| UK homeporting spat

THE UK City of Liverpool Cruise Liner
Terminal has applied for full turnaround
facility approval, in a bid to attract business in
the form of homeported cruise ships.
Current restrictions on Liverpool port, put in
place in 2007 after it received grants from the
UK Government and EU to develop its
facilities, inhibit it from having turnarounds
and poaching cruise trade from other ports
such as Dover, Southampton and Newcastle.
The move has caused much consternation in
the industry, with other ports worried that if
approval is granted, Liverpool would indeed
draw business away.
Recently Liverpool has moved to quash
arguments made by Southampton that the
public funds it had received gave it an unfair
advantage, by saying it will pay back a large
portion of the cash.
“We have no objection, providing Liverpool
pay back that subsidy, if they want to go into
the cruise industry and operate turnaround
cruises,” the chairman of Southampton
Chamber of Trade told local media.
“We are not concerned about competition.
“Southampton will fight on a level playing
field – this is about subsidising a competitor”.
According to reports, Liverpool offered to pay
back £5m of the £9m it was granted from the
UK Government, but left out any mention of
paying back the £8.6m it got from the EU.
This figure has not satisfied Southampton
however, with a spokesperson saying it will
not be content until Liverpool includes the EU
funds in the repayment scheme.