A NEW habitat for wildlife is to be created in Harwich harbour as part of a massive new port development, it was revealed today.Hutchison Ports (UK) Ltd – owner of Harwich International Port and the Port of Felixstowe – is proposing to move sea defences to help develop an intertidal mudflat for birds.

A NEW habitat for wildlife is to be created in Harwich harbour as part of a massive new port development, it was revealed today.

Hutchison Ports (UK) Ltd – owner of Harwich International Port and the Port of Felixstowe – is proposing to move sea defences to help develop an intertidal mudflat for birds.

The scheme is to compensate for habitat which it is predicted will be lost when 250-acre Bathside Bay at Harwich is turned into a modern container terminal.

Experts are now looking at the idea to assess the potential effects of the proposal to move the sea walls.

When built, the Bathside Bay terminal – just a mile across the water from Felixstowe – will boast 1,400 metres of quay and provide 500 new jobs at the port, plus many more in associated industries.

The two operations have very close links and the development at Harwich will be a huge boost to Felixstowe, which will still be three times bigger, in providing extra flexibility and could free some quay space for more deep water shipping.

An Act of Parliament in 1988 consented to construction of a port on Bathside Bay, though the idea has drawn a number of protests and objectors are hoping to force a public inquiry.

The terminal will provide capacity for handling 1.7 million standard-sized containers a year and will be capable of handling concurrently four deep-sea container vessels.

Meanwhile, executives at Felixstowe are awaiting the outcome of an inquiry with the result expected soon. It is hoping for the go-ahead for 270 metres of new quays, and will also build 40 acres of back-up storage land and a third railhead.