About the Trustees

 

The Gloucester Harbour Trustees were originally constituted in 1890 and initially comprised some 22 Trustees.  Today the board consists of 10 members who are appointed in line with the principles of the ‘Guide to Good Governance’ drawn up as part of the DETR’s Review of Trust Ports  and in accordance with the provisions of the Gloucester Harbour Revision (Constitution) Order 2002 (which also sets out the boundaries of the Gloucester Harbour).

 

The Gloucester Harbour covers a large area of the Severn Estuary and includes the tidal reaches of the rivers Severn and Wye.  It extends from seawards of the Second Severn Crossing up to the weirs at Llanthony and Maisemore on the Severn near Gloucester and Bigsweir Bridge on the River Wye.  The Harbour area is crossed by the Severn Bridge (M48) and the Second Severn Crossing (M4).  Oldbury Nuclear Power Station is still in operation adjacent to the Harbour area, but Berkeley Nuclear Power station has now been decommissioned.

 

The Severn Estuary has an immense tidal range and contains mudflats, sandbanks, rocky platforms and saltmarshes.  The waters can be extremely rough and there is virtually no shelter.  The tidal streams are very strong and may reach 8 knots or more on full flow and ebb and sea conditions can deteriorate rapidly.  The Severn Bore occurs regularly in the upper reaches of the Gloucester Harbour throughout the year.

 

Pilotage is compulsory for vessels (or combinations of vessels) over 30m in length and this service is provided by pilots authorised by GHT.  The act of pilotage to and from Sharpness is long and tortuous and takes an average of 3 to 3˝ hours depending on the speed of the vessel.  Great care is required by all vessels navigating within the Gloucester Harbour , particularly in the area of the Shoots Channel which is crossed by the main 454 metre span of the Second Severn Crossing.  A pilot watch system has been installed to assist pilots navigating within this confined area.  It consists of three radar stations with repeaters at Sharpness and the pilots can access information on board ship through portable receivers.

 

The Trustees currently licence three self-employed pilots who operate as the Gloucester Pilots Partnership (GPP) under a contract with GHT.  The pilots board and land at Barry using the pilot cutter provided by the Bristol Port Company and also have the use of the Pilots Lodge at Barry run by ABP.  One of the pilots acts as Duty Pilot on a rota basis and is deemed to be an officer of the Trustees during his period of duty.

 

Traffic in the Gloucester Harbour includes commercial vessels moving in and out of Sharpness Dock.  Cargoes include scrap metal, grain, cement, fertiliser, forest products, coal and stone.  Both the docks and the dry dock at Sharpness are operated by private sector companies and the Trustees do not own or operate any docks, quays or loading/unloading facilities.  A sand dredger also operates in the Gloucester Harbour on a regular basis.  Leisure craft make up the remainder of the traffic.  The Gloucester Sharpness Canal links Sharpness Dock with Gloucester Docks and the rest of the inland waterway system.

 

Over the years the Trustees have provided a significant number of on-shore and off-shore navigation lights, beacons and buoys.    Lights are also provided to mark and safeguard the motorway crossings between England and Wales at Aust and across the Shoots Channel.  Regular maintenance is undertaken and the buoys at Ledges, Counts and Hills Flat have recently been refurbished.  The Trustees also aim to modernise the navigational aids whenever the opportunity arises, especially where this reduces the costs of on-going maintenance and improves performance and reliability and/or environmental benefits. 

 

The Gloucester Harbour includes a number of areas which have been designated under national, European and international environmental legislation.  These impose environmental responsibilities on GHT when undertaking its statutory duties as a competent harbour authority.

 

The Board of Trustees normally meets six times a year and the day-to-day running of the Authority is supervised by the Chairman.  The full-time Harbour Master/Marine Officer is based at Sharpness and is responsible for maintaining the pilot watch radar system, supervising the maintenance of other navigational aids which include lights, buoys, beacons and daymarks.  He is also responsible for environmental management issues, duties relating to the pilotage service and the carrying out of other statutory functions.  Relief harbour master services are provided under contractual arrangements between GHT and GPP.  Administrative and financial support is provided by two part-time members of staff based at the Sharpness office.

 

As a Trust Port , GHT is a self-financing ‘not for profit’ organisation.  The Trustees aim to run a reliable, efficient and cost-effective operation for the benefit of all stakeholders.  They aim to break-even taking one year with another and any surplus is reinvested for the benefit of the Harbour.

 

The Trustees have, as their overriding consideration, the safety of navigation within the Gloucester Harbour .  They have implemented the Port Marine Safety Code and assessment of continued compliance with its requirements is audited by the Trustees’ Designated Person on a regular basis.  Statements of compliance are issued to the Maritime and Coastguard as appropriate (most recently in January 2009 ).