The Port of Tilbury will host a visit from the All-Party Parliamentary Freight Transport Group on 29th October.

The Group including Robert Flello MP, Andrew Bridgen MP will be given an in-dock boat tour of the port and hear from the senior management about the port’s key strengths in portcentric logistics and the drive to increase the use of Thames water-bourne barge transport.

The party will be taken on a tour of operations to see for themselves the outcome of the multimillion pound investment across the port including London Container Terminal, one of the UK’s largest container terminals which together with the rest of the port handles over half a million containers each year. The Group will also see for themselves the progress of the new chilled food facility which is under construction at the London Container Terminal. The store, operated in partnership with NFT, will be the largest port-based chill store in Europe and is due to open in early 2016.

The parliamentarians will also be updated on The London Construction Link alliance between S Walsh and the port, which offers construction solutions using water transportation for sites near or beside the Thames to relieve truck congestion on the Capital’s roads; and a visit is also planned to the new 70-acre distribution park on the outskirts of the port called the London Distribution Park. The park, which already has Travis Perkins operating from the site, is the largest speculative development on the market near London and is expected to bring over 1,100 new jobs to the Thames Gateway regeneration area.

Commenting on the visit, Peter Ward, Senior Asset Manager at the Port of Tilbury, said: “We are delighted to welcome the parliamentary group to the port who will be given a full tour of the diverse activities at Tilbury, including the connectivity strengths of the port’s rail and barge freight facilities. As London’s major port, it’s important that Parliament is aware of the activities we are involved with, including those that are helping to shape the South East’s and London’s supply chains – from portcentric logistics, the London Construction Link to our new chill store which opens early next year.

The All-Party Parliamentary Freight Transport Group is tasked with the promotion of the freight transport industry and to provide a forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

Source: Forth Ports, 28 October, 2015