The battle for a £300m deep sea container terminal on Teesside today suffered a blow.
A Department for Transport decision to give the green light to plans to develop Bathside Bay, Harwich, has come as a disappointment to Martyn Pellew, group development director of PD Ports.
"One could say bitterly disappointed," he said today.
"The decision is not surprising, however, given the Department for Transport's piecemeal, rather than strategic, approach to its UK ports planning."
PD Ports has been calling on the Government to give priority to its plans over the expansion of three southern ports, including Bathside Bay, to reduce the £30bn North-South divide.
But in July the Government said it was minded to approve plans for a £1bn port development at London Gateway, formerly Shell Haven, with decisions on Felixstowe and Harwich expected later this year.
However, news of the Harwich decision was released at 5pm last night, which Mr Pellew found strange. "It is very unusual timing - 5pm just before Christmas," he said.
"I would now expect them to go for Felixstowe next.
"But this news does not necessarily mean we will not get our plans approved but we now have to redouble our efforts to talk to shippers and shipping lines. There should be more joined up thinking about the road traffic consequences of more ships arriving in the South-east."
