce, maximising the use of clubhouses and the Thames path, and improving access and inclusion. There are two employees dedicated to Active Thames, and there are two assistant Harbour Masters who focus on sports events and safe boating.
The organisations working together on Active Thames include; Active Essex, Active Kent & Medway, London Sport, British Rowing, Paddle UK, RYA, Canal & River Trust, Thames Path National Trail and PLA. Find out more at activethames.co.uk
River Works Licenses
A River Works Licence (RWL) is a permission granted by the Port of London Authority (PLA) for an individual or organisation to place structures (works) on sections of the River Thames registered as PLA property, ensuring there is no unlawful use. The PLA charges a licence fee for a RWL, which compensates for the use of its land and enables the PLA to carry out its obligations and various activities on the river.
River Works Licenses (RWLs) are necessary for any structure or facility on the river, ensuring safe, environmentally responsible, and commercially viable use of the waterway. Sports clubs are charged significantly less than commercial entities for RWLs, and with our refreshed discount structure, they may receive further reductions to help them thrive.
The PLA is transitioning to using CPI instead of RPI for sports clubs licences, aligning with the UK Government's decision to adopt CPI as a more accurate and reliable measure of inflation starting in 2030.
Discount Structure Overview
A sports club is defined as a facility with the primary goal of supporting people to take part in sporting activities. This also includes sports organisations, training centres and charities.
All sports clubs will receive a 45% discount on their river works licences as standard. All sports clubs are eligible to apply for an additional discount, of up to 55%, if they meet the criteria specified below.
*Open Active
Any opportunities which are open to the community need to be digitally accessible, too. Simply listing an activity on one platform, e.g. Facebook, would not be considered digitally accessible. More information on Open Active is available here https://www.openactive.io/ and a free platform for all clubs to use is available here: https://opensessions.io/#/home
**Exceptions may be made for clubs formed according to unique interests or demographics, e.g., the Sea Cadets who only work with children.
Sports clubs may be eligible for discount through hosting/facilitating access for another club, for example a facility managed by a private school might host a charity and be entitled to a higher discount. This should be discussed with the PLA.
Total Discount
45%
Qualifying Criteria
All clubs are eligible to receive a 45% discount as standard.
We require all clubs to:
- Operate safely, following the PLA byelaws, rules of navigation and the Tideway Code.
- Be environmentally responsible, meaning that the club avoids pollution and environmental harm.
- Have valid insurance which covers all activities of their members and activity delivered by the club.
Total Discount
60%
Qualifying Criteria
To qualify for Silver discount sports clubs are required to:
- Meet the requirements set within the Bronze tier.
- Be affiliated to/members of their National Governing Body or provide documents that show: Club Constitution, Health and Safety Policy, Risk Assessment, Safeguarding Policy, Equality Policy, Club Rules and the provision of an AGM.
- Publicly state how they support club membership for people facing financial hardship.
- Deliver open sports activities on an average of a monthly basis between March and November. We request a minimum of 10 open sessions. Examples include taster sessions, courses or open days.
- Promote the above open sports activities through Open Active* digital platforms.
- Charges for open sports activities must be appropriate and affordable to the local community.
- Be open to the whole community**, as defined within CASC guidance.
Total Discount
75%
Qualifying Criteria
To qualify for Gold discount sports clubs are required to:
- Meet the requirements set within the Silver tier.
- Meet the requirements of a charity/CASC/CIC.
- Deliver targeted outreach programmes throughout the majority of the year.
Total Discount
100%
Qualifying Criteria
To qualify for Platinum discount sports clubs are required to:
- Meet the requirements set within the Gold tier.
- Have the primary purpose of providing sport and leisure for disadvantaged communities.
- Be registered as a charity with the Charities Commission.
- Be focused on community outreach – not performance sport or activities for members only.
- Any income generated through non-sporting activities must be reinvested to achieve the charitable aims, and no owner or shareholders may benefit from the delivery of charitable activities.
Process
Sports clubs wishing to apply to the PLA for consideration or renewal of their discount will need to do so every three years by completing the application form. Applications for the upcoming discount period must be submitted by 31 December 2024, with discounts taking effect from January 2025.
From January 2025 onwards, clubs are welcome to submit an application at any time of the year. The discount, if applied, will be applied from the next relevant licence fee review date unless agreed otherwise.
