The government has announced that it is ‘minded to approve’ P&O’s plans for a 700-acre logistics park and port in Thurrock, Essex.
Transport Minister Derek Twigg and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott made the announcements earlier this morning, backing the port and the development respectively.
The scheme includes up to 10m sq ft of commercial space, aimed at the distribution and industrial sector, on the former Shell oil refinery site, now known as London Gateway.
At the heart of the project is a deep-sea port facility including a container quay with an annual capacity of up to 3.5m container units.
It is estimated that a quarter of the containers currently imported into the UK arrive within a 25-mile radius of the site.
P&O anticipates the first business unit will be occupied by the end of 2007 with the first port berths operational by the first half of the following year.
Robin Woods, chief executive of P&O, said: “We plan to move ahead with both schemes as quickly as possible.”
“There is a national need for more container terminal capacity in the UK. London Gateway Port will ensure that this requirement is met for at least the next ten years.”
“The Logistics and Business Park is a major new opportunity for P&O and Shell. Its excellent location will help to ensure that it will become one of the UK’s leading distribution centres.”
The joint approvals follow a lengthy public inquiry in 2003, which concluded with the inspector recommending approval subject to conditions, including the provision of extra highway capacity in the area.
References: EGi News 20/07/05
