The most recent research by the infrastructure advisory firm Moffatt & Nichol shows that UK Ports and Terminals will have a staggering £1.7 billion of port infrastructure investment. The research, which was developed using publicly sourced data from the last year, captures substantial schemes from across the United Kingdom, and illustrates how ports are investing in new facilities to promote market growth.
British Ports Association’s Policy Manager and BPA Port Futures Program Coordinator, Mark Simmonds says:
‘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. We hope that this report helps government to develop an accurate picture of the investment that industry is making when developing its policies and making its own investment decisions regarding infrastructure.
‘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.’
Joseph Collins of Moffatt & Nichol carried out the research. When asked about the report, he said:
‘This report focuses on developments which have been announced in the press in the last 12 months and provides a snapshot of shows the potential scale of UK. ports investment in infrastructure.
Despite there being no guarantee that all of these projects will be fully realised, with greater engagement between key stakeholders such as government, the ports, investors and statutory bodies, the realisation of these developments has the best chance of success.
It’s also 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 percent of UK trade that moves through our ports continues to do so as efficiently as possible.’
The British Ports Association will be writing to the Infrastructure Projects Authority to ensure that officials have a clear picture of industry investment, highlighting significant projects. There are over a dozen significant port projects listed in the research and it demonstrates great optimism in infrastructure development and growth in the port sector, says BPA. The British Ports Association will also be working with its port members and will be keeping the list of investment up to date as new projects are announced.
The report can be found here.