Back in May we originally posted about the levels of dredging in Whitby Harbour, and the fact that 2023 contributed a pitiful 5000 tonnes of sediment dredged, and that 2024 would likely be worse still.
Subsequent to that it was revealed (not by NYC) that the dredging licence had expired, and that NYC staff had apparently either not been aware, or just did nothing (since they weren’t dredging anyway).
We have had various email exchanges with NYC during this period, about the licence, and when dredging is expected to recommence. Sadly we simply get replies along the lines of “should start soon”. Until it was revealed recently on social media (many thanks to Mr Roberts) that NYC’s attempts to get a dredging licence had been refused because they had not provided all information required! You really cannot make this up.
The latest request for a status from NYC (Karl Battersby – Head of Environment) came back with
to which we have replied once more
Thanks once more for another prompt reply, Karl.
Whilst your replies always give the impression that something good is around the corner, I have to remind myself of the basic timeline.
- Dredger licence expires in January 2024.
- I emailed in May 2024 regarding dredging levels and the poor performance during 2023 and early 2024. Mr Pearson replied that a dredging plan was in place and so should be starting soon. No mention of a dredging licence issue.
- I emailed again in June 2024, to which you replied that, after fixing some dredger issues, dredging should start early July. Again, no mention of a licence issue.
- I emailed again in July 2024 mentioning the elephant in the room (the licence), and you replied that you were working with the MMO.
- I emailed again in August 2024, and you replied that you hoped that dredging would commence in early September.
- Correspondence with the MMO on social media confirms that NYC have not provided sufficient info for a licence, and it was refused.
- I emailed in September 2024, and you are “working with the MMO”.
And a reply came back from NYC
Whenever you have contacted me I have tried to give the best information I had at the time.
The Scarborough licence has been with the MMO for some time, as there were some issues initially with the material samples. The application had been paused due to correspondence not been replied to, but it had been sent to the email account to a previous employee, and hard copies had not been received. Once this was clarified the application was re-started.
For Whitby, an assumption had been made that the licence renewal had been submitted, and it hadn’t been. For both applications, the level of information required has increased and is a lot more technical than in the past, which has meant we are seeking external help to respond to the queries we have received back. The consultations have been completed on both licence applications.
Chris Bourne has recently been appointed as head of harbours, and Chris is reviewing all policies and procedures. I am confident that we won’t find ourselves in this position again. We have also re-started the harbour user groups so we have proper forums in place to consult with/keep informed our harbour users.
I hope that’s helpful.
We have thanked Karl for this reply, which at least contains some facts that add to the understanding.
