Council looks poised to close loss-making Perth Harbour

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Perth Harbour - which has been operating at a loss - looks set to close as a commercial port.A full options appraisal being put before councillors next week recommends the council ends its involvement with the harbour.The recommendation tabled is to end its commercial operations at the harbour and encourage other uses such as recreational use as the "only viable way forward".Perth and Kinross councillors will decide the fate of the port - which has been operating at a loss - at a meeting of all elected members on Wednesday, February 8.In September 2022 councillors unanimously agreed to a comprehensive review of the harbour following a decline in use.PKC is the Statutory Harbour Authority and a Competent Harbour Authority (Pilotage) for Perth Harbour.As part of this comprehensive review a long list of reasons have been cited for the rapid economic downturn of the harbour in recent years including the war in Ukraine, the pandemic and Brexit.The report states: "Due to external factors such as COVID 19, the UK EU exit, the war in Ukraine, increased competition, and market changes, as well as local factors such as lack of warehousing capacity, change in local demand due to change in commercial contract/partnering or operations, the long-term downwards trend in shipping at Perth Harbour has been accelerated.

The position is further exacerbated by limitations imposed by the tidal window at Perth and cargo load restrictions triggered by recurring natural silting at the basin entrance."While there has been signs of recovery in the dry bulk market, around 80 ships would need to be attracted to use the harbour by 2025/26 to reduce the deficit and 120 to break even.The number of ships is currently estimated at five - based on