Thames Gateway minister names London Gateway's new nature reserve

Thames Gateway Minister Bob Neill today visited the new port and logistics park currently under construction at London Gateway in south Essex. Watched by a group of children from the nearby Abbotts Hall Primary School, the minister named the new Stanford Wharf Nature Reserve before helping to relocate wildlife from London Gateway to new homes on Canvey Island.

The ministerial visit was made in recognition of the sheer scale of the engineering and environmental strategies being applied by DP World London Gateway and wildlife groups to manage its environmental obligations. Over 200,000 animals have now been relocated off the construction site, making it the largest relocation of animals ever in the UK.

London Gateway’s new nature reserve is located just west of the new port and logistics park construction site, which together will create a Portcentric hub next to the largest consumer market in the UK, providing customers with substantial supply chain savings and efficiencies.

The reserve is 30 times the size of Trafalgar Square and was named today as the Stanford Wharf Nature Reserve, with thousands of birds expected to flock there every year. The name comes from historical connections as it used to be an ancient Roman salt manufacturing area. Salt was made from local sea water and transported as valuable freight across the UK due to its excellent food preservation qualities. DP World will publish a book on the site’s history in October.

Bob Neill MP said: “I am extremely pleased to be at London Gateway for the first time and to see for myself how DP World’s investment in this region is beginning to develop and restore confidence in the area’s economic recovery. This innovative development is changing the landscape along the Thames in many ways, bringing world class trading facilities, new jobs and training opportunities, at the same time as creating valuable green spaces for the local community and an ideal wildlife habitat.

He added: “The new Stanford Wharf is steeped in the trading history of the Thames and will continue to be an important part of local life in Thurrock. I was proud to take part in the relocation of local wildlife as part of the important wider environmental strategy for the area and Thames Gateway.”

London Gateway’s chief executive Simon Moore said: “I’m delighted Bob was able to name the new reserve on this historical site. What we are doing here is all about taking London and south Essex back to its roots as an international maritime trading hub and the new name Stanford Wharf Nature Reserve reflects this well.”

The Thames Gateway minister went on to help ecologists release slow worms from the London Gateway site into their new homes on the RSPB’s West Canvey Marsh on Canvey Island, about four miles away. He released them into their new habitat under the careful eye of ecological experts and met with the RSPB’s regional manager Paul Fisher.

Paul said: “We already provide an ideal location for local people to observe wildlife such as little egrets, lapwings and marsh harriers at West Canvey Marsh. The reserve also provides the right habitat for reptiles such as slow worms, which are being relocated as part of this construction project. We are working with partners throughout the Thames Gateway to provide green spaces for people and wildlife.”

ENDS

Photos show:

1. Bob Neill MP officially names the reserve the Stanford Wharf Nature Reserve alongside children from Abbots Hall Primary School, ecologists, county council officials and the London Gateway team.
2. The group assembles at West Canvey Marsh to release some of the collected animals into the wild.
3. Bob Neill oversees the release of a slow worm.

Notes to Editors

• The Stanford Wharf Nature Reserve – which is 30 times the size of Trafalgar Square - was created on the site by London Gateway port developers DP World as part of its environmental management project. The reserve ensures that birds are still able to stop off and feed during their long flights south during the winter despite   development works to build the port.
• The Stanford Wharf Nature Reserve was created earlier this year when 300m of existing sea wall was breached as part of the development works at London Gateway. The complex engineering project was two years in the making and was carried out in close collaboration with the Environment Agency, the Marine  Management Organisation, the Port of London Authority, Natural England and the RSBP.
• London Gateway port, which will also be the site of one of Europe’s largest logistics parks, started construction in March 2010 and is located 25 miles east of central London on the north bank of the river Thames at Stanford le Hope, Essex.

About DP World:
DP World is one of the largest marine terminal operators in the world, with 50 terminals and 11 new developments across 31 countries (1). Its dedicated, experienced and professional team of nearly 30,000 people serves customers in some of the most dynamic economies in the world. DP World aims to enhance customers’ supply chain efficiency by effectively managing container, bulk and other terminal cargo.

The company constantly invests in terminal infrastructure, facilities and people, working closely with customers and business partners to provide quality services today and tomorrow, when and where customers need them.

In taking this customer-centric approach, DP World is building on the established relationships and superior level of service demonstrated at its flagship Jebel Ali facility in Dubai, which has been voted “Best Seaport in the Middle East” for 16 consecutive years. In 2009, DP World handled more than 43.4 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) across its portfolio from the Americas to Asia. With a pipeline of expansion and development projects in key growth markets, including India, China and the Middle East, capacity is expected to rise to around 95 million TEU over the next ten years, in line with market demand.

www.dpworld.com

(1) As of 27 July 2010

Press Enquiries:
Xavier Woodward, Communications Manager, DP World London Gateway
xavier.woodward@dpworld.com 01375 648 340 / 07748 623 423

Claire Owen, Mosaic Publicity - claire@mosaicpublicity.co.uk 01206 548100