Stephen Metcalfe, Member of Parliament for South Basildon and East Thurrock, welcomed the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to DHL London Gateway in Stanford-le-Hope on Monday to meet with staff and take part in a PM Connect Q&A session.
DHL London Gateway is one of DHL’s newest logistics depots and takes advantage of its proximity to London Gateway’s container port which handles over 2 million TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) per year and imports goods from around the world.
On a visit to DHL this week, Stephen and Rishi met apprentices and new starters on the Future Leaders Graduate Programme. They discussed opportunities for professional development and the benefits of learning whilst earning. Next, Rishi answered questions from DHL employees as part of his PM Connect Q&A series. The PM outlined how the UK was at an economic turning point thanks to Government planning and announced new measures to counteract fraud in the welfare system to ensure that taxpayers get a fair deal.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “I thoroughly enjoyed showing Rishi how the logistics sector is booming in Stanford-le-Hope. DHL has just opened – recognising the opportunities presented by London Gateway and the recent approval of Thames Freeport. Since the approval of Thames Freeport in 2021, over £600 million has been invested in the area and over 1,000 jobs have been created. Import and export businesses are setting up in London Gateway’s high-tech logistics park and London Gateway is itself investing in a £350 million fourth berth to increase productivity even further. All of this is good for jobs, good for residents and good for consumers.”
One of twelve Freeports created since Brexit, Thames Freeport, which includes London Gateway, the Port of Tilbury and Ford Dagenham, is benefitting from streamlined planning processes, simplified customs procedures, full expensing for plant and machinery costs, and business rates relief.
Last year, London Gateway surpassed Southampton to become the UK’s second biggest container port and reported 14 percent annual growth. This is a stark contrast to the landscape in 2010 when the site which London Gateway now occupies was empty.
