From 20 February 2026, Lyme Regis, Bridport (West Bay) and Weymouth will operate under a refreshed legal framework. The Marine Management Organisation has signed a Harbour Revision Order for Dorset Council, modernising how the two Dorset harbours are run and updating Weymouth’s 2021 order. The instrument was made on 26 January and laid before Parliament on 30 January, with Acting Chief Executive Michelle Willis signing on behalf of the MMO in Newcastle upon Tyne, according to legislation.gov.uk.

In practical terms, Dorset Council gains clear powers to maintain, operate and improve the harbours, publish a Harbours Business Plan and act as the local lighthouse authority. Charges and dues are updated: the council can set reasonable fees for vessels, goods and services, require deposits against those charges and, where bills are not settled, refuse entry or detain vessels until payment is made. While overall viability across the harbour undertaking may be considered when setting charges, each harbour is expected, as far as practicable, to cover its own running costs year on year.

Rules of the water are formalised through General Directions covering navigation, safety, protection of property and managing activity ashore. Before giving or changing a direction, the council must consult for at least six weeks with the Chamber of Shipping, the Royal Yachting Association and a Harbours Advisory Group, consider the responses and-if an objection is maintained-refer the matter to an independent adjudicator nominated via the London Maritime Arbitrators Association. A public register of current directions must be available at each harbour office and online.

Day-to-day enforcement remains with harbour masters, who may issue Special Directions to individual vessels, regulate berthing and cargo handling, and order the removal of craft that are unsafe or obstructive. Failing to comply with a general or special direction is an offence carrying a level 4 fine on the standard scale, with a due diligence defence available. The council also retains the right to recover unpaid charges as a debt and to prevent a vessel sailing until evidence of payment is shown.

Moorings are put on a clearer footing. The council can lay and manage its own moorings and license private ones; anyone with an existing lawful mooring must obtain a council licence within 12 weeks of 20 February 2026. Unlicensed or unsafe moorings may be removed with reasonable costs recoverable. Charges may be applied for council moorings, and where a private mooring is lifted to make way for council provision, an alternative must be offered as soon as it is laid.

Fuel and power arrangements are tightened. Commercial refuelling-covering recharging and alternative power as well as fuel-now requires a one‑year licence from the council, with locally set fees. Carrying out bunkering without a licence is an offence subject to a level 4 fine.

Dredging powers are confirmed alongside environmental safeguards. Dorset Council may deepen, widen and cleanse channels and approaches, but dredged material must be handled lawfully. Notably, the standard harbour authority exemption in section 75 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 will not apply at Lyme Regis, adding an extra layer of oversight to disposal routes. Any new aids to navigation adjacent to the harbours require Trinity House approval.

Clearing hazards will be quicker. The council can recover and dispose of wrecks, deal with unserviceable vessels left in the harbours and remove other obstructions; owners are generally given 48 hours’ notice in wreck cases unless there is an emergency, and reasonable costs can be recovered where sale proceeds do not cover them. Authorised officers may board vessels and vehicles to enforce harbour law.

Local voice is built in. Dorset Council must establish one or more advisory bodies of harbour stakeholders and consult them on matters that substantially affect management, maintenance, improvement, conservation or regulation. These groups must meet at least twice a year; members serve three‑year terms; and the appointment scheme must be published on the harbour websites. For communities that rely on small ports, this puts consultation on a formal footing.

There is a Weymouth‑specific change to the ‘open port duty’. At Weymouth, the 1847 duty to keep the harbour open to all on payment of rates will apply only to vessels up to 24 metres, and it will not apply to the red‑shaded peninsula area shown on the official plan. Weymouth’s 2021 order is otherwise updated to mirror the modern consultation and enforcement tools applied at Lyme Regis and West Bay.

Harbour boundaries are clarified. Legal limits for the wet harbours and adjacent premises are set out in plans that must be available at the Harbour Masters’ Offices-The Cobb, Lyme Regis DT7 3JJ, and the Esplanade, West Bay, Bridport DT6 4HE-and on the relevant harbour websites. A Harbours Business Plan must also be published and kept under review so harbour users can see priorities and spending.

For readers across the North, this is a live template for small‑port governance. The MMO in Newcastle has again used its Harbours Act powers to refresh a coastal rulebook with clearer consultation, firmer safety powers, formalised mooring and bunkering regimes and public registers you can check without leaving the quay. The full order is published on legislation.gov.uk, with further detail also listed on the Dorset harbour websites.