The last I heard, the scheme was under consideration by Her Majesty’s government with a view to agreeing to the sell off. The problem is that the three Dover Calais Ferry operators, P&O Ferries, SeaFrance and NorfolkLine seem to be in dispute with the Harbour board  over the increased harbour fees, and also there is a loose kind of proposal from the Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke which he calls the “People’s Port” and has been criticised by the previous Labour Party MP Gwyn Prosser.

P&O Ferries have written to the UK’s Secretary of State for Transport looking for clarification on the matter.

P&O are not the only shipping line to be concerned by the board’s plans as Norfolkline, SeaFrance and DFDS have also raised the issue on a number of occasions. P&O Ferries CEO Helen Deeble said:

DHB’s proposal is that Opco [the board’s wholly-owned subsidiary as a company limited by shares] should settle a cash sum of £10 million (US$15.7m) on the Port of Dover Community Trust (PDCT), together with a further amount of cash specifically earmarked for (immediate) use to subscribe for securities of Opco having a value of £20 million at the time of sale. The latter element would be cash-neutral to Opco, as the sum contributed for the subscription would return to Opco as paid-up share capital. Opco will also undertake to enter into arrangements to make regular contributions to the PDCT in its early years, so that the PDCT will have an assured income stream during that period.

Does that throw any light on the matter?

Thought not.

Cross-Channel ferry operator SeaFrance could be taken over by Brittany Ferries through a new holding company after negotiations with LD Lines broke down.

If successful, it would acquire four or five of SeaFrance’s vessels, which would continue in service sailing to Calais from the Kent port of Dover.

SeaFrance recently announced it could be axing up to 650 French jobs.

Brittany Ferries already operates five routes to France from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth and two to Spain.

It employs 2,500 staff, including 320 UK-based employees.

Union opposition

David Longden, managing director, said: “After 37 years of experience on the longer routes to France and Spain, this is an exciting opportunity to introduce Brittany Ferries’ award-winning standards on Dover-Calais crossings, and to provide an even greater choice for our passengers and freight customers.”

LD Lines, the newest ferry company operating between Dover and Boulogne and Dieppe, had been planning to make a formal bid for SeaFrance.

However, it revealed it had withdrawn its acquisition offer of a majority stake in SeaFrance, amid apparent union opposition.

SeaFrance’s parent company SNCF declined to comment on Wednesday.