Port Marine Safety Code

Introduction

North Devon Council owns three marine facilities.  Fremington Quay and Castle Quay (Barnstaple) are located on the River Taw.   Rolle Quay is located on the River Yeo in Barnstaple.

Fremington Quay ceased to function as a port with the closure of the railway in 1982. The quay was historically significant for the export of clay and other goods, but the closure of the railway led to its redundancy. Over the years, the area has been developed and now includes the Tarka Trail, a café, visitor centre, and other amenities.

(Location using ‘What3words’: rational.good.lilac)

Castle Quay in Barnstaple ceased to function as a port in the late 19th century when the railway was built. The construction of the railway led to the closure of the town's main quays, including Castle Quay. Over time, most of the warehouses that formerly lined the quay have disappeared, and the area has been repurposed for other uses.

(Location using ‘What3words’: risks.invite.tricky)

Rolle Quay in Barnstaple ceased to function as a commercial port by the mid-20th century. It was once a busy landing place, handling significant amounts of goods, with 100,000 tons of goods being managed in 1929. However, commercial operations declined over time, and it no longer has waterborne trading connections.

(Location using ‘What3words’: pushy.idea.branch)

Purpose of consultation

In April 2025, a new Port and Marine Facility Safety Code was introduced.   Rolle Quay, Fremington Quay and Castle Quay have been identified as full marine facilities in accordance with the code.  

If North Devon Council retains these marine facilities, the council will be required to undertake annual audits of these facilities and confirm compliance to the Department for Transport.  The Council will also be required to:

• Appoint a Designated Person - a nominated person who provides independent assurance about the operation of the organisation’s marine safety management system and has direct access to the Duty Holder
• Nominate a management department / determine which department or departments within the organisation that the ‘day to day’ management of the Marine Facilities will fall to.
• Have written procedures for maintenance of the facilities and cleaning schedule
• Ensure that they are fit for purpose with adequate lighting, lifesaving equipment in place, all access / egress ladders are compliant with industry standards, and the marine facilities slipways and access to quay edges are in good repair. 

An audit has been undertaken and none of the Marine Facilities are currently compliant with the code.

A marine traffic usage survey has been undertaken to identify how many moving vessels use the facilities in one year.  This survey does not include vessels that are permanently moored against those facilities.  

The results are as follows:

• Fremington Quay – no known usage
• Castle Quay – occasional small vessel usage
• Rolle Quay – no known usage

An options appraisal and costing exercise has been undertaken by the Council to identify potential risks and costs for undertaking works to the three Marine Facilities so that they meet the requirements of the Code or to remove the marine facilities.  

The Ports and Marine Facilities Safety Code sets out a national standard for every aspect of port and marine facility safety. Whilst not in itself mandatory, the code is underpinned not only by marine legislation, such as the Pilotage Act 1987 and Merchant Shipping Act 1955 referred to in the code, but also by general legislation, such as the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

If the marine facilities were removed the use of the slipways would be maintained by North Devon Council but the ability to tie vessels to a secure mooring alongside the quays would not be available. The quay walls would remain.  

If you only use the slipway this does not affect your usage.

Prior to the council taking a decision on whether to retain some or all of the three marine facilities or to remove the marine facilities infrastructure, we wish to gain an understanding of the existing use of the council owned assets at Fremington Quay, Castle Quay (Barnstaple) and Rolle Quay (Barnstaple).

We need to hear from those who use Fremington Quay, Castle Quay, and Rolle Quay. 

Your feedback will enable us to develop a strategy for how we can plan for the future use of the Quays.

The consultation will run between Monday 27 October 2025 and Monday 5 January 2026.  The survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.

Next Steps

The outcomes of this consultation will be considered by the Strategy and Resources Committee on 2 March 2026. 

Alternative formats

If you need this survey as a paper version or large print you can request this by emailing the Corporate and Community Services Team at consultation@northdevon.gov.uk or by calling 01271 388253. Paper copies are available from the new Town Centre Hub in Barnstaple's Green Lanes (Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm), Ilfracombe Community Office, High Street, Ilfracombe (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am - 5pm closed 1pm - 2pm), and Amory Centre, South Molton (Thursday 9am - 5pm, closed 1pm - 2pm).