SF in Kerteminde Municipality has filed a complaint with the Appeals Board against Odense Havn, which is accused of conducting illegal property development in violation of the harbor law. This includes, among other things, the establishment of Odense Dry Port, which according to plans is to be located 23 km from the nearest quay.
The complaint to the Appeals Board is directed at both Odense and Kerteminde Municipalities’ activities through Odense Havn A/S, which is 100 pct. owned by Odense Municipality.
According to SF, the harbor has for several years acted as a property developer instead of sticking to classic port operations, writes Fyens Stiftstidende.
A central point in the complaint is the plans for Odense Dry Port – a logistics center in Årslev, 23 kilometers from the nearest quay. SF believes that the project does not have the necessary quay-proximate connection and therefore falls outside the purpose of the harbor law.
“We do not believe it can be accommodated within the harbor law. It is property development, and we believe that is illegal,” says Alex Haurand (SF), member of the Kerteminde City Council to the newspaper.
The complaint also includes municipal declarations of support for EU projects as well as a cooperation agreement from 2024, which according to SF mixes port development with residential and commercial construction.
Professor Sten Bønsing from Aalborg University says to Fyens Stiftstidende that the case will likely have to be assessed based on the harbor law, which only permits activities with a direct connection to sea transport. A violation could in the worst case lead to an injunction against operating a port business.
The case is now with the Appeals Board, which must decide whether Odense Havn has acted within the framework of the law.
-emte
