HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : New port to bring jobs, growth and prosperity says Gordon Brown [January 2010]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 5 January 2010.

The Prime Minister has said the development of the London Gateway port will create thousands of jobs for the region and is a vote of confidence in the UK’s economic recovery.

Gordon Brown and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson visited the site, on the north bank of the Thames in Essex this morning, to mark the start of work on one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects.

The company DP World is behind the £1.5 billion development, which will be Europe’s largest combined deep-sea port and logistics park.

The PM said:

“The London Gateway is a significant foreign investment into the UK. It is a massive vote of confidence in the UK’s economic recovery and in this region. UK Trade & Investment and other Government departments have worked closely with DP World over a number of years to make this project possible.

“I am delighted with the decision to locate this world-class project here in the UK. It will help bring the largest deep sea vessels here and improve the efficiency of the UK’s freight distribution, creating thousands of jobs, future growth and economic prosperity.”

Once completed the London Gateway will link road, rail and sea.

By combining the port with a distribution centre DP World estimates the port will save over 60 million heavy goods vehicle miles per year on UK roads. It says this will amount to a reduction of 148,000 tonnes per annum of CO2 emissions.

Lord Mandelson said the London Gateway will also see the creation of 36,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The work beginning today includes the construction of three kilometres of land reclamation and a dredging operation in the Thames Estuary.