Ten year extension for Bathside Bay port (From Harwich and Manningtree Standard)

Ten year extension for Bathside Bay port

6:00pm Wednesday 30th January 2013 in Harwich and Manningtree News By Helen Barnett

Ten year extension for Bathside Bay port

PLANS to build a major container port on the Harwich coast have been given another ten years to be built.

Hutchison Ports was officially granted a ten year extension to start work on Bathside Bay at Tendring Council’s planning meeting on Tuesday, January 29.

It will give the company up until 2023 to start the development.

The decision has been welcomed by both Tendring Council bosses Leader Peter Halliday said: “This development is absolutely vital to the economy of both the town of Harwich and the District of Tendring.

“The council is fully supportive of the scheme which will bring much-needed new jobs and considerable inward investment and growth.”

An extension was granted in 2011 but was put into doubt when the Secretary of State called part of the application which allowed some temporary building before upgrading the A120.

Hutchison Ports wanted to build a temporary platform so it could make money from the wind farm industry. But because the Secretary of State intervened, it decided to withdraw the request.

Due to the time lapse between decisions, Tendring Council was ordered to reassess the extensions and approved the extension.