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UK Call for Early Boxport Decisions
01 Dec 2003
The Chairman of the Committee, the Hon Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody MP, called for early decisions by the UK Government on proposed new container port capacity. While declining to comment on the merits or otherwise of existing applications for major new developments at Dibden Bay in the Port of Southampton, the Thames Gateway development in London, or Bathside Bay at Harwich, Mrs Dunwoody told a press briefing that the Committee was clear about the need for urgent decisions to be taken on new container port capacity.
She said that anything which delayed these important developments would almost inevitably lead to the UK being at the end of the transhipment line, thus losing commercial opportunities to continental ports.
Bo Lerenius, the Chief Executive of Associated British Ports, whose Port of Southampton is eager to proceed with the Dibden Bay development, welcomed the report and said, 'Mrs Dunwoody has amplified the excellent report from her Committee by pressing for early decisions on existing applications for new capacity and rejecting any suggestion they should await the development of the national ports policy proposed by her Committee.
'Additional capacity is needed now and we are very pleased that the Committee has highlighted the contribution which growth in the UK's container handling capability will make to the UK economy.'
MJ Information No: 18902
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