Falmouth Docks becomes the latest major infrastructure project to benefit from a lead environmental regulator - reducing delays and speeding up planning approvals
Falmouth's £150 million dock redevelopment - poised to create hundreds of jobs, support homegrown clean energy, and unleash economic growth across the south-west - will set sail through calmer seas thanks to government reforms upholding environmental protections while slashing bureaucracy.
The major overhaul involves repairing critical dock structures to accommodate larger vessels. This could help to attract up to 200,000 cruise visitors annually by 2030, injecting £13 million into the local economy and supporting over 350 tourism-related jobs, while doubling Falmouth's cargo and freight capacity.
Thanks to a pioneering approach to the planning process under the Plan for Change, APCL A&P Falmouth - the developers behind the Falmouth Docks - will now work with a single, lead environmental body, rather than a merry-go-round of overlapping regulators.
The Marine Management Organisation will take the helm as Lead Environmental Regulator, working seamlessly with Natural England and the Environment Agency to provide streamlined, joined-up advice. Closer collaboration will prevent delays and reduce unnecessary costs, while upholding the highest environmental standards to safeguard Cornwall's unique and precious natural environment.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds said:
Communities across the country have been let down by a bureaucratic planning system that chokes enterprise, does little for nature and leaves hardworking people waiting for the jobs and investment they deserve.
Having one clear regulator in charge speeds up approvals and helps projects like Falmouth Docks to progress at pace, without compromising our ironclad commitment to the environment. This is a win-win situation for jobs, prosperity and nature.
Through our Plan for Change, this government is fast-tracking the infrastructure Britain needs to secure national renewal.
APCL A&P Falmouth Managing Director, Mike Spicer said:
APCL A&P Falmouth is a centre of excellence for the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, offshore vessels, cruise ships and ferries. The facility is also a busy working port, handling over 100,000 tonnes of product annually and welcoming 56 cruise calls this year.
APCL welcomes today's news that the Marine Management Organisation will act as a single point of contact for planning applications.
The acceleration of planning process for development applications like ours will enable us to significantly enhance the services we can offer to our defence, offshore and cruise customers and help fulfil Cornwall's ambitious floating offshore wind agenda.
Michelle Willis, Chief Executive of the Marine Management Organisation, said:
We are delighted to be playing a leading part in transforming how we work with industry and key partners to shape a new way of working which unlocks growth and benefits our coastal communities whilst protecting our natural environment.
This is an exciting project in Falmouth and one that will showcase how future licensing consent regulations can be applied to enable much-needed transformation and change.
The Docks scheme will ensure full compliance with the rigorous environmental standards at the heart of the Lead Environmental Regulator model. Better coordination, more coherent advice, and streamlined processes will accelerate decision-making without cutting corners. Any challenges that cannot be resolved between the regulators will be escalated to Defra's new Infrastructure Board to unblock issues, reduce delays and keep the project moving.
Set to become fully operational by 2030, the redevelopment of the Docks will increase APCL A&P Falmouth's defence, cruise, marine and offshore capabilities. Extending the existing Queens Wharf westwards will allow larger vessels - such as Excellence Class cruise ships up to 345 metres in length - to berth. Moreover, new on-site facilities for assembling floating offshore wind power structures would firmly position Cornwall at the heart of an industry projected to contribute £45 million to the UK economy and create 2,000 clean energy jobs nationwide. Meanwhile, connecting a disused rail line with new bulk import/export facilities will unlock major opportunities for Cornish lithium mining and battery manufacturing, further driving local investment and innovation.
Employing up to 100 construction workers daily between 2026 and 2027, long-term benefits include new opportunities across marine engineering, logistics, and the renewable energy sectors as the port transforms to support the growing clean energy industry.
Falmouth Docks joins the Lower Thames Crossing as the latest major UK infrastructure project to benefit from the Lead Environmental Regulator scheme, in support of the government's drive to streamline the planning process and get Britain building.
It comes as part of wider measures announced by the Chancellor today to deliver a blitz on business bureaucracy, promising to save UK firms nearly £6 billion per year by the end of Parliament. As part of the plan, Defra has committed to publish Strategic Policy Statements for the Environment Agency and Natural England by the end of 2025. These will drive performance improvements in line with the government's expectations for delivering its priorities.
The reforms support commitments under the government's Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes and fast-track 150 planning decisions on major infrastructure projects by the end of this Parliament.
