Written evidence from Blundellsands Sailing
Club (MCA 53)
THE PORT
OF LIVERPOOL
1) The Port of Liverpool handles over 34 million
tonnes of cargo per annum. Together, the Port of Liverpool and
the Manchester Ship Canal generate 15,000 vessel movements each
year on the River Mersey handling the most diverse range of international
trade. Liverpool is ranked among Britain's largest deep sea contained
ports and is the UKs major gateway for trade with the United States
and Canada and serves more than 100 global destinations. The Seaforth
Container Terminal handles nearly 700,000 containers a year and
a second container terminal is planned for development on the
River Mersey which will handle another 600,000 containers.
The Port of Liverpool imports more grain and animal
feed than any other UK port, exports more scrap metal for re-cycling
and includes among the traffic crossing its quays, timber, steel,
other metals, coal, cocoa, crude oil, edible oils, liquid chemicals
and much more. In addition Liverpool is the major British port
for trade with Ireland and, in addition, carries nearly three-quarters
of a million passengers with eight sailings a day. It is also
the major British port for trade and the carriage of passengers
with the Isle of Man. By any criterion the Port of Liverpool is
a significant player in the economy of the UK.
THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE
EAST IRISH
SEA TO
THE UK ECONOMY
2) The East Irish Sea also plays a significant
part in the economy of the UK. With 7.5 trillion cubic feet of
natural gas and 176 million barrels of petroleum estimated by
the field operators as being initially recoverable hydrocarbon
reserves from the existing fields in the East Irish Sea it is
regarded as a mature exploration base. For example, oil is produced
from the Lennox and Douglas fields and gas is produced from the
Hamilton, Hamilton North and Hamilton East reservoirs. Other gas
fields in the East Irish Sea include Lambda, Darwen, Asland, South
Morecambe, North Morecambe, Dalton, Crossens and Binney, and are
part of the Rivers Gas Fields. In addition Gateway Storage and
Petrofac are together developing a 1.5 billion cubic meter offshore
storage site which is due to provide up to one third of the UK
gas storage capacity in the East Irish Sea. Nor must the generation
of electricity from the three Nucleur Power Stations Sellafied,
Heysham and Wylfa sited on the East Irish Sea be forgotten. Furthermore,
the East Irish Sea contains the Barrow, Burbo Bank, North Hoyle
and Rhyl Flats Wind Farms that currently feed 330MW into the National
Grid.
Moreover, a further 5,644MW of power will become
available on completion of the Burbo Bank Extension, Gwynt Mor,
Walney I and II Solway Firth and Irish Sea Wind Farms when they
are completed. The supply of gas, petroleum and electricity from
the Irish Sea is an essential element in the future prosperity
of the UK. To be aware of and oversee such UK strategic resources
from unfriendly agents or terrorist attack it is essential that
a professional Coastguard with deep and detailed local knowledge
gathered over many years of the Irish Sea and its shoreline be
in place at Liverpool Coastguard Station on a seven days a week
24 hours. Not in Aberdeen or Southampton /Portsmouth Maritime
Operations Centres or even London where, with the best will in
the world, despite any technological advances, such local knowledge
will simply not be available! It is accepted that from the point
of view of keeping Northern Ireland in the Union a favourable
case might be made for Belfast. Nonetheless, in terms of coastline
length, communications, workload and strategic importance to the
UK on the basis of the evidence presented above the retention
and, if necessary, the modernisation of the Coastguard Station
at Liverpool would make good economic and strategic sense.
THE QUESTION
OF RESILIENCE
OF THE
COASTGUARD
3) A worrying feature of the Coastguard Modernisation
Consultation report is the question of resilience. In an attempt
to get value for money there seem to be an attempt to cut staffing
levels to the bone. Whilst the evidence in the report of typical
pattern of demand by month and typical pattern of demand by time
may prima facie be persuasive it does not give details
of the seriousness of an event or longevity of an event or whether
such serious or time consuming events take place during the night
time or day time. Moreover, say a serious incident takes place
in the Irish Sea at night—which as mariners sailing pleasure
craft we know can be frequently the case—and the Aberdeen
MOC has a similar event ongoing in the North Sea together with
another event on the West Coast of Scotland, with the best will
in the world and all the modern technology available it appears
highly unlikely that a successful conclusion may be brought to
all three incidents. For example, a very serious incident in North
Sea might take all the resources of all the staff at the Aberdeen
MOC to deal with the incident in a professional way. Can the same
staff also give their best endeavours to the incidents in the
Irish Sea and the West Cost of Scotland? It is to be doubted!