FAQs
The PLA is committed to achieving the goals outlined within the Thames Vision. One of our key goals is for the Thames to grow as a Destination for sport and leisure. We want to see more use of the river for sport and so, to help with this, we are providing financial relief to sports clubs by providing a 45% discount on licencing fees to all clubs. To incentivise best practice amongst sport clubs and help create a Thames that is accessible to all, we are providing an opportunity to gain additional discounts for inclusive practice – with discounts of up to 100% available. We hope that this will support growth in use of the river for sport and leisure, reduce the overall costs faced by clubs, provide consistency, and incentivise clubs to be more accessible and inclusive. Applying for an additional discount is entirely optional.
Yes, we have provided discounts to clubs in the past on a case-by-case basis. One reason behind introducing the discount scheme is to improve transparency around the availability of discounts and to standardise how they are, or how they are not, awarded.
The PLA is responsible for safety of navigation on the tideway, and to support this we must operate on a commercial basis. The PLA receives no government funding and has no shareholders - all income is reinvested in the river. As a Trust Port the PLA has powers to raise revenues by levying dues and charging for the use of port facilities. Income from sports clubs, although small when compared with commercial income, is still necessary to support the operations of the PLA. We publish an Annual Report and Accounts every year.
We plan to run the discount scheme on a basis of trust – trusting that clubs will report their position accurately. We reserve the right to conduct spot-checks on any club at any time and, if doing so, will require evidence of documents/practice within 40 days. We will also check, with NGBs, that any club stating affiliation to an NGB has done so.
We have worked hard to make the process of obtaining a discount as straightforward as possible. By operating on a basis of trust, we are not requiring clubs to submit extensive lists of documents for their initial application. You can expect the application process to take less than an hour.
PLA encourages multisport facilities. If you are looking to partner with another organisation to gain a discount, please contact our estates team for their advice early on in the process – do not assume that you will automatically be able to achieve a higher discount. Naturally, the sport provided should include use of the river. We would not, for example, award a discount to a club for hosting a community book club.
Our river users are, for the most part, deeply connected to the river environment and keen to see high standards of safety on the river. If we become aware of negligent or deliberate actions to damage the Thames, we may withdraw the discount.
An outreach programme is one targeting disadvantaged audiences. By disadvantaged audiences we refer to those defined as less likely to be active by Sport England including; lower socioeconomic groups, people with disabilities and/or long-term health conditions, and people from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Some clubs might be able provide free open activities, for example the first session might be free. However, we understand that not all clubs are able to do this, and that providing a charge for activities helps to ensure attendance, too. Pricing should not be a barrier to participation and should be inclusive, allowing people from various economic backgrounds within your local community to participate. We therefor ask that any charges are appropriate. For example, a £10 charge towards coaching costs for an hour’s activity would be appropriate - £50 would not.
The additional discounts intend to support clubs to be more accessible and inclusive. Lack of access to high-quality open data in the sport and physical activity sector is a barrier to getting people active. OpenActive helps to address this through enabling members of the public to search and find opportunities to get active. It also shows that your club is truly open to reaching new audiences, and it is recognised as best practice by Sport England.
You are still eligible for a discount of 45%. We understand that some organisations focus on delivering targeted outreach and have schemes/programmes in place to support this, for example through partnering with another organisation such as a community group or a disability sports club to reach the targeted audience. If this is the case, please make this clear when you apply for the discount.
We do not intend or wish to retract any club discount.
The PLA is responsible for safety of navigation on the river so, if we become aware of a club operating in an unsafe manner, it would be contradictory to continue to provide a discount to that club.
Example A: A rowing club repeatedly ignores the ebb tide flag status and has had multiple incidents, including a capsize of junior rowers. The Harbourmaster team speak to the club and find that the club does not intend to change its behaviour and will continue to ignore the ebb tide flag status. The Harbourmaster would make the PLA Estates team aware of this, and the Estates team would write to the club, notifying them of the loss of their discount due to unsafe practice.
Invoices to clubs are issued quarterly, and so the discount would be removed from the next invoice. Example B: A paddling club has had several incidents requiring the attention of the Harbourmaster. The Harbourmaster had no concern about how the club operates and is satisfied that the club is operating safely. There would be no concern raised with the Estates team. The PLA is also focused on improving the cleanliness and environment of the Thames. If we become aware of negligent or deliberate actions to damage the Thames environment, or harm wildlife, we may withdraw the discount. Any club that has its discount removed can apply again the following year.
Yes. You are able to apply for the discount throughout 2025. After 2025, we request that clubs apply for the discount by 30 November each year.
If you have any other questions about the discount scheme, please contact Jenny Cooper-Low, Lead – Thames Vision and Partnerships at [email protected] or [email protected].
