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Regional response to proposed Liverpool Dock changes

Changes to the status of the Liverpool Dock could “have a seriously detrimental effect” on the regions tourism industry, according to the NECC.

The NECC made the statement in response to North East MEP Martin Callanan’s renewed calls for businesses in the region to sign a petition against proposals to use the Liverpool Cruise terminal for turnaround calls.

Jonathan Walker, head of member relations at the NECC commented: “The Port of Tyne is a success story for the region and is a major economic contributor which is often overlooked.

“The Port has a large catchment area of users from the Midlands northwards, and the Liverpool port would be in direct competition.

“There are large numbers of businesses in the North East who rely on the passenger business or indirectly benefit from it, and if these plans are allowed to go ahead, spending in the locality could be badly hit.”

Liverpool City Council received £21 million of public funding to build a terminal, which under rules of fair competition was intended to be used for day ferries only.

However, proposals by the Department of Transport could remove these constraints if the council agreed to pay back £5.3 million over the next 15 years. They would not be obliged to repay the £9 million European Regional development Fund.

This is a source of some controversy for businesses in the region. Jonathan added: “The government needs to be aware of the assistance Liverpool has received, and must take note that the Port of Tyne has been successful without this support.”

Sarah Stewart, chief executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative outlined the positive impact the Port has on the region. She commented: “The Port of Tyne’s cruise and ferry business contributes £44million to the region’s tourism economy supporting 1,400 jobs. “

“NewcastleGateshead Initiative has been working in partnership with the Port of Tyne to enhance the visitor experience of those passengers on transit cruise calls by personally greeting them on arrival at Port of Tyne and providing them with valuable visitor and destination information to ensure they make the most of their visit.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .