A Dover man has written to the Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, calling for the newly introduced community fund to be scrapped.

The concept of a community fund was announced at a ministerial visit back in April – where Stephen Hammond felt it would bring the port and town together.

This is one of the items on the Harbour Revision Order which will see the port have more powers.

The revision order was approved on October 9.

Mick Tedder, of Buckland Avenue, who has 40 years worth of experience within the port industry, has slammed the port’s commitment to input 1% of its pre-tax profits into the fund.

This judgement was made when Mr Tedder attended one of the port’s workshops at the cruise terminal last month. This was when the chairman, George Jenkins announced the estimate that about £100,000 would be contributed.

Mr Tedder said: “It was suggested this [the fund] could be supplemented by approaching other donors in the area.

“Given the current economic state of the district I do not see many, if any, local companies having the financial capacity to make commitments that would be required for the fund to have a meaningful long-term future.”

Mr Tedder has come up with another initiative which would mean introducing a 10p charge for traffic using the port.

He continued: “I have personally always advocated a local toll on movements through the port.

“A charge of 10p for every truck, coach, car and passenger and based on 2013 figures would generate some £1.7million which, if figures of future throughout suggested by port managers are correct, could exceed £2million in a few years time.”

Last month’s workshop invited people to have their say on how the fund should be used, but port representatives on each table stuck to a set agenda, which cut Mr Tedder short when he began talking about his idea of a levy.

So the Dover resident has gone the extra mile by writing to the central government, in the hope his view will be heard.

His letter has also been forwarded onto Charlie Elphicke MP.

It stated: “I would suggest, if agreed, the toll is collected as part of the ticket by the ferry or cruise companies and then transferred directly into the Port Community Fund account.

'I would suggest, if agreed, the toll is collected as part of the ticket by the ferry or cruise companies and then transferred directly into the Port Community Fund account.' - Mick Tedder

“The alternative would be for the charge to be raised by the Port of Dover as part of the schedules of Port Dues which all vessels using the port are subject to.”

The Harbour Revision order which has been proposed by the port requests the power to borrow against its assets - and Mr Tedder feels that this could cause financial instability for the port in later years.

Mr Tedder concluded in his letter: “I would also suggest to avoid any delay to the Western Docks development reference to the Community Fund be withdrawn from the current HRO and be dealt with in the near future when the issue of funding has been properly considered, debated and resolved.”