The post you are reporting:
Neil, if the Government is intent on selling the Port of Dover, then perhaps there are two options: DHBs offer of privatisation, or the DPPT offer to the Government to sell the Port.
DPPT's bid to have the Port sold by borrowing money and using it to buy the Port of Dover would leave our Harbour in a debt from which it would never extricate itself, similar as to the DHB proposal.
We could wave good-bye to any regeneration in Dover, and the District and County wouldn't get any benefit anyway. And it would be questionable if even the Port managed to survive as a functional entity.
My proposal to the DfT is not to sell the Port at all. That it should remain a State asset, transferred (free of charge) to Local Government, and thereby to the local Community (Communities). DHB could even remain the Port's operator, as long as Port profits are invested in the Port.
A separate public port toll in all British ports would finance local regeneration, as it would be shared between Central and local Government Administration. This is the equivalent - I underline equivalent - of a road toll as found in Europe.
Even the Government has meanwhile recognised that we need a form of road toll, which only underlines how right I was in my representations, starting in February 2010, stating that a Port Toll is needed in all British ports, as this is - at least to a large extent - the equivalent to a road toll.
I cannot understand how anyone could agree to our Port being sold by the Government and ending up in a massive debt, these being the proposals of DHB and DPPT.
