Review of light dues announced

The Government has announced another review of the charging regime for marine aids to navigation (AtoN) by way of light dues. The review is to be conducted by mangement consultants, Atkins, and has been announced as "a clean sheet approach". Shipping interests have objected vociferously to the recent rise in light dues which they say distorts competition on the ground that of the potential alternative ports on the near continent of Europe only the UK charges light dues. Atkins is due to report in Spring 2010.

The present system is that costs are recovered from some, but not all, potential users of AtoN either when they visit UK ports or at a fixed rate per year. There is a long list of exemptions, including ships of less than 20 tons, which has the effect of exempting most pleasure vessels. Pleasure vessels of 20 tons or more are presently subject to a maximum annual payment of £77.

The last review of light dues was published in March 2004 as a Study of Economic Effect of Light Dues prepared for the DfT by MDS Transmodal Limited in association with DTZ Pieda Consulting. This examined reducing the exemptions from light dues in order to spread the burden more widely. The figure suggested for light dues for pleasure vessels was £100 a year - "assuming collection costs are sufficiently low".