London Gateway approval welcomed

London Gateway approval welcomed    The British government's decision to approve Dubai Ports World's '1.5 billion ($2.96 billion) London Gateway port and business park project has been warmly welcomed by members of the industry.
   'I am delighted that the government has finally given the go ahead for this vitally important project,' said Port of London Authority Chairman Simon Sherrard. 'It is set to be the biggest development in the Port of London for over 100 years. It will enable London to regain its traditional place as the U.K.'s leading port.'
   The Freight Transport Association, which represents British shippers and transport providers, echoed that sentiment, but expressed its frustration at the project's delay, which it said was symptomatic of why U.K. ports have fallen behind their European counterparts.
   Christopher Snelling, FTA's head of global supply chain, said: 'This is good news for the whole of the U.K. Britain has a shortage of container port facilities at the moment making the supply chain into this country more expensive — to the disadvantage of the economy and the consumer. Ports like London Gateway can serve the whole country, so we all benefit from this decision.
   'However, it is a great shame that it has taken so long to approve this project — the planning process for London Gateway started in 2002 and has been in limbo since the planning inquiry closed in 2003. All this time rival ports on the continent have continued to expand, leaving the U.K. behind.'
   Last week, the government published a planning white paper designed to simplify and speed up the application process for local and national projects. 'We need to see them following through on those proposals,' Snelling said.
   He added that developers and local authorities will need to work closely together to manage the impact of the new development on nearby roads and motorways.
   'The FTA will be watching closely to ensure theses are carried out effectively. Any improvements to the roads needed for the new port should be paid for by the port developers or the public authorities, and not charged back to shippers, as has happened at the Port of Felixstowe,' Snelling said.