THE COST
OF THE
PREFERRED OPTION
AS AGAINST
UPGRADING THE
PRESENT SYSTEM
4) The proposals set out in Chapter 6 of the
consultation document suggest that in both long running costs
and capital expenditure, in Net Present Value terms, there would
be a saving of £123 millions over 25 years. This amounts
to savings generated by the preferred option of ONLY £4.92
million/annum. This is based on the upgrade of the current 18
MRCCs costing £639 millions over 25 years or £25.56
millions/annum as against the Preferred option costing £516
millions over 25 years or £20.64millions/annum. As against
the strategic importance of guarding and monitoring the UKs offshore
oil and gas wells, wind farms and nucleur power stations a saving
of only £4.92 millions/annum is an insignificant amount.
For the Department of Transport to say this level of expenditure
is unaffordable beggars belief!
THE LIVERPOOL
COASTGUARD STATION
IS TO
REMAIN ANYWAY
5) During a recent visit to Liverpool Coastguard
by 30 members of the Blundellsands Sailing Club we uncovered the
fact that the Liverpool Coastguard Station is NOT going to close
anyway! It is simply that under the Preferred option put forward
by the Consultation Team the Coastguard Staff who currently occupy
the building will be withdrawn! This information was elicited
when we asked who else occupied the building. The Coastguard Management
Staff will remain, the MCA's Surveyors will remain, the Coastal
Pollution staff will remain and the Administrative Staff will
remain! Moreover, the staff will continue to service the necessary
administration regarding Seamen's Discharge Books and ABs Ticket's.
Furthermore, the Liverpool Coastguard Station operates as a weather
station for the Liverpool Bay area and NW of England. The Liverpool
Coastguard Station is a purpose built modern building with up-to-date
facilities. The MCA's Chief Executive in an interview last week
on radio said that the technology used by the Coastguard was forty
year out of date yet, during the course of the visit by the Blundellsands
Sailing Club, there was no evidence of the technology used by
the staff as being out of date! The question is, if the Station
is to remain anyway, why withdraw the Coastguard Staff who currently
operating from this building? During the Club's visit there were
only three members of staff on duty doing a twelve hours shift.
So why withdraw Coastguard Officers from a modern purpose built
Station overseeing a maritime area of strategic economic importance
to the UK and the Port of Liverpool if the building is going to
remain in situ anyway!
CONCLUSION
6) There is undoubtedly a need for the Coastguard
to take advantage of the latest technology and, perhaps, to be
reconfigured to deliver a more integrated and improved level of
service. Moreover, there is an acceptance that under the current
economic conditions there is an imperative to deliver efficiencies
and reduce costs. Furthermore, there is a good case to be made
for new and enhanced roles and responsibilities of staff manning
the Coastguard Service. The question is whether the proposals
in the Coastguard Modernisation Consultation Report will achieve
this end. The Blundellsands Sailing Club is of the opinion that
the proposals contained in the Report lack the operational integrity
and resilience to ensure that the Coastguard can help to manage
the use of our seas and protect those who use them. It is the
view of the members of the Blundellsands Sailing Club that for
operational resilience there should be three not two Maritime
Operations Centres one of which should be on the West coast of
the UK. The broad argument for sub-centres is accepted but not
the cut in the numbers of centres being suggested. Moreover, from
a security point of view, such sub-centres should be manned throughout
the 24 hours for fear of being broken into and damaged by criminals
or terrorists set on damaging the economy of the UK. To rely on
the burglar alarms or on the Police to ensure Coastguard Stations
outside day light hours are free from attack is simply not realistic
in today's day and age! The security of Coastguard Stations will
be a vital element in any modernisation programme and this, regrettably,
has not been addressed in the Consultation Report.
In conclusion the Blundellsands Sailing Club strongly
recommends that for all the reasons given above that the Liverpool
Coastguard Station be retained.
February 2011
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