New £35m terminal opens at port

The DFDS Tor Line vessel Magnolia enters Immingham Docks

A new £35m ferry terminal was be officially opened at Immingham on Wednesday - the 100th anniversary of the docks' construction.

The development, the largest of its kind on the east coast of England, is a joint venture between port operator ABP and Danish ferries group DFDS Tor Line.

It extends DFDS's existing terminal in Immingham to a total of 170 acres, with seven roll-on roll-off berths.

Recently retired CBI director general Sir Digby Jones opened the site.

Habitat replaced

The terminal will handle 14 weekly shipments of cars, paper and general cargo.

During the planning stage, ABP worked closely with environmental organisations to reach an agreement which commits it to replace wildlife habitat lost to the new development.

This resulted in ABP creating 140 acres of mudflats and saltmarsh and 15 acres of grassland on the Humber estuary to provide new habitats for migratory wildfowl.

It has also made a significant contribution to the Environment Agency's long-term flood defence plans on the estuary, which are being implemented to combat the growing threat of rising sea levels.