Governance & the Harbour Board
As a Trust Port Falmouth Harbour must hold itself accountable to its stakeholders and operate openly and transparently.
Falmouth Harbour Board
Our Non-Executive Directors are members of the governing body of the Harbour Board, responsible for overseeing the management and operations of Falmouth Harbour.
Falmouth Harbour (FH) is a statutory body with its constitution laid down in its acts and orders. Its latest constitution is set down in the Falmouth Harbour Revision (Constitution) Order 2004.
The constitution requires a board of eight (seven Non-Executive Directors and the Chief Executive).
The Harbour Board was established by an Act of Parliament to manage Falmouth Harbour. Their primary responsibilities include:
- Governance and Strategic Oversight: responsible for setting the strategic direction of the harbour, ensuring that it operates efficiently, safely, and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
- Financial Management: oversight of the financial health of the harbour, ensuring that it remains financially sustainable. This includes managing income from harbour dues, pilotage services, and other sources.
- Environmental Stewardship: a crucial role in balancing the harbour’s commercial activities with the need to protect and preserve the marine environment.
- Safety and Compliance: Ensuring the harbour is a safe place for all users, including commercial vessels, recreational boaters, and the local community. Ensuring compliance with national guidance such as the PMSC and international maritime safety standards.
- Stakeholder Engagement: engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including local businesses, government agencies, community groups, and environmental organisations, to ensure that the harbour meets the needs of all its users.
A Falmouth Harbour Non-Executive Director (NED) serves as a custodian of the harbour, working to maintain its operational viability while promoting sustainable development and environmental conservation.
About Falmouth Harbour’s Non-Executive Directors
FH’s Non-Executive Directors are usually appointed for a fixed term, often three years, and may be reappointed for additional terms depending on the harbour’s needs and the NED’s performance. NEDs usually serve an initial 3 year term and may serve up to 3 terms in exceptional circumstances.
A declaration of their interests is published online and remuneration is published in the Annual Report. Falmouth Harbour Non-Executive Directors are remunerated in order to recognise the commitment required in terms of their time.
NEDs are recruited using an open recruitment process in accordance with the Port Marine Safety Code and Modernising Trust Ports Guidance.
Selection Process
Falmouth Harbour Non-Executive Directors are typically selected through a formal appointment process designed to ensure that the Board has a broad range of skills and experience relevant to the management of the harbour.
The selection process usually involves the following steps:
- Open process: When there is a vacancy for a Non-Executive Director, the position is publicly promoted, using social media, other channels and posted on our website.
- Application Process: Interested individuals submit their applications, which generally include a CV and a covering letter outlining their experience, skills, and reasons for wanting to become a Non-Executive Directors for Falmouth Harbour.
- Selection: A selection panel, often comprising current Harbour Non-Executive Directors and an independent member, review the applications.
- Interviews: Shortlisted candidates are invited for an interview with the selection panel.
This process is designed to ensure that the Harbour Board is composed of individuals who can effectively govern the harbour, balancing its commercial, environmental, and community responsibilities.
Board members are selected on merit after an open recruitment process in accordance with the Modernising Trust Ports Guidance.
Falmouth Harbour – Careers
Want to become a Non-Executive Director at Falmouth Harbour?
Due to the cycle of 3-6 year terms, we are regularly recruiting for Non-Executive Directors. Please watch out for adverts, posts online or check the Careers page of our website for roles.
Harbour Users Group
Falmouth is a “Trust Port”: an independent statutory body run on a commercial basis by an independent harbour board for the benefit of its stakeholders comprising marine users, both commercial and leisure, and local interests and communities. A trust port is accountable to those stakeholders. The interest of the wide community of stakeholders should at all times be the guide by which the board of a trust port sets the strategy and direction of the port.
The use of an advisory group, or committee, to consult stakeholders is both in specific circumstances a statutory requirement and also general good practice required by applicable codes of conduct such as the Code of Conduct on Harbour Directions and the Port Marine Safety Code.
For more information on our advisory group, Harbour Users Groups (HUG), please use the links below.
You can contact the chair of the HUG, Dave Owens, on HUGChair@falmouthharbour.co.uk.
Ports Good Governance Guidance
The Department for Transport has issued guidance for the governance of Trust Ports which is updated from time to time. See a copy of the latest guidance below.
Falmouth Harbour Annual Report and Accounts
Falmouth Harbour issues an annual report providing details of its accounts and operations as well as details of Non-Executive Directors and staff and a review of its business. You can also see accounts for the last ten years here.
Falmouth Harbour Minutes of Meetings
Falmouth Harbour also publishes the minutes of their Board Meetings and Harbour Users Group Meetings. These can be found on our Publications page.
