Harbours Board Member (Independent) - Leisure Industry

Cornwall Council Harbours Board Appointment of Independent Board Member

Cornwall Council is responsible for a number of local authority owned ports and harbours, both statutory and non-statutory – Bude, Newquay, Portreath, St Ives, Penzance, Truro, Penryn, Prince of Wales Pier (Falmouth), Portscatho and Portwrinkle together with some maritime assets at Downderry, Fowey, Looe, Cawsand and Saltash. The governance for these is through the Harbours Board, which is a bespoke committee of the Council, and which is created in line with best practice as outlined in the Ports Good Governance Guidance.

These ports and harbours are all unique and are engaged in various activities including marine leisure, fishing and aquaculture, cargo handling, laid up shipping, passenger boat operations and ferry services.

The Harbours Board, as a committee of the Council, consists of twelve people (6 councillors and 6 independent members) who govern the ports with reference to a Memorandum of Understanding, and on behalf of Cornwall Council. All Board members, councillors and independents, are subject to the Local Government Code of Conduct.

An opportunity exists for an independent member to join the Harbours Board. The successful applicant will have a background in the leisure industry, be able to work with others and have good communication skills whilst possessing vision and energy.

Many of the harbours operated by Cornwall Council have environmental designations on them i.e. Special Areas of Conservation, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Sites of Special Scientific Interest etc. and this is therefore an important skill requirement for the Harbours Board. The Harbours operate an Environmental Management System which has ISO14001 accreditation.

Applicants must be committed to making balanced contributions on behalf of the harbours as a whole, in accordance with the highest levels for Board membership.

There will be a minimum of six Board meetings per annum held in Truro or at other locations in Cornwall, appropriate training will be provided, and expenses will be reimbursed. A term of office will last for three years.


To apply for this vacancy offline, please complete our application form - this can be found here. Application forms with accompanying CV's can be sent to scott.blandford@cornwall.gov.uk.

If you would like to support the future management and operation of these harbours, and feel that you have the necessary skills, you are invited to contact Chris Jones, Maritime Manager, Harbour Office, Town Quay, Truro TR1 2HJ (01872 272130). The closing date for applications is the 31st March 2023. The interviews will be held at Truro Harbour Office with a date to be confirmed and the next board meeting is on the 11th May 2023 at 2pm.

Please ensure you answer all of the pre-screening questions in full, within the application form. Guidance on how to complete your application can be found here – The application process

Please be advised that for this role we are accepting uploaded supporting statements and/or CVs to support your online application.

Fairness and inclusion are at the heart of our vision for Cornwall. In order to best serve our communities, we are striving to achieve a diverse workforce that is inclusive of all backgrounds, cultures and identities; e.g. race, disability, sex, gender, age, religion and sexual orientation. We are an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer, and we will assess applicants on their merits.

Cornwall Council is committed to safeguarding and following safer recruitment principles to help make sure our staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children, young people and adults at risk. It’s a vital part of creating a safe and positive environment and making a commitment to keeping all service users safe from harm.

Whilst the location/work-base for this role has been specified our evolving ways of working means that the role may require you to also work remotely (e.g. from home/other locations). We will discuss this with you during the recruitment process.

More information about working for Cornwall Council is available here.