A ‘new vision’ for UK ports has been unveiled in a bid to ‘propel prosperity’ in the country’s coastal communities, a government announcement has claimed. The government has launched a public consultation on a draft revised national policy statement for ports, with the respondents (industry and the wider public) having until 29 July 2025 to submit their views on the draft.

The coastal communities across England stand to benefit from the proposals set out on June 4. Trade, and offshore wind are key industries that could benefit, the statement says.

The proposals have been published alongside the UK’s port freight demand forecasts, which show an expected rise in UK port freight tonnage overall, particularly of roll-on-roll-off cargo such as cars, buses, trailers, etc, as well as containers and dry bulks. 

Just last month, it was announced that £35m is being driven into the port of Liverpool to develop a new deep-water terminal, while just under £1bn is being invested in the port of Tyne to develop infrastructure. 

Claudio Veritiero, CEO of Peel Ports Group, said: “Ports are the unsung heroes of the UK economy, and this is an extremely encouraging development. We have invested more than £1 billion in the last decade and intend to exceed that level of investment in the coming years.

“We want to be able to invest for the future, creating jobs and opportunities right across the country and anything that streamlines that process and allows us to create conditions for economic growth is to be welcomed.”

The new proposals aim to help ports save time and money on planning applications to expand sites, opening up jobs and opportunities in coastal communities.

As it is reported, the updated proposals will more clearly outline how ports can meet obligations on noise and emissions, increasing the likelihood of achieving successful planning approvals and saving time and money during the planning process.

“We are determined to deliver the projects that will make a real difference to local people, turbocharge economic growth and create jobs as part of our Plan for Change,” noted maritime minister Mike Kane.

The consultation aims to identify whether the draft revised national policy statement for ports (NPSP) presented is fit for purpose.