Rail freight

FTA welcomes london gateway approval

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has welcomed the Government's decision to issue final approval to develop London Gateway container port - also known as Shellhaven. FTA says that the development, near Thurrock in Essex, will provide much needed additional port capacity for the UK.

FTA's Head of Global Supply Chain, Christopher Snelling said 'This is good news for the whole of the UK. Britain has a shortage of container port facilities at the moment making the supply chain into this country more expensive - to the disadvantage of the economy and the consumer. Ports like London Gateway can serve the whole country, so we all benefit from this decision.

'However, it is a great shame that it has taken so long to approve this project - the planning process for London Gateway started in2002 and has been in limbo since the planning inquiry closed in 2003. All this time rival ports on the continent have continued to expand, leaving the UK behind. This shows why the proposal's in the Government's Planning White Paper published last week are so important, and why we need to see them following through on those proposals.'

Snelling also added a note of caution 'The road and rail links around the London Gateway Port area are vital for all kinds of freight movements. The developers and the local authorities have come to agreements about how to manage the impacts on the M25, A13 and A1014, and FTA will be watching closely to ensure theses are carried out effectively. Any improvements to the roads needed for the new port should be paid for by the port developers or the public authorities, and not charged back to shippers, as has happened at the Port of Felixstowe.'

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