Lyme Regis, West Bay Harbour Revision Order 20 Feb 2026
If you sail, fish or paddle on Dorset’s coast, this matters. On Dorset Council’s application, the Marine Management Organisation has made the Lyme Regis, Bridport (West Bay) and Weymouth Harbour Revision Order 2026. It was made on 26 January 2026, laid before Parliament on 30 January 2026, and takes effect on 20 February 2026, according to legislation.gov.uk. We’ve turned the legal text into a plain‑English guide you can use.
A Harbour Revision Order is a legal update under the Harbours Act 1964. It refreshes and consolidates the powers a harbour authority needs to run safely and fairly. Here, the Secretary of State’s functions were delegated to the MMO, which made the Order. It extends to England and Wales, applies in practice to Lyme Regis and Bridport (West Bay), and also adjusts parts of the 2021 regime for Weymouth Harbour.
The Order fixes clear boundaries. Harbour limits and harbour premises for Lyme Regis and West Bay are defined by co‑ordinates and shown on plans. If a plan and the written description ever differ, the written description prevails. You can inspect the plans at Harbour Masters Office, The Cobb, Lyme Regis DT7 3JJ and Harbour Masters Office, Esplanade, West Bay, Bridport DT6 4HE, and on www.lymeregisharbour.co.uk and www.bridportharbour.co.uk. If premises lines change, updated plans must be posted within 30 days.
Dorset Council is confirmed as the statutory harbour authority for Lyme Regis and West Bay and may appoint harbour masters. It is also a local lighthouse authority under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, so it has duties around lights and signals. The Council must publish and maintain a Harbours Business Plan for maintenance, conservation and improvement; you can view it at County Hall and via the harbour websites named above.
The money rules are put on a clear ladder. Harbour revenue goes first to running and maintaining the harbours, then to interest on borrowing and other proper expenses, with any surplus moved into a reserve fund that the Council can use for unexpected costs or improvements. The Council may borrow for capital purposes tied to the harbour undertaking (for example, major repairs or equipment). What this means: fees raised locally are intended to keep the harbour safe, open and improving.
Charging powers are modernised. As well as ship, passenger and goods dues under national law, the Council can set reasonable charges for services and facilities and for other floating structures such as platforms, rigs or floating docks. When setting charges, it may consider the overall viability of the combined harbour undertaking-not only each harbour-while still aiming, so far as reasonably practicable, for each harbour’s income to cover its own annual costs. Terms can require information, deposits or guarantees; unpaid sums can lead to detention or refusal of entry and can be recovered as a debt. Exemptions apply for HM Revenue and Customs, lifeboats, Defence, police and other emergency services when acting in their core duties.
Rules you can be asked to follow are clearer and more transparent. The Council may issue general directions on navigation, safety, environmental protection or operations ashore after consulting the Chamber of Shipping, the Royal Yachting Association and a Harbours Advisory Group. A six‑week consultation window is required with notices on the harbour website and on site; if an objection stands, an independent adjudicator-appointed by agreement or, failing that, by the President of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association-considers it. Once made, a notice is published in a local newspaper and online for 28 days. In an emergency, or for short, time‑critical activities, directions can be put in place quickly with prompt notification and later review.
Harbour masters retain targeted powers. A special direction can be given to a named vessel about movement, berthing, safety precautions, ballast or removal from part or all of the harbour, including to avoid danger to life, wildlife or property. Not following a general or special direction is an offence, with a level 4 fine on the standard scale available on summary conviction, and there is a due‑diligence defence. What this means: if a master refuses to comply, the harbour master can arrange the action and charge the vessel for the costs.
Moorings and refuelling now follow a licence‑first approach. The Council may lay and charge for its own moorings and may license private moorings. Owners of existing lawful moorings have 12 weeks from 20 February 2026 to obtain a moorings licence; a like‑for‑like licence in the same place should not be refused unless it would endanger or interfere with navigation. Placing or using an unlicensed mooring, or obstructing mooring works, is an offence. Commercial refuelling-including recharging for alternative power-requires a one‑year licence and carries a level 4 penalty if done without reasonable excuse.
Navigation marks and dredging are covered. With Trinity House approval, the Council may erect or alter aids to navigation adjacent to the harbours. It may dredge the bed, shores and channels and use or dispose of arisings, subject to waste law. The usual statutory exemption in section 75 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 does not apply to Lyme Regis Harbour, so additional marine licensing steps may be required there. What this means: expect marker and dredging work to continue, overseen by Trinity House and the marine licensing regime.
Safety around structures, wrecks and obstructions is tightened. If a wall, pontoon, bridge or similar feature is dangerous or may hinder navigation, the Council can require the owner to remedy it, with a right of appeal to the Secretary of State. The Council can mark, remove and dispose of wrecks, deal with unserviceable vessels laid up or neglected, and remove non‑vessel obstructions-recovering reasonable costs and following set notice procedures, including counter‑notice rights for owners. If a tidal work is damaged in a way that endangers navigation, Trinity House and the UK Hydrographic Office must be notified so charts can be updated.
Local voice is built in. Dorset Council must set up one or more Harbours Advisory Groups representing harbour users and local interests, meet at least twice a year, and consider recommendations. A public register of all in‑force general directions must be available at harbour offices and on the websites. What this means: you can see the rules that apply and have your say before new rules are made.
Modern harbour operations often rely on land and business flexibility. The Council may develop land in or near the harbours, form or invest in companies, lease property, dispose of surplus assets and, where helpful, delegate certain harbour functions to a company (keeping back non‑delegable functions set in statute). Parts of the harbour may be set aside for particular trades, vessel classes or activities where that improves safety or efficiency.
Weymouth Harbour is also updated. The Weymouth Harbour Revision Order 2021 is amended to the same consultation‑based general direction process and other minor fixes. Importantly, the historic “open port duty” in section 33 of the 1847 Act is limited in Weymouth to vessels up to 24 metres, and it does not apply to a defined peninsula area. What this means: larger craft do not have an automatic right to enter or be accommodated under that duty in those places, supporting safety and capacity management.
Some classic 1847 provisions are modernised for Lyme Regis and West Bay. Certain sections are disapplied; penalties for failing to comply with a harbour master’s direction now align with level 4 on the standard scale. These incorporations do not apply to Weymouth, which continues under its own updated order.
Key dates and how to check details. Made on 26 January 2026, laid on 30 January 2026 and in force from 20 February 2026, the Order and its explanatory memorandum are available on legislation.gov.uk. Plans can be inspected at Harbour Masters Office, The Cobb, Lyme Regis DT7 3JJ and Harbour Masters Office, Esplanade, West Bay, Bridport DT6 4HE, and via www.lymeregisharbour.co.uk, www.bridportharbour.co.uk and www.weymouth-harbour.co.uk. If premises boundaries change, updated plans must be posted within 30 days.