Cornwall Harbours Board

Cornwall Harbours Board is responsible for the operation of all of the municipal ports and harbours in Cornwall which includes Bude, Newquay, Portreath, St Ives, Penzance, Prince of Wales Pier (Falmouth), Penryn, Truro, Portscatho and Portwrinkle. In addition, the Maritime Team manages further maritime assets located at Saltash and Downderry.

The Board consists of 12 members, with six being Councillors and six Independent Board members who are appointed following a skills audit to ensure a broad range of relevant expertise. Each Board Member is expected to undertake a logged operational tour of all Harbours within 3 years and 100% of Full Council, the Duty Holder, should have undertaken Duty Holder Training.

The Board also includes up 5 non-voting co-opted members who represent the stakeholder groups, providing valuable insight and engagement from across the maritime sector.  Established in line with best practice identified in the Municipal Ports Review and the Ports Good Governance Guidance (March 2018), the Cornwall Harbours Board operates as a formal committee of Cornwall Council. Cornwall Harbours Board is a non executive function and reports to the Full Council.

The role and function of the Cornwall Harbours Board are defined within the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) established between Cornwall Council and the Board. In accordance with the MoU, the Board is required to submit an Annual Report to Cornwall Council, outlining how it has governed the municipal ports in alignment with applicable policies, strategic plans, and legislative
requirements.

•  A successful and long term financially self sustaining harbours portfolio.
• Achieved through strong governance and management with an active localism agenda, based on a   modern fit for purpose regulatory regime.
• Contributing to prosperity.
•  Balanced with environmental stewardship in its widest sense.
• Subject to an absolute requirement for safety for all users

The Cornwall Harbours Board is committed to ensuring that the operation and management of Cornwall’s municipal ports do not place a financial burden on the Council taxpayer. To achieve this, the Board maintains a focus on long-term financial sustainability, reinvesting any operational surpluses directly into the ongoing maintenance and improvement of harbour infrastructure.

Stakeholder groups for the main harbours have been established and meet approximately 5 times a year. Minutes of the meetings are presented to the Harbour Board. An advisory group made up to the chair or other nominated person from each stakeholder group is to be established and will meet no less than twice per year.

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Committee details – Cornwall Harbours Board – Cornwall Council