Business leader appointed to board at Cornish harbour

Falmouth Harbour has appointed environmental scientist and business leader Natasha Collings-Costello as a new Commissioner.

She will join its board to help shape current strategy and future prosperity for one of the UK’s premier harbours.

Natasha will bring 20 years’ experience in the environment and ecology fields to the broad mix of skills and expertise required on the small and dynamic Board which oversees the economic prosperity and safe and sustainable management of Falmouth Harbour’s wide-ranging activities.

As managing director at Cornwall Environmental Consultants Ltd (CEC) – the commercial arm of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust– Natasha has spent her time there growing the business to be consistently profitable, whilst continuing to offer high quality environmental advice.

At the same time Natasha has taken CEC through the application process towards B-Corp accreditation – the world-wide bench-mark for sustainable business – with all the generated profits from the consultancy going directly to supporting the work of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

Natasha says, “As a proud Cornish person who is passionate about the environment and natural assets of Cornwall I am very excited
to join Falmouth Harbour as a Commissioner and feel I will be able to provide valuable input and support to the leadership team and the sustainable management of the harbour into the future.

“Balancing the needs of people, place and planet should at the heart of decision-making in all spheres and in the case of our incredible Falmouth Harbour it’s balancing the needs of our precious natural environment, our stakeholders and our extensive commercial and leisure activities.”

Natasha’s two decades working in the terrestrial, intertidal and marine environments include being the designer’s Environmental Manager for the £1 billion Forth Replacement Crossing project – a new road bridge across the Forth Estuary – and the Project Ecologist for the Poole Twin Sails bridge.

The opening as Commissioner comes as Falmouth Harbour bids farewell to Ben Grigg after six years’ service on the Board, which manages the Trust Port, with statutory responsibility for the navigation and conservation of approximately 16 square miles of harbour area.

As well as bringing his life-long experience in leisure and international marine industries to his Commissioner role, Ben chaired the Falmouth and Helford Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Group which works with Falmouth Harbour to protect sensitive habitats and ecology of the area which includes seagrass and maerl beds and a diverse range of marine species.

Ben says, “A compelling reason for me to join Falmouth Harbour Commissioners – having grown up in the local sailing community and benefitting, in my view, from the best harbour environment in the world – was to help with commercial decision-making as the Trust Port is self-funded, whilst at the same time balancing the needs of all stakeholders and our environment.

“The obligations of the role and getting that balance right is certainly challenging but also gratifying – working as we do with an incredibly professional team led by Falmouth Harbour CEO Miles Carden.”

Falmouth Harbour recently celebrated its 150th year of managing the 3rd deepest natural harbour in the world – strategically placed on the UK’s Western approaches – and the FHC remit covers the operation of Falmouth Harbour, Falmouth Haven and Falmouth Pilot Services.

Falmouth Harbour Chief Executive Miles Carden says, “The Harbour Board team has significant responsibility for managing our Trust Port – a demanding privilege which requires dedication and commitment and which allows the Board to make a very real difference.

“To have a candidate of Natasha’s calibre to join us – with exactly the broad mix of skills and extensive senior level experience that we hoped to find, is very exciting and I look forward to working with a fellow Cornish business leader.”