Plans have been submitted for a “major UK port logistics development” serving the English ports Immingham and Grimsby.
Associated British Ports (ABP) has submitted a planning application for land development at its Stallingborough Interchange, on the south bank of the River Humber. ABP say the site will provide high quality automotive open storage space for new and existing customers of the Ports of Immingham and Grimsby.
Stallingborough has been on the agenda for ABP since the port operator completed the purchase of the freehold of the 227.5-acre (92ha) site in December 2023. Under British development regulations, an “outline planning application” has been submitted. ABP say they plan to use just under half of the inland site for storage and logistics attached to the automotive sector.
Wider economic regeneration
“A year after the purchase of what is such a significant investment site, we bring to fruition our shared ambition to create a major UK port logistics development,” said Greg Lacey, Head of Property (Humber) for ABP. “This is part of the wider Stallingborough development that will deliver up to a further 1.5m sq. ft. [139,000 square metres] of industrial and manufacturing space across the remainder of the site that benefits from an existing planning consent.”
According to ABP, the site is one of the largest development land parcels in such proximity to the ports of Immingham and Grimsby. ABP says it is further supporting the growth of commercial activities within the region, having already demonstrated its expansion ambitions in the area. Additionally, the local authority in the region is already engaged in a development initiative. Called the South Humber Industrial Investment Programme, the North East Lincolnshire Council ambition for the area includes Stallingborough in a wider plan to support regional economic regeneration.
Strategic investment in Humber ports
The planning application for Stallingborough includes external storage and distribution of goods and products associated with port-related import-export activities. There are also proposals for up to 12,000 square metres of floor space of associated buildings, landscaping (including land for biodiversity net gain), infrastructure, ground-mounted solar PVs and other associated works.
“This strategic investment in the growth of our Humber ports continues to ensure we maintain a leading position in the port sector,” said Andrew Dawes, ABP’s Regional Director of the Humber ports. “Demand is expected to increase for energy generation, automotive storage, bulk warehousing, and storage and distribution uses. This new site will ensure the delivery of state-of-the-art infrastructure, facilities, and technological innovation.”
The site has been allocated in the local plan for employment use since 2013. It is adjacent to the Humber Link Road, a new port connection road built in 2021 that links Immingham and Grimsby. Existing railway infrastructure also passes close by, leaving the possibility for further future intermodal potential.