HPUK asks for Bathside Bay time extension

Monday, 01 March 2010

PLANS for a new container terminal at Bathside Bay in Harwich are unlikely to move forward before 2016, Hutchison Ports (UK) has told planners.

While HPUK’s new deepwater facilities across the river at Felixstowe South are rapidly taking shape, the company, which owns both Felixstowe and Harwich International ports, is asking for an extension to the period of planning consent for the Harwich terminal, because of the impact of the economic downturn.

“The original consent was received in 2006 and permitted construction of the deepsea container terminal. The consent requires construction to commence within 10 years,” said HPUK’s head of corporate affairs, Paul Davey, in a letter to members of the Harwich International Port local authority liaison committee.

“As a result of the global economic downturn and resulting recession in the UK, it is currently forecast that demand in the UK will not justify construction within that timeframe.”

HPUK hopes the period of consent can be extended by five years to 2021. Meanwhile, it is considering using the site for offshore wind farm work ahead of any container operations – although this would be the subject of a separate future planning application.

As well as a time extension, HPUK is asking planners to amend the conditions of the planning approval for Bathside Bay, which currently require improvement works to have started on the A120 road before any development takes place. It is looking for a variation so that the A120 works have to be in place before any significant operation of the container terminal.

“The variation of the consent will allow the basic port infrastructure to be built,” said Mr Davey. “It will present an additional opportunity for HPUK to explore an alternative temporary use ahead of commencement of container terminal operations. It is generally recognised that the site could offer an ideal facility to support the construction of offshore wind energy generation.”

At a recent port community reception, HPUK chief executive David Gledhill said the first phase of Felixstowe South was progressing well and should see its first vessels alongside before the end of the year. When complete, the extension will create 1,350 m of quay dredged to 16 metres alongside, providing an additional 1.5m teu capacity and bringing total capacity at Felixstowe to 5.2m teu.