By John Denham MP - 18th January 2012
John Denham MP calls for "no further slip ups or delays" in investment at the Port of Southampton, to allow access for larger container ships at the port.
At a time when everyone agrees that investment in infrastructure is key for growth, a £150m entirely private sector investment in the Port of Southampton is being blocked by a series of bureaucratic bungles and delays. I and other Hampshire and Isle of Wight MPs will be pressing the shipping and ports minister to make sure that there are no further slip ups or delays which are putting over thousands of jobs.
Southampton is a hugely successful container port, ideally suited for the South East Asia trade. But container ships are getting bigger, and, in common with other shipping lines, Southampton's major customers are introducing the next generation of super-sized container ships over the next two years.
To accommodate the growing number of these ships, Southampton needs to reconstruct its major container berth and undertake more extensive dredging.
The need for the project was first identified in 2007 and, following advice from government agencies, ABP used their proposals in 2008. But mistaken agency advice has forced ABP to revise its submission, carry out more extensive analysis than first requested. Finally its plans were put on ice by a legal challenge mounted to the Marine Management by the operators of the rival port of Felixstowe, Hutchisons.
ABP has followed the advice and requests of the MMO and its successor from the outset. Yet the mistakes made have not only been costly, but have been compounded by a lack of urgency in putting them right.
Timescales are now desperately tight. The proposals have just been re-advertised. There will be a six week consultation period. The MMO must consider all the responses properly yet, even when it has decided, any approval will still be subject to potential judicial review.
Orders have to be placed for works which, though they cannot physically start until until September 2012 (avoiding the salmon run on the River Test), must nonetheless be completed by March 2013 if the port is not to run the serious risk of losing customers. Nearly 1000 people work in the container terminal with each supporting an estimated further estimated four further local jobs.
MPs will press the minister to ensure that the MMO now has all the resources and expertise it needs to ensure there are no further delays. At the same time, when £150m of investment is at stake, MPs will ask whether UK plc is helped by the aggressive use of judicial review by rival commercial operators.
John Denhamhas been Labour MP for Southhampton Itchen since 1992.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd