Southampton to get back on track soon?


ABP's plan to expand Southampton Container Terminal has been delayed following an objection by Hutchison Ports, but the government has promised to review the matter

Last month, Hutchison Ports, whose own Felixstowe South reconfiguration project was completed in September, applied for a judicial review of February's decision by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to give the go-ahead for major works to develop Southampton’s Berths 201 and 202 into a new 500m deep water container quay wall. For background see: http://www.worldcargonews.com/htm/w20110224.361887.htm

The MMO (formerly the Marine and Fisheries Agency of DEFRA) decided not to defend the challenge, agreeing that the environmental impact of the project had not been fully examined, including the impacts on traffic in Southampton and beyond.

MMO agreed in the High Court with Hutchison's lawyers that its decision should be squashed and it would reassess ABP's application.

Following an appeal by John Denham, the MP for Southampton Itchen Ward and a former Labour government minister, the present coalition government's Business Secretary, Dr Vince Cable, said he would look into the "red tape" holding up this and other strategic investment projects.

The legal manoeuvres have delayed vital work to restore a "lost" fourth berth in Southampton. The increasing length of container ships has meant Southampton's existing deep sea container berths 204-207, cannot always accommodate four ULCCs at the same time.

A spokeswoman for the MMO said it had met ABP in recent months to agree the additional information required to reassess its application. "ABP Southampton issued a new environmental statement to the MMO on October 24 and we are currently reviewing this document.

"Once the MMO is satisfied with the scope of the ES we will proceed to consultation with our primary consultees and the public."

ABP now hopes to receive planning consent early next year, so the new quay space would be operational by the end of 2013. However, according to judicialreview.info, conditions applied to the original consent to protect migratory Atlantic salmon would have meant the main works would not have begun until September next year in any case.

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