A Dover resident has appealed to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughin for an elected community director for the Port of Dover.

Mick Tedder, of Buckland Avenue, said the port should have two more directors elected by the community.

He raised this issue with Dover Town Council and the district council but said he heard nothing back. He has written to Mr McLoughlin appealing for help.

In the letter he said: “Like most I welcomed the recent arrival of two community directors to the port’s board but trust this is but the first step on a journey, still to completed, in giving our local community a real voice in the port’s future.

“For this to happen and show the concept of full local involvement in the port was not just political spin, will require the appointment of another two ‘directors from the community’, which is different from what we now have.

“The two new directors, who are both locally respected, have been appointed for us by a selection method which excluded the community at large.

“What we now require to complete the process are another two but this time elected by the community itself.”

The two community directors appointed in December were Neil Wiggins, chairman of the People’s Port Trust, and Dover resident Samantha Parker. They were chosen by a panel including Dover District Council leader Paul Watkins, the deputy mayor of Dover, Sue Jones, and MP Charlie Elphicke.

The Mercury previously reported that Mr Tedder had appealed to the town council to take the initiative and start the process for appointing multiple community directors and now he has expanded on these views.

He said it would be a good idea to combine the elections of the directors with the general election in May. He asked that a group of politically balanced local individuals be appointed to select four candidates.

The four would then be listed on the ballot paper with voters asked to preference them one to four and the two highest ranked will secure the post. Mr Tedder said they should have a minimum term of three years.

He is asking the Transport Secretary for help to resolve this issue as he believes a community-based outlook will keep the port afloat and avoid future privatisation.