Archived press release

Bathside bay inquiry must halt today

13 July 2004

Friends of the Earth will call on the Public Inquiry into a proposed deep-sea container port at Bathside Bay in Harwich to be halted today because the developer has provided insufficient evidence on the impact that traffic will have on the local road network and the environment.

Hutchison Ports UK (HPUK) is presenting new `Proof of Evidence' based on a new traffic assessment to the Inquiry today (Tuesday). But this will show that the scale of work needed on the local road network to service the port development, and the scale of damage likely to be caused to the environment, has been significantly underestimated.

Friends of the Earth, which has seen the new evidence, says that HPUK has clearly presented insufficient evidence for the Inquiry to continue. The environmental campaign group says that the traffic impacts are a fundamental factor in deciding whether the development should proceed. Furthermore, if permission is given for the port in the knowledge that major road works are required, then the road works will effectively be approved without planning permission.

Tendring District Council supports the development but has commented that:

"The latest traffic assessment implies extra land take, environmental impacts and further mitigation measures not envisaged in the original Environmental Impact Assessment…"As a major proposal the project may need to be the subject of an independent Environmental Impact Assessment."

The Public Inquiry Inspector, Mr. Ken Smith has already allowed the developers, HPUK, extra time to complete additional work on the traffic.

Friends of the Earth's East of England Regional Campaigner Mary Edwards said:

"The Inspector must call a halt to this Inquiry. The new information provided by Hutchinson Ports gives woefully insufficient information on the impacts that the expected extra traffic will have on the environment and local communities. If the Inquiry gives the go-ahead to the port it will make it impossible to stop the major road works that the Highways Agency says will be necessary on the A120 from Colchester to Harwich to support the extra traffic. This would completely undermine the public consultation process that must be carried out when such a major road scheme is planned."

Notes

• The Proof of Evidence on traffic for the developers and the opening statement from the Highways Agency is available at www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk

• Tendring District Council, in their Proof of Evidence for Theme 6, Traffic, say:

  8.1 The latest traffic assessment implies an extra land take, environmental impacts and further mitigation measures not envisaged in the original Environmental Impact Assessment.

  8.2 No design details of the upgraded highways are available and whether they would involve off-line realignments or could be achieved mainly within the existing highway boundaries.

  8.3 The impacts have not at this stage been identified and cannot therefore be taken into account.

  8.4 The County Council and the Highway Authority has yet to provide evidence on whether the latest technical assessments are acceptable and provide guidance the implications for the highway network in terms of strategic planning priorities. Any scheme for the trunk road would need to go through the Highway Agency's normal design, consultation, assessment processes (including any necessary land acquisition) prior to inclusion, if appropriate, in an on-going implementation programme, assuming it is funded in whole or part by the developer.

  8.5 As a major proposal the project may need to be the subject of an independent Environmental Impact Assessment.

  8.6 At this stage therefore the scheme has no formal status.

  8.67 To date no improvements to the A120 in Tendring have been scheduled to be included in the Highway Agency's trunk road programme, as indicated in paragraph 4.8.

  (Proof of Evidence, Theme 6, Bathside Bay Public Inquiry, Tendring District Council, June 14 th, 2004 )

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust