Port Of Dover Hosts British Ports Association Annual Conference

The Port of Dover is hosting the British Ports Association annual conference as part of its 400th anniversary celebrations this week.

The two-day event at the port's Cruise Terminal 2 opens on Wednesday, 11 October with a welcome address by Robert Dibble, Chairman of Dover Harbour Board. Dover is one of over 100 trust ports in the UK and was established by Royal Charter by King James I in 1606.

Bob Goldfield, the port's chief executive, will also welcome over 100 port executives as part of the conference introduction. "We are delighted to be hosting the conference," he said. "We have aimed to provide something for everyone to mark the year and it is a privilege to welcome our colleagues from all over the country to the port for this significant event."

The opening session will hear from Julian Brazier, Opposition Port and Shipping Spokesman and Conservative MP for Canterbury, outline Ports Policy for the Next Generation. He will be followed by Patrick Verhoeven, Secretary General of the European Sea Ports Organisation, who will address the conference on the European Union Ports Policy Review. The morning session will also be addressed by Roger King, Chief Executive of the Road Haulage Association, on ports and roads policy.

The conference on Thursday will include a presentation from Hydraulics Research of Wallingford, an independent company specialising in consultancy and research in civil engineering hydraulics and water environments, on the Uses of Simulation in Port Design. This will be specifically relevant to Dover as a study is currently underway to determine the re-development of the port's Western Docks with four ferry berths and a new marina.