The development of Marchwood Port will bring significant investment from SGL as well as new growth from companies and businesses that use the port.
With its sea, rail and road connections, Marchwood Port in is a highly sustainable location and offers opportunities to transport materials via sea and rail that may otherwise have been transported by road. Increasing the number of berthings available onsite will increase opportunities for cargo to be imported by sea.
There are two parts to the application. For the areas that we intend to deliver in our first phase of development we are making a detailed application. This includes:
• a new site entrance and security gatehouse
• areas of open storage and hardstanding
• hauliers park
• welfare facilities
• sitewide highways/railway improvements
• landscaping and ecological enhancements
For the areas that will be developed in later phases we are applying for outline permission and this includes:
• additional open storage hardstanding areas
• welfare facilities
• an aggregates handling/processing plant with associated asphalt and concrete batching plants
• a potential warehouse for covered storage and further areas of open storage.
Since our public consultation in Autumn of 2020 we have revised the proposals to give a slightly less intensive use of the port than originally proposed.
Illustrative Masterplan August 2021
The revised master plan provides more green space within the site and a small reduction in the intensification of the port, while still increasing its capacity. The green areas onsite will be enhanced through new planting, which will help mitigate noise from port operations and improve air quality and includes ecological corridors. The exact mix and nature of uses of the port will inevitably change over time as businesses locate to or leave the port.
The proposals for the site will increase its capacity and operation to make more effective and efficient use of the port.
This will be achieved by:
- Accommodating a range of different cargo and commodities that will transported through and stored onsite including bulks, aggregates, food products, vehicles, building materials, wind turbine blades and steel products.
- Providing additional hard standing for open storage, with shipping containers stacked to a maximum height of five containers stored in less visually sensitive areas of the port.
- Installing associated technology to aid the movement of materials around the site and limit impacts.
- Retaining and upgrading existing buildings onsite – offices, car parking, training facilities and workshops.
- Creating a new access from Cracknore Hard with enhanced security features that enable vehicles entering and exiting the site by road to be processed more efficiently.
- Providing for additional ancillary uses such as office and staff welfare facilities.
- Building two warehouses for dry storage of goods if required – up to a maximum eves height limit of 12.5m and a maximum roof height up to 16.5m.
- Protecting and enhancing the MOD’s operation.
The port will continue to operate 24/7, with most activity in normal working hours and will remain closed to the public with secure fencing.
Cargo can be unloaded on the quayside directly from vessels onto trains on the rail track
Socioeconomic benefits
We have been working with the Marchwood Skills Centre to develop apprenticeships and job/career opportunities with SGL. We will also introduce future clients operating in the port to the Marchwood Skills Centre to create further training and employment opportunities for local residents. We are also supporting Career Colleges with the development of a new logistics curriculum.
SGL is a member of the New Forest Business Partnership and The Solent Forum and is already working with other local companies, supporting local projects such as the development
at Fawley Refinery. SGL will continue to build these relationships to help safeguard current employment and attract new and innovative businesses to the port.
Our aspiration is to attract companies from across the UK and abroad that embrace green technology and wish to transport cargo more sustainably by sea or rail.
Once fully developed the port is anticipated to support up to 1,100 jobs including on and off site employment. This will deliver a range of different types and skill level of jobs, with opportunities for school leavers up to skilled professionals. We are keen to use local suppliers during the development and ongoing operation of the port. This development has significant potential to boost local prosperity during the post-COVID recovery period.
We will also look to provide opportunities for apprenticeships and will continue to provide recognised industry standard training to all our employees. This ensures we develop skilled and qualified staff, including stevedores who are also MOD reservists.
We make extensive investment in structured training and development and have skilled staff who carry out the port activities to high standards, both in Health and Safety and efficient performance. Our training plans are structured so staff training can be mapped across into formal qualifications such as QCFs and Apprenticeships.
SGL will also look to promote the jobs created onsite as well as those during the construction phase to local people who are in close proximity to the port and therefore limiting their travel to work.
Key considerations
UK ports play a vital role in the country’s trade and industry, with national policy supporting the sustainable expansion of the existing ports. The commercial development of Marchwood Port is a significant opportunity to make a vital contribution to UK imports and exports.
The proposed development is within the port’s existing boundary and there are no plans to extend this site area. As such, it has been important to incorporate an element of flexibility into the masterplan to accommodate changing requirements of the port over time.
The proposals for Marchwood Port, which will increase the capacity of the port whilst being socially and environmentally aware, are in accordance with local and national policy and SGL is committed to working with stakeholders and the community to deliver a scheme that responds to the national and regional need whilst addressing potential local impacts.
As well as investing in the port, we will look to attract businesses that support the local prosperity and sustainability agenda, which will in turn bring jobs and economic growth to the local area. We will also work with other interested parties such as the Local Enterprise Partnership to support the growth and economic prosperity of the whole Waterside area.
The nature of the development of the port will ensure that business operations can continue whilst work is underway.