Cardiff Harbour Authority

Cardiff Harbour Authority (CHA) is the managing authority for Cardiff Bay under the Cardiff Bay Barrage Act 1993, and was established on 1 April 2000. It took over responsibility from Cardiff Bay Development Corporation and is responsible for the inland bay, Cardiff Bay Barrage, the outer harbour and the rivers Taff and Ely. The harbour authority is part of the City of Cardiff Council and is the statutory navigation authority for Cardiff Bay.

Cardiff Harbour Authority
Awdurdod Harbwr Caerdydd
The official logo of Cardiff Harbour Authority
Authority overview
Formed1 April 2000 (2000-04-01)
Preceding Authority
JurisdictionInland waters and outer harbour of Cardiff Bay
HeadquartersQueen Alexandra House, Cargo Road, Cardiff
51.453181°N 3.161161°W / 51.453181; -3.161161
Annual budget£7.5m[1]
Key document
  • Cardiff Bay Barrage Act 1993
Websitecardiffharbour.com

The authority is funded by the Welsh Government.[2]

Responsibilities
Cardiff Bay

CHA's responsibility includes the inland waters of Cardiff Bay (including the Mount Stuart Graving Docks), the River Taff up to Blackweir, the River Ely up to Wiggins Teape weir,[3] the outer harbour and Cardiff Bay Barrage. CHA was also given responsibility for the land areas of Roald Dahl Plass and the Channel Graving Dock.

The Authority assumed this responsibility from Cardiff Bay Development Corporation upon its dissolution on 31 March 2000.[4]

They are also responsible for a number of facilities around Cardiff Bay:

Cardiff Harbour Authority today has a number of statutory duties, including traffic control, security, navigational safety (including buoys, beacons, bridge lights and channel surveys), conservation (including dredging, maintaining river banks and the wetland wildlife reserve), encouraging both commercial and leisure uses of the bay, and protecting its environment. The CHA is responsible for the operation of the three sea locks, the five sluices that maintain the water level in the bay and the fish pass that allows migratory Salmon and Sea Trout to return to the rivers to spawn.

Offices

The authorities main offices are based in Queen Alexandra House, alongside the Cardiff Docks sea lock, however the barrage is managed from the Barrage Control Building which overlooks the 3 sea locks and outer harbour and the Harbour Master is based in the Environment Building at the north end of the barrage.

Vessels
Cardiff Harbour Authority workboat and patrol RIB.

CHA operates a number of patrol, workboat, survey and general duty vessels in order to comply with its statutory duties. The authority took delivery of a new general duties boat in 2014, built by Northumberland-based shipbuilder Alnmaritec.[7]

Emergency Services

CHA works closely with a number of emergency services. South Wales Police regularly store a Ribcraft 9m RIB on-site, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service have a 5.3m rescue boat moored on the barrage[8] and there is a Memorandum of understanding between CHA, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, HM Coastguard, RNLI, SW Fire and Rescue, the Welsh Ambulance Service and Bristow Helicopters Search and Rescue in regards to search and rescue operations within the bay.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Budget cuts to Cardiff Bay events mean loss of WOW on Waterfront festival". The Guardian. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  2. "Cardiff Harbour Authority - Who are we?". Cardiff Harbour Authority. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008.
  3. "ELY PAPER MILLS;ELY PAPER WORKS, ELY, CARDIFF". R.C.A.H.M.W. website. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  4. "A Report of: Economic Scrutiny Committee - Inquiry into the Future of the Harbour Authority". cardiff.gov.uk. Council of the City and County of Cardiff. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  5. "Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre". Cardiff Harbour Authority. Archived from the original on 17 February 2016.
  6. "Cardiff Sailing Centre". Cardiff Council. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  7. "Harbour Workboats". alnmaritec.co.uk. Alnmarintec. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  8. "Launch of new South Wales rescue boat". southwales-fire.gov.uk. South Wales Fire and rescue Service. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  9. "Rescue capabilities put to the test". gov.uk. Ministry of Defence. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
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