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Port of London Authority

Coordinates:51°26′41″N0°22′26″E/ 51.4447°N 0.3740°E/51.4447; 0.3740
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Port of London Authority
Predecessor
Formation31 March 1909;115 years ago(1909-03-31)[1]
TypePublic trust
PurposeOperation of thePort of London
HeadquartersLondon River House
Location
Coordinates51°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
Websitepla.co.uk

ThePort of London Authority(PLA) is a self-funding public trust established on 31 March 1909 in accordance with thePort of London Act 1908to govern thePort of London.[1]Its responsibility extends over theTidewayof theRiver Thamesand its continuation (theKent/Essexstrait). It maintains and supervisesnavigation,and protects the river's environment.

The PLA originally operated allenclosed dock systemson the river (except theRegent's Canal Dock), but these have long been closed to commercial traffic, with the exception ofPort of Tilbury,which wasprivatisedin 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.

Finance

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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]

Limits

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PLA boundary marker opposite Teddington

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 (betweenMargateto the south andGunfleet Lighthouse,nearFrinton-on-Sea,to the north,[3]) a total of about 95 miles (150 km). The PLA does not cover theMedwayor 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(betweenSouthendandGrain).[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 (includingdredgingand 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 Barrierwhich is managed by theEnvironment Agencyin its flood management role.

Harbour masters

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The PLA's navigational safety team is headed by aChief Harbour Masterwho 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 masterswho cover the entirety of the river between Teddington Lock and the outer estuary.[5]

Centres

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Former PLACold Store,Charterhouse Street,Smithfield

The PLA originally had itsheadquartersonTower Hillin theCity of London,but today it is based at London River House andRoyal Terrace PierinGravesend.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:

  • The Thames Barrier Navigation Centre inWoolwich,for reaches upstream ofErith,London,and
  • Port ControlGravesend(the main facility) for reaches downstream of Erith.

Both Port Control centres operate the same system for coordinating traffic within the PLA's area, Vessel Traffic Services (VTS).[7]The system involves 16radarstations[8]along the river and out in the estuary.

The PLA ownsDenton Wharf and Jettyin 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 Pierand Unity House, near the Thames Barrier, providing a convenient base for its Driftwood vessels. There are also twopilot stationsatHarwichandRamsgate,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.

The PLA employs about 360 people.[8]

Pier and jetty ownership

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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.

Vessels

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A PLA harbour master craft atWoolwich

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 inNorthumberlandand delivered in 2009.[9]

Harbour Service vessels

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  • ChelseaandRichmond.Catamarans designed for shallow water working in the upper reaches of the port area.
  • Lambeth,Kew,SouthwarkandBarnes.Catamarans designed for the lower tidal waters and for use as Pilot cutters.
  • EasthavenandCranetwo shallow draughtRIBs,the former based at Holehaven and the latter at Richmond.

Marine Service vessels

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London Titanworking opposite theHouses of Parliament
ImpulsepassingTower Bridge
  • London Titan.Mooring maintenance vessel
  • Driftwood IIandDriftwood III.Primarily designed for the clearance of driftwood and other debris from the river. Also equipped for salvage operations. Normally accompanied by a fast tender.
  • PLA Diver.Diving support vessel.
  • Impulse.Pusher tug for handling barges. Also equipped for salvage and clearance work.
  • RecoverandRespond.Oil clearance vessels.
  • Gunfleet.Open deck RIB.
  • BenfleetWheelhouse fitted RIB used for crew transfer purposes.

Hydrographic Surveying vessels

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  • Maplin,Thame,YantletandGalloper.Various catamarans equipped with advanced hydrographic survey equipment. There is also a RIB for use in very shallow waters.

Pilot cutters

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  • Patrol.Ex. Estuary Services vessel built by Halmatic, based on the Arun class lifeboat design. Based at Gravesend.
  • Guide.Ex. Estuary Services vessel, 48/50', built by Halmatic. Based at Gravesend.
  • Leader.A hybrid diesel and battery electric boat by Goodchild Marine, delivered in 2019. Based at Gravesend.
  • There are six cutters based at Ramsgate and Sheerness operated by Estuary Services Ltd, a company owned by the PLA.[10]

Railways

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PLA 69,Hawthorn Leslie0-6-0T

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.[11]

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 Companybut, with declining traffic, the railway system closed on 1 May 1970.[12]

Traditions

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TheLord Mayor of London,the chief dignitary of theCity of London,isex officiothe Admiral of the Port of London.

Coat of arms of the Port of London Authority, granted in 1909

The PLA uses ablue ensignwith a gold heraldicsealionon all its vessels. It also has a house flag andpennantsfor the use of the chairman and the vice chairman of its board.[13][14]

Thecoat of armsof the PLA was granted in August 1909. Theblazonor 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[15]

TheLatinmotto is "Floreat Imperii Portvs",meaning" May the Port of the Empire Flourish ".[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab"The Port of London".The Times.No. 38921. 31 March 1909. p. 10.Retrieved3 August2019.
  2. ^"PLA Rates and Charges".pla.co.uk.Retrieved8 March2023.
  3. ^"Port of London Act 1968, Schedule 1"(PDF).p. 108. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 22 August 2014.Retrieved12 September2014.
  4. ^"Standard Letter re Access to the River Thames"(PDF).London Assembly. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 30 June 2007.Retrieved31 March2009.
  5. ^"Harbour Masters".Port of London Authority.Retrieved9 January2019.
  6. ^"Contact us".Port of London Authority.Retrieved5 October2021.
  7. ^"Vessel Traffic Services".Port of London Authority.Retrieved31 March2009.
  8. ^abc"Short Guide to the PLA"(PDF).Port of London Authority. Archived fromthe original(pdf)on 4 October 2011.Retrieved31 March2009.
  9. ^"New PLA Patrol Boats".Port of London Authority.Retrieved31 March2009.
  10. ^"Pilot Cutters".PLA. Archived fromthe originalon 18 April 2021.
  11. ^Winchester, Clarence (1935). "Industrial railways 2".Railway Wonders of the World:1505–1507.
  12. ^Marden, Dave (2013).London's Dock Railways Part 2.Southampton UK: Kestrel Railway Books. p. 76.ISBN978 1 905505 28 9.
  13. ^Bartram, Graham(2012)."A Visual Guide to Flags Used in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant"(PDF).The Flag Institute. p. 25. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 7 March 2014.
  14. ^"Port of London Authority".Flags of the World.Retrieved31 March2009.
  15. ^Fox-Davies, A. C.(1915).The Book of Public Arms, 2nd edition.London: T C & E C Jack. p. 620.
  16. ^Scott-Giles, C Wilfrid(1953).Civic Heraldry of England and Wales(2nd ed.). London:J. M. Dent.p. 261.
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