£1bn London Gateway container port scheme to be approved

Transport minister Derek Twigg looks likely to approve the construction of a new £1bn London Gateway container port at Shellhaven in Thurrock.

Twigg said the approval for the scheme was now subject to satisfaction on a number of issues and in particular on the provision of additional highway capacity in the area.

The final decision comes after a lengthy inquiry in 2003 which found in favour of the scheme which will see the construction of a new port by operator P&O at the site of a disused Shell oil refinery.

In a statement, Twigg said: “The government fully recognises the nation’s and industry’s needs for additional container port capacity in order to meet future economic demand.

“However, it is important that any new development, particularly on this large scale, be sustainable in a manner consistent with government policy.

“We need to be sure, in particular, that the impacts of the full development on the area’s highways network can be accommodated and that any measures proposed to mitigate those impacts are not only adequate but also likely to be carried out. At this stage we are not yet satisfied we can be reasonably certain of that happening.”