New port 'brings little benefit'

The first phase of the project should be finished by the summer

A row has broken out over the building of a new £40m outer harbour scheme for a port in Norfolk.

The Great Yarmouth Port Users Association said the scheme would bring "little benefit" to the town which would struggle with increased traffic.

The largest ship ever to dock at the new EastPort outer harbour is bringing two giant cranes to help with the construction of a container terminal.

Owner EastPort UK said the response undermined its good work.

Work has almost finished on the first phase of the deep water port.

Mike Gouldby, chairman of the Port Users Association, said if the port focused on container trade it would "create very few jobs but a great deal of traffic".

He added: "It is rather sad for the town that while so much concentration has been placed on container traffic, to the detriment of the offshore energy sector, the port has effectively lost out on many opportunities over the last two years."

EastPort UK said it was dismayed at Mr Gouldby's comments which it said undermined the positive work it was doing.

Eddie Freeman, of EastPort UK, said: "I think that the response is incredulous and when I read it I was dismayed.

"A port of our size needs several platforms to give it flexibility and we have got that.

"We have always stated that the port needs to be in the container field, roll-on roll-off, offshore and conventional, as well as offshore energy."

The 234m Zhen Hua 6 is due to bring two giant cranes ashore this weekend to help with construction of the port.