The application has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport along with environmental impact and technical studies. The development would involve construction of an 800m long quay and the infilling of a stretch of water to create a 17 hectare triangle of land between the river wall at Seaforth Dock and the river wall at the Gladstone River Entrance.

The new terminal would be capable of handling 600,000 teu a year and would free up additional capacity at the established Seaforth Container Terminal within Liverpool's enclosed docks, which last year handled a record 616,000 teu.

Mersey Docks director of marketing Frank Robotham said, 'From both a practical and defensive position, Liverpool has to go post-Panamax. Five years ago, Liverpool was ranked fourth among UK container ports serving the busy North Atlantic route. Today it handles more container trade with the United States of America and Canada than any other port in the land.

Though lines on the North Atlantic have not yet gone post-Panamax, Liverpool along with US and Canadian ports, has to be ready.

'At the same time, both the new age of large deepsea feeder operations which has opened up the global networks of major container lines to shippers using the Port, and the growing recognition of Liverpool as the gateway to the UK's second largest cargo generating region, add to our optimism for future growth.'

The Port of Liverpool's ranking among Britain's top three container gateways has also been secured by recent investment of £30m in the Seaforth Terminal, including new ship-to-shore gantry cranes, container interchange area for road transport, logistics building, multi-lane terminal gate, box handling plant and computer systems.

MJ Information No: 21009