 Logo | |
 Former headquarters, Tower Hill | |
 | |
| Predecessor | |
|---|---|
| Formation | 31 March 1909; 116 years ago (1909-03-31)[1] |
| Type | Public trust |
| Purpose | Operation of thePort of London |
| Headquarters | London River House |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 51°26′41″N0°22′26″E / 51.4447°N 0.3740°E /51.4447; 0.3740 |
Region | Kent |
Chair | Jonson Cox CBE |
Chief Executive | Robin Mortimer |
| Staff | 460 (2022) |
| Website | pla |
ThePort of London Authority (PLA) is a self-funding public trust established on 31 March 1909 in accordance with thePort of London Act 1908 to govern thePort of London.[1] Its responsibility extends over theTideway of theRiver Thames and its continuation (theKent/Essex strait). It maintains and supervisesnavigation, and protects the river's environment.
The PLA originally operated allenclosed dock systems on the river (except theRegent's Canal Dock).
ThePort of London (Consolidation) Act 1920 (10 & 11 Geo. 5. c. clxxiii) consolidated acts relating to the port, including theEast India Docks,West India Docks,St Katharine Docks, theLondon Docks, theSurrey Commercial Docks, theMillwall Dock, the Port of London Authority, theThames Conservancy and theCompany of Watermen and Lightermen.
ThePort of London Act 1968 (c. xxxii) further consolidated enactments relating to the port.
The dock systems have long been closed to commercial traffic, with the exception ofPort of Tilbury, which wasprivatised in 1992. It inherited the private police forces of the companies which had previously run the docks, reorganising them into a singlePort of London Authority Police.
The PLA receives no funding from the government and is entirely self-financing. Revenues are raised from conservancy charges on vessels and cargo, pilotage charges, annual port dues, hydrographic services, river works licence fees and charges for other services.[2]
The PLA's responsibility extends from a point marked by an obelisk just downstream ofTeddington Lock (the upstream limit of thetidal river) to the end of the Kent/Essex strait of the North Sea (betweenMargate to the south andGunfleet Lighthouse, nearFrinton-on-Sea, to the north,[3]) a total of about 95 miles (150 km). The PLA does not cover theMedway or theSwale.
From theCity of London, via theThames Conservancy, the PLA inherited the conservancy, management and control of the river instead of ownership of the bed of the river and foreshore (the Crown was prohibited from alienating any of its lands by section 5 of theCrown Lands Act 1702; the Crown was presumed to own the bed of Thames and 'as conservators' the City of London were prohibited from owning any part of that same river bed) from Teddington to theYantlet Line (betweenSouthend andGrain).[4]
During much of the 20th century the PLA owned and operated many of the docks and wharfs in the port, but they have all now been either closed orprivatised. Today the PLA acts mainly as a managing authority for the tidal stretch of the River Thames, ensuring safe navigation, and the well-being of the port and its activities. Comparable responsibilities for the river including, and upstream of, Teddington Lock fall to theEnvironment Agency.
The PLA today has a number of statutory duties, including river traffic control, security, navigational safety (includingpilotage,buoys,beacons, bridge lights and channel surveys), conservation (includingdredging and maintaining certain river banks), encouraging both commercial and leisure uses of the river, and protecting its environment. The PLA is responsible for the operation ofRichmond Lock, but not for theThames Barrier which is managed by theEnvironment Agency in its flood management role.
The PLA's navigational safety team is headed by aChief Harbour Master who has overall responsibility for defining and enforcing the regulations needed to support and manage the safety of navigation within the PLA's limits. Given the extensive length of river covered by the PLA, day-to-day management of the river is overseen by a team ofharbour masters who cover the entirety of the river between Teddington Lock and the outer estuary.[5]
The PLA originally had itsheadquarters onTower Hill in theCity of London, but today it is based at London River House andRoyal Terrace Pier inGravesend. The PLA retains a presence in the City in offices at Pinnacle House on St. Dunstan's Hill, where the Chair and Chief Executive are based.[6]
Control of ship traffic on the Thames within the Port is orchestrated from two Port Control centres:
Both Port Control centres operate the same system for coordinating traffic within the PLA's area, Vessel Traffic Services (VTS).[7] The system involves 16radar stations[8] along the river and out in the estuary.
The PLA ownsDenton Wharf and Jetty in Gravesend, which is the main base for its fleet of more than 40 vessels. It also provides lift-out and maintenance services for other users of the Thames. The PLA ownsBarrier Gardens Pier and Unity House, near the Thames Barrier, providing a convenient base for its Driftwood vessels. There are also twopilot stations atHarwich andRamsgate, beyond the estuary and the Port of London. From these stations pilots are sent out and return from large vessels entering and leaving the Port.
As of 2022[update], the PLA employed about 460 staff.[9]
The PLA owns six piers and jetties on theRiver Thames. These are available for other river users as well as the PLA's own vessels.
The PLA has four channel surveying vessels, eight launches for harbour and river patrols, and twenty other craft.[8] Five new patrol vessels were built by Alnmaritec inNorthumberland and delivered in 2009.[10]
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The PLA inherited an extensive railway system from the previous dock companies. This included engine sheds, located at Millwall, Tilbury andCustom House, its own signal boxes and level crossings. The main duties undertaken by the authority's locomotives were shunting the various sidings, wharves and factories around the PLA estate.[12]
The PLA operated a fleet of 0-6-0T and 0-6-0ST steam locomotives made by various manufacturers including Hudswell Clark, Robert Stephenson, Andrew Barclay, Hunslet and Manning Wardle. The steam locomotives were largely withdrawn in 1959 although a few lingered on until 1963. The diesels that replaced them were built by theYorkshire Engine Company but, with declining traffic, the railway system closed on 1 May 1970.[13]
TheLord Mayor of London, the chief dignitary of theCity of London, isex officio the Admiral of the Port of London.
The PLA uses ablue ensign with a gold heraldicsealion on all its vessels. It also has a house flag andpennants for the use of the chairman and the vice chairman of its board.[14][15]
Thecoat of arms of the PLA was granted in August 1909. Theblazon or heraldic description is as follows:
Azure, issuing from a castle argent, a demi-man vested, holding in the dexter hand a drawn sword, and in the sinister a scroll Or, the one representing theTower of London, the other the figure ofSt Paul, the patron saint of London.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours, an ancient ship Or, the main sail charged with the arms of the City of London.
Supporters: On either side a sea-lion argent, crined, finned and tufted or, issuing from waves of the sea proper, that to the sinister grasping the banner ofKing Edward II; that to the dexter the banner ofKing Edward VII[16]
TheLatin motto is "Floreat Imperii Portvs", meaning "May the Port of the Empire Flourish".[17]
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