The British Ports Association published a new research by infrastructure advisory firm Moffatt & Nichol which shows that UK ports and terminals have an estimated £1.7bn of port infrastructure investment in the development pipeline.
The research is part of the BPA’s “Port Futures” program and it captures schemes all over the UK and highlights how ports in all parts of the UK are investing in new facilities.
Mark Simmonds, the British Ports Association’s Policy Manager and BPA Port Futures programme coordinator, mentioned:
Ports are doing their bit but we rely on Government to ensure that road and rail connections from the port gate are fit for purpose. The terrestrial and marine planning and consenting process is also cumbersome and costly and often holds back or even prevents some sustainable port development. This research demonstrates that UK ports are investing in new infrastructure to keep goods and people moving as efficiently as possible. The UK ports industry operates in a competitive and commercial environment, independently of Government, so this significant investment is at no cost to the taxpayer.
Moffatt & Nichol used publicly sourced data taken from the last 12 months. There are over a dozen other significant port projects listed in the research. These projects were not included in the most recent “pipeline” report from the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, but show optimism in infrastructure development and growth in the port sector.
Joseph Collins, of Moffatt & Nichol, stated:
It’s likely that there are a many more privately financed infrastructure projects planned or underway all around the country, which haven’t been discussed in public yet. Together, these projects help ensure that the 95% of UK trade that moves through our ports continues to do so as efficiently as possible.
For more information about UK’s ports infrastructure, click the PDF herebelow