The BPA said it was pushing for areas around ports to be classified with a special planning and consenting status to help stimulate port development and growth with many of the rules on environmental regulation stemming from the EU.
“Of course there will be opportunities post Brexit but from our perspective the Government appears to have has lost sight of many of these. We have been particularly disappointed at the muted response the Government has given in respect of the industries’ suggested planning reforms to fast track planning and consenting in port areas,” said Richard Ballantyne, chief executive of the BPA.
“Indeed, we also now understand that a ‘free ports’ policy is, for the time being at least, ‘off the agenda’ and that the UK ports industry will have to prepare for the introduction of the bureaucratic EU Port Services Regulation before Brexit.”
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