The company bidding to start a freight ferry service between Ramsgate and Ostend says it is aiming to begin sailings at the end part of this year – and has now launched a website advertising the route.
Seaborne Freight is a UK company incorporated in April last year by marine consultant Roy Dudley.
This April documents to Companies House revealed eight shareholders. There are 5,300 shares valued at 1p each – making a total of £53
However, according to Belgian press reports this month the city’s mayor Johan Vande Lanotte says financing of the project is complete.
Last October, during the run up to the Ostend elections, Mr Vande Lanotte (pictured) announced a ‘basic agreement’ had been made for a ferry line between Ostend and Ramsgate.
He said the route would start with freight but a passenger service could begin shortly afterwards.
In a social media statement Mr Vande Lanotte said: “It is a guided freight, ie lorry drivers who cross the Channel with their freight. The intention is that three ships will be deployed with six departures a day.”
The mooted March 1 start date came -and went- with no ferry service in evidence. No contract had been signed by Thanet council and there remained the question of which vessels could serve the route.
Only one vessel has been identified as being suitable for use at Ramsgate Port. That is the former Dover-Calais ferry MS Nord Pas de Calais.
The ship, built in 1987, served the route until 2011 when SeaFrance was liquidated. It was then bought by Eurotunnel and leased to MyFerryLink until 2015.
After 2015 it was laid-up and designated for use “for hazardous freight and waste”, before being renamed Al Andalus Express and sent to the Mediterranean.
The two other vessels for the route have not been identified.
Seaborne Freight shareholder Glenn Dudley said: “The service will be for freight primarily and will operate with 3 vessels. There have been minor complications, but this is a very large project and I am afraid that it does take time. Our expected start date with the first ship is still Q4 this year.”
According to Belgian press there are still issues over dredging at Ramsgate with Mr Vande Lanotte saying: “Seaborne Freight has not yet received any guarantee that if they perform these works, they will also be able to use the port. They naturally want more guarantees about this.”
Seaborne has launched a website advertising the freight route, saying it: “addresses an unprecedented demand from the industry for a ‘freight only’ service. Key to the success of the venture is the identification, acquisition and operational management of suitable freight ferries.”
The website claims the crossing times will align with driver compulsory rest periods and Ramsgate will offer drivers direct freight access to the main UK road network.
Jobs for Ramsgate and Ostend Ports are flagged as ‘coming soon.’
In April Thanet council leader Bob Bayford said work on ferry operations was the priority for Ramsgate Port.
He said: “The right ferry operation under the right contract will start to plug the money pit that is currently Ramsgate Port.
“We want to do something about this and the quickest way is through a ferry operation. This would benefit Ramsgate and the whole of Thanet.”
Ramsgate Port has lost a staggering £20million since 2010, according to Thanet council’s statement of accounts for each financial year from 2010/11 to 2017/18.
The figures exclude £5million in live export compensation and £3.4million for bankrupt TransEuropa Ferries unpaid fees and charges.
Last year Thanet council said the figures included costs which are shared across other areas of the council for the running of its services, rather than being directly incurred in running the port.
This year the port recorded a loss of £1.8million. Expenditure amounted to £2.8 million and income was £1million.
Income at the port includes berthing fees, pilotage, waste disposal, equipment hire and land rental – including to building materials supplier Brett Aggregrates.
Money is also being made through ad-hoc car shipments from GEFCO when Sheppey is over capacity. The 2017/18 accounts for the port include an entry of £37,757.90 income for port stevedoring – the unloading of cargo.
No ferry service has operated at Ramsgate since TransEuropa Ferries filed for bankruptcy in April 2013.
Port meeting
A meeting is due to be arranged between Kent County Council leader Paul Carter, TDC and Ostend representatives regarding port plans.
It had been scheduled for August 23 but has been postponed.
A Kent County Council spokesman said “The County Council has received a request for a meeting but the Leader has prior engagements on the date suggested. We are therefore exploring alternative options.
“Thanet District Council own and manage the Port of Ramsgate and they are taking the lead in discussions with the parties that have expressed an interest in re-opening a ferry service from Ramsgate.
“KCC is supporting TDC in this work which could provide additional resilience to cross-Channel freight traffic.”
Read here: 8 proposals for Ramsgate Port that are yet to launch
I have just looked on the Companies House website and note that Riveroak Strategic Partners Limited filed accounts for a dormant company in 11 April 2018.
How can a dormant company apply for a DCO?
Also, the statutory reporting for persons with significant control statement states that ‘the company knows or has reasonable cause to believe there is no registrable person or registrable person or relevant legal entity in relation to this company’.
How can a company which has ‘no warm body’ apply for a DCO?
Further, on the Register of Person(s) with Significant Control it states that the information is not on the public register since 19 April 2018.
Further on the Register of Members it states that the information is not on the public register since 19 April 2018.
How can a company without a register of members apply for a DCO?
What precisely has that to do with a story about a proposed ferry service from Ramsgate harbour…
Nothing at all of course, except that it illustrates that TDC has now, and has never had, any more idea about owning and operating a commercial maritme port than it does have about owning and running a commercial airport. That evidenced by their inability to extract port fees of over £3M from Trans Europa Ferries.
So, the port managers know as ‘Doms’ – duty operations managers, are earning up to £50,000 a year to sit in an office doing nothing hoping a ship never comes! Trust me Port of ramsgate are not ready for ships. When a Car ship comes in ready for unloading, the Managers go off sick. They’re not ready!
Confirms my thoughts about TDC’s mis-management of the Port of Ramsgate.
Regarding the off topic first comment there is a Register of Members you just need to go to the address notified at Companies House to see it. Nothing untoward there.
A dormant company can be active, it basically means it has not traded. The accounts referred to were in any event for the period ended 31 July 2017, over a year ago.
There are 6 listed directors of the company. If they have equal shares, which they may or may not, their holdings are below the level at which Company Law states any one of them to have significant control. In those circumstances a company is obliged to report that no one has significant control. All normal practice.
Given TDC’s incompetence and the possible lack of readiness of Ramsgate’s port and of the freight company involved, this might not be as easy as thought. But, as Dover , and the roads leading to it, are doomed to years of chaos due to Brexit, expanding capacity in Ramsgate or Folkestone or Newhaven, is bound to lead to some kind of local success soon enough.